The Lemon Problem for Used Cars - Spot the Lemon before it is too late

As the prices of new cars are going up buying used vehicles started appearing to be a more attractive alternative. New vehicles, the moment they leave the dealership, start getting depreciated in their value and the pre-owned cars start appearing to be smart financial alternative. Advances in the manufacturing and maintenance technology have turned the used vehicles better than ever.

Generally neither a manufacturer nor a dealer is eager to disclose defects in a used vehicle to you. Even before the general public ever heard of Toyota's problem for unexpected acceleration umpteen unpublicized settlements had already occurred with irate consumers. The problem came to be widely known to the public only after the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had launched an investigation.

Purchasers should avoid lemon used cars
It is very important that consumers protect themselves against lemon used vehicles by knowing all about its history. A consumer must find out if the used vehicle he is planning to buy is a lemon. First know about the lemon laws, ex. When you are in California, know about California lemon law.

The lemon problem can be worse for purchasers of used cars if the

• Dealer of the used car is not the original dealer of the vehicle
• Vehicle's history is not disclosed

Get the Used Car Facts First

Mileage:

The most sought after used cars
• Are less than five years old
• Have less than 50,000 miles, driven no more than 15,000 miles per year

However a low-mileage used car need not necessarily be a good one.

Odometer tampering:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)estimates that used consumers lose billions of dollars a year to odometer fraud due to the increased maintenance and repair costs.

To prevent buying used cars that may not be road worthy

• Get a detailed vehicle history report
• In the absence of a detailed vehicle history report, use the 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) to secure a history
• Search on the web and get help from the companies that provide vehicle history

Earlier, in California the only way to check a vehicle's history was through
• A service called Carfax, for a fee of $30
• New service is being provided by the California Department of Motor Vehicles for $4.00 or less

Other Problems the buyers of used car should know of

Damage Disclosure, Salvage & Rebuilt Titles issued by states when a vehicle:
• Has sustained damage as a result of one or more incidents
• Has been taken possession of by its insurance company
• Has been declared a total loss
• Sustained damage and was rebuilt or reconstructed and put back on road
• Is not road worthy and cannot be titled again in that state

Manufacturer Buyback Titles:
• Some of the vehicles with major problems are bought back by the manufacturer who has failed to repair the defect in a certain amount of time and resold as used cars

Flood Damage Title:
• States issue flood titles when a vehicle has been in a flood or has received extensive water damage

Curbstoners:
• Most states limit the number of cars that an individual can sell without a dealer's license or only allow the selling of one's personal car
• Curbstoners are people who ignore these laws and sell multiple cars that frequently have hidden problems in their pasts
• These problems can affect both the safety and the value of these vehicles

Before buying any used car, you should research both the vehicle and the seller.

• Be wary of sales conducted from the side of the curb or a vacant lot
• Often these vehicles are sold by con men posing as private individual sellers