Being in the financial position to buy a car after your only other one breaks down can prevent a substantial amount of stress. However, you can land in a stressful situation if the replacement vehicle turns out to be in an unstable condition. Sometimes dealers sell customers vehicles that are knowingly in bad shape, but they choose not to disclose the problems in an attempt to make a sale. There are laws in place that protect consumers from having to suffer a financial loss after going through such a situation with a dealer. Browse through the information below for answers to questions that you might want to know in regards to unknowingly buying a vehicle that has major problems.

What Are the Laws to Protect Consumers?

A vehicle that is sold by a dealer in a poor condition is known as a lemon when it comes to the law, but only under certain circumstances. For instance, if you are told upfront about the problems a vehicle has before making the purchase, you are not likely protected under the lemon law. Whether or not you are protected also depends in the specific lemon laws that are in place in your state. The laws are similar in each state, but they can slightly differ in certain aspects. Basically, the number of attempts that a dealership fails to repair the problem is one of the things that that can be analyzed differently based on your state's lemon laws.

Can a Full Refund Be Obtained from the Dealer?

Your specific situation with the dealership will play a role if you are entitled to a full refund or not. For instance, did the dealer request to repair the vehicle and you refused due to wanting a refund? If so, you may not have rights under the lemon law for a refund until the dealer is allowed several attempts to bring the vehicle to a satisfactory condition. If you have already given the dealer a chance to make repairs and still are being denied a refund, you should take legal action. A judge will then determine if you have the right to a refund.

How Can a Lemon Law Attorney Be Helpful?

An attorney will be helpful because he or she can let you know if it is worth taking legal action under the state's lemon laws. He or she can also attempt coming to an agreement with the dealership before the case goes to court. If court becomes necessary, you can rely on the attorney to present evidence to the judge and speak on your behalf. Have a consultation with a lemon law attorney when you are ready to take legal action against the dealership.