Owning a vehicle is such a nice experience. Well, your delight might be short-lived when the car suddenly starts growing defects. These defects can be so regular that it makes owning the car unsustainable. In some cases, the issues can be safety threats and come with liabilities. Now imagine if all these issues have nothing to do with you, instead, it is all down to the manufacturer of the car dealer.
To protect in such cases, the law provides for the lemon laws, which protects you from defective cars and deceptive warranty information. The car manufacturer can have to recall or compensate buyers in case of defective cars or car parts. The dealers must also provide car maintenance over the warranty period. You only need a Florida Lemon Law expert when they fail to provide the services.
While lemon laws are straightforward for new cars. It can be quite complex when it comes to used cars.
Limitations of lemon laws on used cars
The protection against defective cars from manufacturers has been on for the longest time. If you know about cars then you have most probably heard about car recalling for the various brands. However, it is a little tricky when it comes to used cars. Only a few states at the moment have the lemon laws that apply to used cars. Even the states with the laws, there are limiting applications and they rarely help.
The major concern with used cars is that the law allows for selling the car in any condition. The price you pay for the car is based on the condition. Therefore it’s up to you to inspect the car before purchasing. You can bring along a mechanic you trust for the inspection or take it for a road test.
Still, some issues never appear until after some weeks after the purchase. To keep safe here are some of the things to look into;
• The service history
The vehicle’s service history is crucial to determine the actual state of the car you are buying. Some dealers tend to tamper with the odometer to show lesser mileage. This is to mean it has less wear and tear. With the service history, you can see how it has been checked and verify the mileage.
• Accident history
It is crucial that the seller discloses the car’s accident history for safety reasons. Most modern cars are made such that they can absorb most accident impact to avoid passenger injury in case of an accident. However, they can never return to their previous strength when repaired. When you understand that you are buying then you also prepare for the risk.
• Major breakdown
Some car parts issues like dead batteries, failing brakes and transmission issues are common in used cars. However, when the vehicle has too many issues then the seller must detail all the issues. You can then talk to your mechanic to understand if the purchase is worth it. Otherwise, not providing the information means selling under false information.
What to do when you find out an issue with the car
Immediately you find the above issues in your used car, contact the dealer for necessary repairs. The dealer might have to repair the car even when the warranty is expired if they sold it under deceptive information.
Keep a record of all your complaints and correspondence with the dealer. If they are unwilling to help you, then look for a lemon lawyer to go the legal way.