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Question: Can my vehicle purchase be protected by the ohio lemon law?

(Posted by: Liz M on 2010-02-04 17:52:04)

I took ownership of a 2003 dodge caravan SE and less than 48hrs later, it seems to be having a problem where it sputters and wont go over 30mph. I called the dealer, and he was like "well, it didn't do that when u drove it out " and said I should have gotten the extended warranty on it. Yes, I should have , but I overspent on the car. I paid a total of $4245 and now have a vehicle that won't go. Am I protected in the least bit?

Posted by: xx_satanic_mechanic_xx on 2010-02-04, 17:58:29

You dont have a lemon. You have a 7-year-old used car that needs work. Your protection is to take the car to a certified mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection. It would have cost you $100 or so, but look how much you would have saved. Now you own a car that needs work. Unfortunately, the laws in Ohio are very specific - no coverage on a used car unless it has under 18,000 miles, and is less than a year from its orignal sale date. Once that has passed, there is no protection whatsoever.

Posted by: Uncle Jed on 2010-02-04, 17:58:19

Lemon Laws only cover new cars and in some states an almost new car. But no state covers a 7 year old car..........Used cars are sold AS IS meaning no warranty unless you have paper work showing a warranty. You signed paperwork showing one or the other. But more than likely the repairs are on you................md

Posted by: rejectedzipper on 2010-02-04, 18:15:03

You can help others by giving the name of the dealer in CAPITAL LETTERS with the address. Check your paperwork, some dealers give at least a 30 day warranty, if you see the words "AS IS " writ large then you are s.o.o.l., sorry.

Posted by: PETER GRIFFIN on 2010-02-04, 18:16:33

Used cars are sold as-is. There is no law that protects used car buyers from repairs that arises 48 hours later or a month later. It's no different than buying a used TV from a garage sale..... if it breaks a week later, you won't get your money back. Buying a used car is like gambling, you took a risk and lost. You could have minimized your risk by having it first inspected by a mechanic but you chose to penny-pinch and it cost you dearly. When my parents bought a used Ford and it cost $5000 to fix everything that went wrong, did they go cry to the dealer? Nope, they understood it was as-is once the warranty expired. They just vowed never to buy a crappy Ford ever again.

Posted by: N on 2010-02-05, 03:32:39

Oh yeah, the old "lemon law " for 7 year old cars. It exists only in the minds of a small portion of idiotic morons. If such cars had lemon laws. They would cost thousands more.