According to one study, about two-thirds of lemon cars will start to have problems within about a month of you buying it.
Buying a used car can save you a ton of money in the short term, but in the long run, you might be paying more in maintenance fees for repairing the car.
If you’ve already bought the vehicle, you might be wondering if your car is a lemon. Thankfully, there are some signs that will give you the answer right away.
1. Has Bad or Strong Odors
If the car has strong odors or just smells bad, it might be a bad sign. When you go to inspect a car, it’s important to use all your senses. If you don’t like the smell of smoke, you want to know if the car smells like smoke before you buy it.
But bad smells like smoke or body odor aren’t the only problems that will let you know your car is a lemon. Other smells like something burning or leaking could also indicate bigger problems with the car.
Sometimes the smell is something obvious and easy to identify. But either way, it’s never good, and you should open up the hood to figure out just what is going on.
2. Poorly Written Ad
When you bought the car, do you remember anything off about the ad? The ad’s purpose is to get you to want to buy the car, but sometimes they’re not always truthful.
The car ad should sound professional and highlight all the great things about the car. But if it’s used, they should also disclose any problems that it has. Or any accidents it’s been in. Even if you don’t trust the seller to fully tell you the truth, you can use a site like https://www.carhistory.online/ to figure out what the history of the car is.
3. A Bad Warranty
Depending on how old the car is, it might come with a warranty still attached to it.
Someone trying to sell a lemon might have a really low asking price, but then they might also give you a warranty that is basically useless. You might see a warranty offered and think that the car will be okay to use, but really it won’t help you when the time comes to repair it.
Before you sign for any car and warranty, make sure you read all of the fine print that is attached.
4. The Bumper is Stiff
Fixing the suspension is one of the most expensive repairs, and someone who is trying to sell a lemon isn’t going to fix it for you.
While it’s one of the most expensive repairs, it’s also really important to make the car work. If the suspension isn’t aligned anymore, the bumper won’t move.
To check if the suspension is working, push on the bumper once or twice to see if it bounces up. If it doesn’t or won’t even let you push it down, the suspension could need repairs.
5. Worn Out Tires
The tires will also give you a good indication of if your car is a lemon or not. The tires on a car need to be replaced every few years, but if they weren’t, it should give you a little bit of history as to how the car was treated.
Before you even look for worn down tires, first check to make sure that they’re all the same brand and size. You’d be surprised at how many lemons are sold with mismatching tires because it was too expensive to buy a full set.
If the tires don’t match, this will cause the car to not drive as properly as it should.
When you determine the tires are the right shape and size, you can next look to see how worn down they are. If the tires look cupped or worn down, it could also mean that there is a problem with the brakes or steering in the car.
6. Mismatching Paint Colors
Unless you take a car into a professional, it’ll be really difficult to find the exact same color to fix your car. This might mean that the car got into an accident, sustained damage, and the owner didn’t want to pay to fully fix all of it.
Walk around the vehicle and see if there are any spots that look newer or faded than the rest. It might be hard to spot, so that’s why it’s important to take your time while checking it.
7. Problems With the Windows and Locks
Lastly, make sure that you check the locks and the windows.
Someone might have advertised the car with powered locks and windows, but it might actually not work. And if they don’t work, this could mean there is something wrong with the electrical system in the car. If there is an electrical issue with the car, this could mean that there is something wrong with the wiring, which can be a very expensive and time-consuming problem.
When you check the car, make sure that you can roll all the windows in the car down all the way. Some windows can get stuck halfway and then not roll back up.
Discover More Signs Your Car is a Lemon
These are only a few signs your car is a lemon, but there are many more.
It can be difficult to tell what’s wrong with the car since there is so much information out there on the mechanics of your car.
But thankfully, we’re here to help break it down for you. If you enjoyed this article, make sure that you explore our website to find more just like this one!
