Lemon Vehicle 101: Key Signs You’ve Bought One and What to Do About It
A lemon vehicle is a vehicle that’s been found to have serious manufacturing defects, which makes them extremely dangerous. The manufacturing defects found in a lemon vehicle can lead to an accident. These defects can be any part of a vehicle such as brakes, steering, suspension, tires, and transmission.
It is often hard to identify a lemon vehicle, especially if you bought it straight from a car manufacturer. To help you identify a lemon vehicle here are key signs that you should look out for and what to do about them.
1. Loose steering
If you take the vehicle for a spin, you’ll soon notice that there’s something wrong with its steering. Lemon vehicles usually have loose or wobbly steering, which is a good sign that there’s something wrong with its alignment or steering fluid. Loose steering can also be a sign that the vehicle is already old and is on its last legs.
But if the issues persist after getting them fixed a couple of times, it’s safe to say that the vehicle you’ve bought is a lemon.
2. Stiff bumpers
Stiff bumpers are a good indication that there’s something wrong with your vehicle’s suspension. To find out if the suspension of your vehicle is good, push down the front and back bumpers of your vehicle. If the vehicle bounces up and down at least once or twice, it means that its suspension is good.
But if you feel that the bumpers are stiff when you push them down, it could mean that the vehicle’s suspension is out of whack. Repairing the suspension of a vehicle is quite expensive.
3. Strong smell
When checking out a vehicle, it’s important to use all your senses and not just rely on what you can see with your eyes alone. Use your sense of smell to look for signs of a lemon vehicle.
4. Uneven tire tread
The tires of a vehicle can pretty much tell the history of the car. If your vehicle was properly maintained, you won’t see any uneven tire treads on your wheels.
5. Electrical problems
You should also check the vehicle for signs of electrical problems. If a vehicle’s electrical system is faulty, its headlights, tail lights, or turn signals might not be working.
6. Interior damage
A messy interior is a strong indication that the vehicle you’ve bought is a lemon. Wear and tear on the interior is expected in a used car. But if the interior damage is just way too much, it means that there’s something wrong with the car. Damaged seat belts, sagging brake and gas pedals, and ripped seat covers are among the important things you should look out for in a lemon vehicle.
How to Get Resolution if You’ve Bought a Lemon
There are still many signs that will help you spot a lemon vehicle on your own. Once you’ve figured out that your vehicle is actually a lemon, you must do the following to help resolve your problem.
Most lemon vehicles are fixable. It’s important to contact the car manufacturer immediately if you notice one or all the signs mentioned above of a lemon vehicle. Your vehicle’s warranty should allow you to get a free repair from the car manufacturer.
There are, however, some cases where a lemon vehicle doesn’t get fixed at all, even after several repair attempts. When that time comes, you’ll need to ask for a replacement or a refund for the lemon vehicle you’ve bought. The lemon law will protect your rights as a consumer from a defective vehicle. To learn how to get a replacement or refund under the lemon law, just click here.