Top Signs You Were Sold a Lemon Car (And What to Do)

Were you sold a lemon car? How can you tell? Is it too late, do you still have hopes? In this article you will get to learn the top signs you were sold a lemon and what to do about it.

If you're looking for a used car, so is everyone else. More people are ditching new car lots in favor of used cars that provide more value. But to get that value, you first need to be sure you're getting a quality car.

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You' may have heard of “lemon” cars, but you might still be asking, “What is a lemon car anyway?” That's OK. It's often used as an imprecise term, but there's a legal definition. Read on for signs that you bought a lemon car.

Shoddy Repairs

A reliable used car got repaired by a professional, full stop. You don't have time to mess with amateur work. Repairs or upgrades that may look OK on the surface can show their true colors once you've paid for the car. For instance, let's say the seller tells you they installed a new stereo system. That sounds nice, but then, a week after you purchased the car, the stereo system shorts out.

The good news is that may be fixable. The bad news is that there's a chance other sloppily-done repairs will be harder to unwind. Lemon laws vary a bit depending on location. The California lemon law says the car must be defective even after several attempts to repair it. Find out more to see if should talk to a lawyer about your car purchase.

No Vehicle History

Your parents told you to always get a vehicle's history before committing. But the buyer said he didn't have it, and the deal was so good that you didn't want to push. That's a bright red flag. A vehicle without a history is hiding something 9 times out of 10. The car might have a salvage title. It could have gotten carried away in a flood or stolen.

Refusing to ask for a vehicle history is like refusing to run a background check on an employee before hiring them. It might be worse because most employees aren't responsible for getting their bosses to work safely every day.

Seller Wouldn't Answer Your Questions

The person selling the car should be knowledgeable and forthcoming. The best way to test that is to ask them a lot of questions. If the seller refuses to answer them, that's a big problem. They shouldn't get offended by questions about the warranty, for instance. You can also feel free to ask them about the local lemon car law. That doesn't mean they should be able to recite the used lemon car law from memory. But they should be aware of the basics. Someone who doesn't want to talk about the car wants to get rid of it as fast as possible. That probably means they want to make the car someone else's problem with as little work as possible.

Avoiding a Lemon Car

For most people, buying a used car is as exciting as buying a new car. But nothing can ruin that excitement faster than the sinking feeling that you got saddled with a lemon car. Ask questions and do your research. If you feel pressure to buy, don't.

Unfortunately, buying a car is far from the only way to get scammed. Our site can help you avoid getting ripped off. Make sure to stay suspicious and bookmark us for more advice. 

Vehicle Purchase Scams: How To Report

Let your family and friends know about this article by sharing it on social media using the buttons provided. You can also officially report scammers and questionable car sellers to the Federal Trade Commission using the link below:

Report To The FTC Here

 

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