How to spot a lemon car

There are few things more exciting than buying a new car and trying it out on the road. Having the car of your dreams is a great feeling. Unfortunately, this feeling can quickly be ruined if the new vehicle starts acting strangely and is plagued by numerous malfunctions in a short time. If the number of repairs is rapidly increasing and you are wondering why, the answer may be right before your eyes: you have bought a lemon car. Find out how to spot a lemon car before you buy it, and contact a lemon law attorney if you need help.

Stumbling across a lemon car happens most often when buying a used car. Whenever you want to buy a car, be it new or used, there are a few things to check. The first thing to check is the tire thread dimension. It is really not recommended to buy a car with an uneven tire thread. The uneven thread indicates that the tires were never rotated or changed during the spring or winter. And this should tell you that the car was not properly cared for and that some hidden traps may be lurking. A front end alignment job will be just the tip of the iceberg.

Another thing to do before buying the car is to see if the suspension is working properly. Buying a car with a misaligned suspension will force you to pay an expensive visit to the mechanic. The quickest way to check if the suspension is working is the so-called “bumper test”. Push the bumpers of the car, both at the front and at the rear. The car should bounce gently once or twice. If the car won’t bounce or the bumper sits still, this should be a worrying sign. Finding resistance when you push down on the bumpers is never good.

A car with a loose or wobbly steering wheel is another sign of a lemon. A loose steering wheel suggests an alignment problem or a problem with the steering fluid. It is also a sign that the car you want to buy is perhaps too old.

Testing your car at high speed over short distances can reveal other problems as well. If you take the car out of a turn and after reaching a certain speed, say 60 / mph, the car starts to pull to one side or if the steering wheel starts to shake, you need to consider twice before buying this car. These are clear signs of engine problems and having a car with a faulty engine is a life-threatening risk.