ABA Family Legal Guide

Automobiles

Consumer Protections

Lemon Laws

What if the car car I just bought passes the safety inspection but still turns out to be a lemon (by requiring costly repairs or repeated repair attempts for the same problem)?

A car might pass the safety inspection and still be a lemon. Some state laws define "lemon" for used cars the same way they do for new cars: by using a formula of repair attempts/time spent in the shop. These laws protect buyers of used lemons in much the same way as they protect buyers of new lemons.