Monday, April 28, 2008

Used Car Warranties


With rising cost of new vehicles, many people are opting to buy a used vehicle. The prospective buyer must be aware of what type of car warranty is available on the vehicle they are looking to purchase. Some dealers offer limited warranties on used cars, some do not. And some cars come with the original factory warranty still in force. But how do you tell what is on the car?
The first thing any consumer must be aware of when buying a used car is the condition the car is in. Was it traded in as a lemon for something that was not covered on the car's original warranty? Was it in a severe accident or even a flood? Request that the dealership you are considering purchasing the car from provide you will all of this information. Ask for a Carfax report if possible.

Because many car manufacturers offer a bumper-to-bumper car warranty that covers so many years or so many miles, a used car may still have part of this warranty available. Check to make sure that the original warranty is available. If it is, ask for a detailed description of what is covered. Do your homework ahead of time and see if the state or country you live in has individual warranty requirements. Inspect the information provided to you by the dealership on the existing and remaining warranty with any specifications required by law where you live.

If there is no car warranty left on the vehicle you are interested in, ask the dealership what kind of warranty they offer. Most dealerships offer some form of thirty-day warranty. This is to ensure that any problems that may arise can be fixed in a short length of time, preferably before they start to cost you a lot of money you may not have. Some dealerships offer a longer warranty. Make sure you ask what they offer, what it covers in detail, and that you understand the warranty they offer before signing the final papers and driving away.

Two places that may not be the most recommended or reliable sellers of cars are the Internet and individual sellers. Because of the problem with high odometer readings making cars cheaper to purchase, there has been instances where sellers - and some less than honest dealerships - have rolled back the odometer. By looking at a car on the Internet, you do not know what you may be getting. The seller may claim that the car warranty is in force when in fact it is not. 'Buyer beware' is a great statement in these cases.

Whatever type of used car warranties you look into purchasing, consider a policy that includes a free car rental. After all, having your car fixed for free or for the price of parts is important, but you still need to be able to get to work and the grocery store while your car is in the shop. Free car rentals are the most overlooked, and possibly the most valuable part, of good used car warranties.

by Terry Bolton

Sunday, April 27, 2008

used car lemon law


Consumers often wonder if there is such a thing as a used car lemon law. Most of the time the answer to that question will depend on what state you live in and what particular circumstance you are dealing with. To partially answer the question, it is quite possible that a used car may be covered under a lemon law if you received what is called an express written warranty. This type of warranty can be one of several things.

To break it down a bit, an express written warranty can be the balance of an existing manufacturer's warranty. It can also be a service contract or an extended warranty that you may have purchased from your dealer when you initially bout the vehicle. Or, it can be a totally separate limited warranty that was given to you by the dealer. If any one of these sound somewhat familiar to you, then chances are you may have some protection under a lemon law provision.


Each state will have their own rules, that is why I highly suggest that you contact the proper people and use the correct type of resources that are available to you. It isn't too difficult to obtain answers to a provision such as a lemon law. You may either contact your state government office, or your best bet is to speak with a lemon law attorney. Again, you'll receive different answers depending on where you purchased your automobile. A Florida lemon law lawyer will certainly have different answers than a California lemon law lawyer.


In general, there are some common guidelines that a dealer or manufacturer must follow. It is usually imperative that a dealer respond to your repairs in a reasonable amount of time. Defective vehicles that have serious problems are most important, because serious injury and death can occur in some circumstance if a defective automobile is not fixed properly with in a specific time frame.


If you have concerns about an automobile that may be defective, you just may have a claim that is worth looking into. Do not delay by any means, there are answers to your questions and they are very easy to find. Again, like I stated earlier, contact a lemon law lawyer or attorney so you can finally have some peace of mind.


by Hector P. Sanchez