Lemon Law: What is covered?

The Lemon Law applies to any vehicle with a warranty.

The Lemon Law even applies to used vehicles that come with a warranty from the Dealer. Most often we are talking about automobiles, but manufacturers also warrant boats, motorcycles, jet skis, RVs, even yachts. Any item that comes with a warranty. What is a warranty? A warranty is a promise to make something work properly, to maintain its usefulness or performance for a period of time. Warranties take many forms. The warranty on a new car is the initial bumper to bumper coverage.

Used cars with a warranty fall under the protection of the lemon law. The warranty can be the remainder of the factory warranty from the manufacturer, from the dealer, or in certain cases from a service contract purchased with the car at the time of sale. It is required by State and Federal law that every used car offered for sale have a "Buyers Guide" in the window.

This guide tells you whether the car comes with a warranty, and what the terms of that warranty are. Typical is 30 days and 1,000 miles, though they vary. Sometimes the Dealer is only obligated for 1/2 of the cost of repairs. "As is" really does mean "as is," and if the car is sold "as is," the Dealer is probably telling you something. For a more detailed discussion of used cars and their warranties, please see the Used Car page.

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