DOES THE LEMON LAW APPLY TO USED VEHICLES?

YOU CAN GET “LEMON LAW” RELIEF WHEN YOU BUY A USED CAR, TOO!

We will explain used car lemon law in a minute, but if you want to get rid of your lemon used car right now, then call our Toll Free Used Car Lemon Law Hotline right now to get started, 1.888.331.6422. Or Click Here for free Lemon Law help.

In Ohio, like most states, there are two kinds of used car lemon laws that can give you lemon law rights. If you get any written warranty from the car dealer with your used car, then there is a federal lemon law that protects you in every state. That is why it is so very important to always insist on getting some kind of written warranty from the selling dealer, even if it is only for one day. Used Car Window Sticker On top of that, many state new car lemon laws apply to used car sales as long as you bought the vehicle during your state’s lemon law “presumption” time frame. Plus, some states have a used car lemon law too. To find out what your state new car lemon law presumption time frame is, Click Here If you have a lemon motor vehicle and you are in Ohio or Kentucky or Hawaii, then call our Toll Free Used Car Lemon Law Hotline right now, 1.888.331.6422. Or Click Here for free Lemon Law help.

In Ohio, for instance, the state Lemon Law can give you lemon law rights if you got your vehicle within one year and 18,000 miles of its original, “new” delivery date. Not only that, but if you got your used vehicle after that, you may still be able to get the same “Lemon Law” kind of relief under other laws.

USED CAR LEMON LAW IN OHIO

If your car (or other motor vehicle) had less than 18,000 miles on it and you got the vehicle within one year of its original delivery date, then the Ohio Lemon Law can cover you.

THE FEDERAL LEMON LAW COVERS USED CARS.

The Federal Lemon Law is named the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act and it was the first “lemon” law ever passed and it can cover your used car, no matter how old it may be. If you get a warranty from the dealer when you get your used car, even if it is only for one day, then this Federal Warranty law will cover you. It requires that the warrantor (usually the selling dealer) repair it within a reasonable number of attempts and within a reasonable amount of time. If your vehicle is in the shop too long for warranty repairs, or too many times, then you may be entitled to your money back. Read about the Federal Magnuson Moss Warranty Act.

Used car lemon lawEven if you didn’t get a “warranty” but you did get a “service contract” (what some automobile dealers call an “extended warranty”) from the dealer when you got the used car, then you may still have the same rights! This federal law applies when you get a “service contract” from the selling dealer at any time up to 90 days after you acquired the vehicle. There is no mileage limit and it doesn’t matter how old the automobile is when you buy it. The only question is, did you get a warranty or a service contract from the dealer? If you did, then you may have more legal rights than you think — and a lot more legal rights than the dealer wants to hear about!

OHIO’S CONSUMER SALES LAW GIVES YOU “LEMON” PROTECTION, TOO!

In addition, Ohio has a Consumer Sales Practices Act that governs virtually all retail vehicle sales and lease transactions. This law makes it illegal for any car dealer to misrepresent the vehicle’s mileage, performance, accessories, make, model, year, whether the vehicle is new or used, that the dealer has any sort of affiliation that it doesn’t have, or to misrepresent any warranty or rights or remedies that you have or are available. Under this law you may be able to cancel the deal and get your money back. In some cases, you may even be able to recover three times your actual damages instead of canceling the vehicle transaction.

OHIO’S MOTOR VEHICLE SALES RULE CAN PROTECT YOU.

On top of all that, Ohio has a specific law that governs motor vehicle dealers in retail sales and leases. This law makes it illegal for a car dealer to misrepresent practically any aspect of anything that is happening in your transaction, including the vehicle itself or any material aspect of it, the financing terms, the sale terms, whether it’s a sale or a lease, how much you are getting for your trade in vehicle, and more. This law covers used or new vehicle transactions, no matter what kind of motor vehicle is involved. A violation of this law could give you the right to cancel the deal, recover three times your actual damages, or just get $200 even if you are happy with the vehicle and the deal you struck (the idea is to keep the car dealer honest). Plus, this law can make the car dealer pay your attorney fees!

THE USED CAR WINDOW STICKER FORM

Federal and state laws required all car dealers to put a Used Car Window Sticker on the window of each used car or truck before they can display the vehicle for sale. The name for this law is the FTC Used Motor Vehicle Trade Regulation Rule and the citation for this federal law is 16 CFR 455.2(a)(2).

You can click here to see the “Buyers Guide” form that must be used to comply with the Used Car Window Sticker Rule. Car dealers are not allowed to use any other form and they are not allowed to modify this form either. All they can do is fill in the blanks. They are not allowed to even change the print size of the words on the form. If they do, that violates the law and may give you the right to cancel the sale completely. But of course they are not going to tell you have that legal right. But one look at the form and we can tell you what your rights are. Knowing the Law. It’s what we do.

Some dealers don’t even use the used car window sticker form at all. Other dealers use them but don’t fill the form out. Still other dealers use a similar kind of form instead of the one required by law. No if’s, and’s or but’s about it — the dealer is required to use the right form and the dealer is required to fill it out the right way.

The dealer has to fill out the buyers guide form correctly, both the front side and the back side. On the front side, the dealer is supposed to say whether you are buying the car “as is” or with a warranty. On the back side, the dealer is required to write down the dealer’s name and address and the name and phone number of who you can complain to about the vehicle.

Many dealers fail to comply with this law. That failure, all by itself, may give you the right to cancel the sale and get your money back! But you have to act fast before your time limit runs out and you are stuck with a lemon used car.

BOTTOM LINE: YOU PROBABLY HAVE MORE LEGAL RIGHTS THAN YOU KNOW ABOUT.

If your used car turns out to be a “lemon”, the odds are that Ohio has a law that can protect and help you. To find out more, contact us.

RECALLS STILL HAVE TO BE FIXED FOR FREE.

Even when your vehicle is out of warranty, if a safety defect recall exists the manufacturer still has to repair it for free. If they won’t or can’t fix it, or if they try to charge you for the repairs, contact us.