Everyone fears the possibility of buying a car that’s a lemon. You drive it home, then quickly discover that it has hidden issues, maintenance problems, damage, or dysfunctional components that make it unusable. But if that does happen after you’ve already purchased the vehicle, can you do anything about it? We’re going to answer questions about the Utah lemon law, and how can it protect you from circumstances such as these. At Freedom National, we want to help you make informed decisions about not only your car insurance, but car ownership. That’s why we’ve created this guide to Utah’s lemon law and what you should know before buying.
In this article, we’ll answer:
- What are lemon laws?
- Does Utah have a lemon law?
- What is Utah’s lemon law?
- Are used cars covered under Utah’s lemon law?
- When does a vehicle qualify as a lemon?
We hope this will help serve as a guide to navigating the world of Utah’s lemon law and regulations, though it should not be taken as legal advice. For that, you should consult a legal expert with experience in Utah lemon law cases.
What Are Lemon Laws?
Lemon laws are laws put in place by individual states and are designed to protect consumers who have purchased a vehicle that is nonfunctional or unfit for use. Basically, a lemon law determines under what circumstances the state can force a dealership who sold a vehicle to either replace it or offer a refund directly to the consumer.
Each state has a specific list of conditions that must be met for a vehicle to be considered a lemon, and vehicles that don’t fit that list aren’t subject to lemon laws. Even if just one of the items in a state’s list of lemon law qualifications isn’t met, the vehicle isn’t considered a lemon and the buyer can’t be protected by lemon laws.
Does Utah Have a Lemon Law?
So if every state has different lemon laws, what is Utah’s lemon law? Does the state even have one?
The answer is yes, Utah has a lemon law— and it’s fairly similar to the lemon law found in most other states.
In Utah, a vehicle must meet the following qualifications to be considered a lemon and for the dealer that sold it to be forced to either replace it or offer a cash refund.
- The vehicle must be new. Lemon laws in Utah don’t apply to used vehicles. If you bought your vehicle used from either a dealer or a private seller, it doesn’t fall under lemon law.
- The vehicle must have been purchased in the state of Utah to qualify under Utah’s lemon laws.
- The vehicle must have been sold with an accompanying warranty.
- The vehicle must have been taken back to the manufacturer four times or more to address the same defect, or it must have been out of commission for thirty days or more.
- The vehicle must meet all of the above conditions within its first year or within its warranty period, whichever is sooner
Basically, if you buy a new car in the state of Utah that’s covered by a warranty, and within the warranty period or one year from purchase you’ve had to take it in for the same issue four times or it’s been unusable for thirty days or more, your vehicle might qualify for replacement or refund under Utah’s lemon laws.
Let’s take a closer look at exactly what’s written in Utah’s lemon laws.
What is Utah’s Lemon Law?
We summarized the main points of Utah’s lemon law in the section above, but it may be worth exploring the exact wording of the most relevant portions of the law itself for a more in-depth understanding.
The law is extensive in explaining exactly what it does and does not cover, but here are the most important sections that you may want to read directly (don’t worry, if you don’t have time to read the entire section provided, we’ve summarized the most important points throughout this article.)
13-20-3 Nonconforming motor vehicles — Repairs.
If a new motor vehicle does not conform to all applicable express warranties, and the consumer reports the nonconformity to the manufacturer, its agent, or its authorized dealer during the term of the express warranties or during the one-year period following the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle to a consumer, whichever is earlier, the manufacturer, its agent, or its authorized dealer shall make repairs necessary to conform the vehicle to the express warranties, whether or not these repairs are made after the expiration of the warranty term or the one-year period.
13-20-4 Nonconforming motor vehicles — Replacement — Refund — Criteria — Defenses.
(1) If the manufacturer, its agent, or its authorized dealer is unable to conform the motor vehicle to any applicable express warranty by repairing or correcting any defect or condition that substantially impairs the use, market value, or safety of the motor vehicle after a reasonable number of attempts, the manufacturer shall replace the motor vehicle with a comparable new motor vehicle or accept return of the vehicle from the consumer and refund to the consumer the full purchase price including all collateral charges, less a reasonable allowance for the consumer’s use of the vehicle. Refunds shall be made to the consumer, and any lien holder’s or lessor’s as their interests may appear.
There are some important points in these sections— namely, that the vehicle that replaces your lemon must be new. A dealership can’t try to replace your lemon vehicle with a similar, used vehicle.
It’s also important to note this section: ‘refund the customer the full purchase price including all collateral charges, less a reasonable allowance for the consumer’s use of the vehicle.’
That means that a dealership may refund you for slightly less than the vehicle’s purchase price based on how much you used it before the refund takes place.
Are Used Cars Covered Under Utah Lemon Law?
All of this might have you wondering: What is Utah’s lemon law when it comes to used cars? After all, used vehicles are the ones most likely to have hidden issues that make them unusable within the first year after purchase.
Unfortunately, lemon laws generally don’t apply to used cars, and Utah is no exception. There is no lemon law protecting you in the event that you buy a used vehicle from a dealership or private seller and it turns out to be a lemon. You’re mostly out of luck, unless you can verifiably prove that you were misled or laws were broken in the sale of your vehicle. That said, we’re insurance experts, not legal experts, so you should consult a legal professional if you believe that’s the case.
When Does a Vehicle Qualify as a Lemon?
To sum up our answer to “What is Utah’s Lemon Law,” here’s a list of the exact specifications that must be met for your vehicle to qualify as a lemon in Utah.
- The vehicle must be new.
- The vehicle must have been purchased in the state of Utah.
- The vehicle must have been sold with an accompanying warranty.
- The vehicle must have been taken back to the manufacturer four times or more to address the same defect, or it must have been out of commission for thirty days or more.
- The vehicle must meet all of the above conditions within its first year or within its warranty period, whichever is sooner.
While we may not be able to help you if your vehicle is a lemon, we can help you ensure your vehicle in Utah. We offer cheap car insurance online to most drivers, even those who may have problems finding affordable insurance anywhere else. At Freedom National, we’re all about getting you covered and back on the road. Visit our Utah insurance page to learn more.
