IfI purchased a defective used car, am I covered under any consumer/lemon laws?

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IfI purchased a defective used car, am I covered under any consumer/lemon laws?

I purchased a vehicle yesterday from a dealership. It has over 100,000 miles on it. I drove the vehicle home, parked it, and this morning it will not start. It appears that the starter is done. The dealership should have known that the starter was going out (it makes a very distinct sound) and did not disclose this to me. Do I have any other resources available to me?

Asked on February 1, 2011 under General Practice, Minnesota

Answers:

M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 13 years ago | Contributor

According to the State Attorney General's Office:

Minnesota has one of the strongest Used Car Warranty Laws in the country. Under the Minnesota Used Car Warranty Law, used car dealers must provide basic warranty coverage for most used cars and small trucks sold to Minnesota buyers. The Used Car Warranty Law does not apply if you buy a used car from a relative, friend, from a private party or "as is."  

"As is" means that there is not warranty and that the dealer is not obligated to fix anything that goes wrong.  Here is the problem here, though.  The Minnesota Used Car law appears to cover cars that have 75,000 miles or under.  I would contact your State Attorney General's office here. You could also be covered under the FTC rules for Buyer's Guide and Unfair Trade Practices Act as well.  Good luck. 


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