If you are considering purchasing a used car, we recommend that you run its "vehicle identification number" (VIN) through CARFAX. CARFAX will search its nationwide database and provide a detailed report in seconds, covering such items as title and registration issues, odometer problems and whether the vehicle was in reported as having been in a serious accident.
What is a "lemon"? A "lemon" is a vehicle that continues to have a defect that substantially impairs its use, value or safety. In general, if the vehicle has undergone a "reasonable" number of repair attempts for the same warranted defect within the warranty period, and the defect has not been repaired, the vehicle qualifies as a "lemon" under the "lemon laws" of most states. The number of "repair attempts" needed before the lemon law applies varies by state and may also depend on the defect: typically, safety-related defects require fewer repair attempts. However, keep in mind that if the defect is not covered by a warranty, it is not likely to be covered by your stateýs lemon law