5 Signs Your Car Might Be a Lemon

Not every car problem makes a vehicle a lemon, but some patterns are red flags. Here are five signs worth paying attention to.

1. The same problem keeps coming back

If the dealer has tried to fix the same defect several times and it keeps returning, that repeat failure is the classic lemon pattern.

2. Your car spends weeks in the shop

When your vehicle is out of service for an extended number of days, many state lemon laws are triggered.

3. The defect affects safety

Brake failures, steering problems, and stalling are serious. Safety defects strengthen a lemon law claim.

4. It happened early

Defects that appear within the first year or the first set of miles are most likely to qualify.

5. The dealer cannot explain it

When technicians cannot diagnose or permanently repair the issue, that is a strong sign the vehicle may be a lemon.