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Question: Is there a lemon law for used cars in illinois?

(Posted by: ambiegirl17 on 2010-02-21 13:00:12)

I bought a used car friday 2- 19- 10 at 130pm and by saturday2- 20- 10 645pm the head gasket blew up. The car dealership said they had given the car, a 1997 Pontiac Grand am se, had a complete tune up. I had to by the car as is no warranty but i didn't have it for 48 hours before the head gasket blew up. there is also water in the oil. is there anything i can do about it? will the dealership have to fix it since they said it had a complete tune up? They also had to replace the engine mounts on it. they said they had looked over everything in the car too.

Posted by: fire4511 on 2010-02-21, 13:15:16

You purchased the vehicle with no warranty This means that you are responsible for the cost of any and all repairs that were needed, or are needed in the future. A tune up usually consists of changing plugs wires and sometimes doing a fuel injection service, none of which would have anything to do with the head gasket failing. You purchased a 13 year old vehicle AS-IS. There is no warranty, nor is there any lemon law coverage.

Posted by: Kenny on 2010-02-21, 13:05:00

You said it yourself. You bought the car as is with no warranty. There is nothing you can legally do to the place you bought the car from. Lemon laws only apply to new cars and you must have the same problem covered under warranty 3 times before it can be considered a lemon. That does not apply to you though because you bought a used car as is with no warranty. A tune up has nothing to do with the headgasket blowing. A tune-up basically means that they put new spark plugs in it, changed the oil and changed the air filter. That is about it. This is a very expensive lesson learned as to why you get the car checked out by an independant mechanic prior to purchasing a used car.

Posted by: PETER GRIFFIN on 2010-02-21, 13:08:31

Doesnt matter if u had the car for 30 mins, any problem becomes YOURS once you agree to buy it As-Is. Either fix it or junk it. Stop crying cause as-is law is pretty clear and straightforward.

Posted by: jennifer s on 2010-02-21, 13:08:44

Yes, IL does have a lemon law. I don't know what the details are but I would definately look into it!

Posted by: emiller1998 on 2010-02-21, 14:17:26

You cant lemon law a used car. It was also "as is " so they don't have to do anything for you. As the consumer its your job to make sure the car is in an acceptable condition before you buy it.

Posted by: alfredb1979 on 2010-02-21, 14:36:38

1997 Pontiac Grand am se -------------- LOL. As often as I tell people here that Grand Ams are junk and four cylinders blow headgaskets as if there is no tomorrow...someone has to go out and prove it anyway. Wow. --- will the dealership have to fix it since they said it had a complete tune up? --- How does "The car has had a tune up " = "We will fix this POS for you "??? Hope you have this repair in your budget. P.S. Don't go car shopping with Jennifer S. Lord only knows how badly that would end up.

Posted by: Scott H on 2010-02-21, 21:07:25

There is no lemon law protection for a 13 year old car. Period. That's why they are sold "as is/ no warranty ". You can pay for the repairs out of your pocket. The dealer is no longer responsible for the car.