City Council Passes "Lemon Law" For Used Cars
City Councilman Darrell Clarke this morning won passage of legislation he wrote to close a loop-hole in the state's "Lemon Law" for car sales. The state law covers new cars but does little to protect buyers of used cars, Clarke said.
City Councilman Darrell Clarke this morning won passage of legislation he wrote to close a loop-hole in the state's "Lemon Law" for car sales. The state law covers new cars but does little to protect buyers of used cars, Clarke said.
The legislation, if signed into law by Mayor Nutter, would require used car dealers to fix any "undisclosed major structural defect" within 10 days of a complaint from a buyer or refund the cost of the car. Those defects include a bent or cracked frame, cracked engine block, damaged transmission, defective differential, flood damage to a car or any car unable to pass a state inspection. That includes any cars sold "as is" or without a warranty unless the dealer gets the buyer to agree in writing that the car is "unroadworthy."
Violations of the law would be investigated by the Mayor's Office of Consumer Affairs. A dealer found to be violating the lemon law could have their automobile seller's license suspended or revoked.