Although most of the State's Lemon Laws are fixated on the purchase of new automobiles, there are some States that have laws and statutes related to the purchasing of used vehicles and those vehicles are covered under the Lemon Laws of those States. However, new cars are the most commonly referred to automobiles when speaking about a Lemon Law.
Some new automobile buyers might not know their rights under their States' and the federal Lemon Law, but the basic principle behind the automobile Lemon Law is to ensure that consumers are getting a fair deal. If there is some problem with the vehicle that seriously affects the vehicle's safety, value, or use, then the particular consumer is protected with the Lemon Law.
One question that a consumer might have that involves the Lemon Law is how long he or she has protection under the automobile Lemon Laws. The general rule of thumb for most States is between 18 months or the first 18,000 miles of the vehicle's use.
If a problem arises before those time periods are up and the problem is not able to be fixed within 3 to 4 attempts by the manufacturer then the consumer who purchased the vehicle is obliged to a buy-back of the vehicle by the manufacturer or a refund of the purchase price. However, there may be exceptions to that rule which allow the consumer to be able to be protected even farther down the road when it comes to a problem with their vehicle.
The New Vehicle Limited Warranty period that's provided by the manufacturer usually extends far beyond the normal 18 month or 18,000 mile period, which means that consumers may be protected against a defect in the vehicle if it seems as though it cannot be fixed.
If a consumer has worries that he or she has purchased a "Lemon," he or she should proceed to speak to a Lemon Law attorney to know the best course of action to take. But doing nothing about the car or "lemon" that you have just purchased will do nothing; standing up for your rights under the automotive lemon laws is the best one can to do protect themselves from such cases!
