• Repurchased by the manufacturer because of persistent complaints and/or deadly defects
• Resold to an unsuspecting buyer without divulging the history of the vehicle

• Mark the vehicle as Lemon
• Notify the Buyer with a written list of defects before the sale
• Give the Buyer a One Year Warranty

• Repurchasing the vehicle as a goodwill buy back
• Claiming that the vehicle is not covered by the Lemon Law
• Shipping the vehicle out of state to an auto auction/a car dealer/a consumer
• Denying any Knowledge of the Lemon History of the vehicle, despite Its Complete Warranty Repair History
• Moving the lemon vehicle to a state that does not require branding
• Moving the lemon vehicle to a state  that does not recognize the brand  from the previous state

• The vehicle is left unmarked

• Consumers do not actually see the title immediately

• Identifying only one or two of the many complaints made by the previous owner of the lemon car
• Removing the word warning from the top of the disclosure document
• Placing the disclosure document within a large stack of documents
• Spreading the stack out in a way that leaves the signature lines visible while the top half of the document is hidden by the stack itself

• Check the history of the car's prior ownership before you buy it
• Ask the dealer where they got the vehicle/who owned it before

• Write down the Vehicle Identification Number/VIN
• Do a free Internet title search on the free Auto History Lemon Detector
• You can cross-check the results on Auto Check

• Current valuations
• Older editions of the NADA book

• Chrysler alone bought back 45,000 lemon cars in about four years

• Chrysler resold their lemon cars for a total of $1 billion

 People approach car-buying with an inherent sense of apprehension because they don't want to buy somebody else's problems.

• They will get taken
• Unwittingly buy a lemon
• End up with something they don't want
• Pay way more than the car is worth

• Once in a while, a new one comes off the assembly line complete with problems
• Will the dealership fix the car?
  
  

• Is there any warranty remaining?
• What does it cover, and what does it not cover?
• What happens if the thing just quits on you?
• What if the master cylinder goes out?
• The battery proves to be moribund after two days
• If all the tires go flat at once?
• Will the dealership help you?
• Will they come get the car?
• What about a loaner?

• Who owned the car before
• What kind of problems they had with the car
• Did they furnish documents to validate the repairs they say they made
• Tell them firmly that you want your mechanic to check the car out

• Go elsewhere
• Look for a dealership that will give you at least 30 days to determine if the car is a lemon

• Low miles on the odometer
• Warranty
• Wear and tear issues

• Green, Red (in some of the newer cars) or clear water is a good indicator

• Muddy brown suggests that an additive has been added to the coolant to seal a leak in the radiator/water pump, or the vehicle has a blown head gasket

• A valve cover leak which is usually a minor repair

• Other leaks

• Poorly maintained Vehicle

• Suggest a blown head gasket which is a costly repair.

• Failure  
• That has been run with no oil for long periods of time

• Bright pinkish red colored fluid indicates a healthy or decently maintained transmission

• Brownish red colored fluid suggests that it is possibly time for a fluid change

• Straight brown fluid indicates poor maintenance on the transmission which will require immediate attention
• Metal filings in the fluid indicates that the transmission is going out

• Bad thermostat
• Blocked or cracked radiator
• Fluid loss from a hose
• Some other component in the water system
• Blown head gasket which cost around $1100 to repair

• A static puffing discharge indicates potential engine problems
• The exhaust should be clear when the car is warm
• Excessive white smoke can suggest water and oil mixing together by a blown head gasket

• Pedal should be firm and stopping should feel normal

• If there is a scraping or shuttering pedal there is probably damage to the brake shoes which will require immediate replacement
• A scraping noise in the brakes suggests that the rotors need to be turned or replaced

• Hard-turning steering wheels indicate problems with the power steering unit

• A steering wheel that throbs indicates a contaminated fluid in the power steering reservoir

• If the vehicle begins to veer to the right or left, an alignment is needed
• If the veer is extreme, it is possible that there are suspension problems that could prove to be costly

• Make sure to check all lights and signals
• Make sure the heat and air-conditioner are working
• Try to roll down all windows, either by hand if their manual or by using the electric buttons
• Lock and unlock all the doors

• Make sure to look over the body for rust
• Look carefully at the paint for surface bumps
• Bumps underneath the paint could imply rust or bondo

Local Woman Gets Refund After Mini Van Doors Open While Driving

Pittsburgh, Nov. 14, 2007

Families buy them for room and safety, but some minivans are now scaring local drivers. … “This right door will open sporadically by itself. It will not close properly. It's opened going down the highway,” Zajicek said. … Now, finally, “they are going to buy back the vehicle which means I will not have to worry about my family's safety. GM is doing the right thing.” And, Zajicek does not pay any attorney fees. …

Accepting Rusty Car Was Big Mistake

Dan Thanh Dang, Consuming Interests Nov 11, 2007

When a salesman pushes a little too hard, when the price is too high, when the product isn't exactly what we want or when we're just not sure, we can take our money and walk. We forget that all too often. It's never wise to fall in love with a car because, as we all know, love is blind. …
Read More

Cell Phone Lemon Law Wins House Approval

Chicago Sun-Times, Springfield, Apr. 27, 2007

Consumers stuck with lemon cell phones could ditch their contracts with wireless carriers under legislation that passed the Illinois House Thursday. …

Georgia’s Lemon Law Helps Keep New Car Purchases From Going Sour

The Weekly, Atlanta, GA, Nov. 29, 2007

… at long last you are the proud owner of a beautiful new car. … but driving it has been anything but rewarding since the air conditioner died and has refused to come back to life despite numerous resuscitation attempts by the dealer.

It has been at the dealership more than it has been in your garage at home. So what do you do when the “fruits of your labor” turn out to be a lemon?