FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

There are so many cars! How can I narrow my choices?

First of all, remember you're the one in charge. Make several trips to the dealership. Spend your first trip gathering information. Look carefully at the cars on your list. Sit in them, walk around them, test-drive them and see how they fit you. If possible, take a car for an extended test drive, one that simulates your normal use. That will tell you if the car can handle what you want it to do. Does the car have enough power? Does it ride too rough for you? Does the instrument/control layout suit your tastes? Can you see out of the car safely? Does it handle well? These are the types of questions will help you narrow down your choices.

I bought a lemon. What can I do?

There is something that you can do, since most states have "lemon laws" in place. In most states, the lemon law requires the dealership make four or more unsuccessful repair attempts on a vehicle for the same problem or that the vehicle be out of service for more than 30 days within the first 12 months or 12,000 miles before the vehicle is legally considered a lemon. If you believe that the car has problems, you should immediately attempt to have them repaired by the dealership. If the dealership is unsuccessful in repairing the problems, contact the manufacturer and request factory assistance. If that doesn't work, again contact the manufacturer (in writing) and request that they begin lemon law arbitration. You may need to file a lawsuit to get them to buy the car back. Unfortunately, there is no provision in the law for just giving the car back and saying "forget it." There are situations whereby you can revoke acceptance of the vehicle if it unsuitable; however, this is tricky legal ground and you can get yourself in trouble if you don't do things correctly. Before attempting to revoke acceptance of a vehicle, you should get legal assistance.

How do I protect myself when car shopping?

Do your homework. It can't be stressed enough - that an informed consumer is a protected consumer. If you walk in and buy a car without any preparation, without any knowledge about the type of car you're buying - you'll get ripped off, nine out of ten times. Research the car you're interested in. Check out its reliability, safety, cost, performance, and features. Most important of all - don't get pressured into buying a car.