A lemon title is a special designation on a vehicle's title that indicates the car was bought back by the manufacturer because it had severe, recurring defects that could not be repaired after a reasonable number of attempts. These defects must substantially impair the car's use, value, or safety. This legal status is a direct result of state Lemon Laws, which protect consumers from chronically faulty new vehicles.
The specific criteria for a car to be declared a lemon vary by state but generally involve the number of repair attempts or the number of days the car is out of service. For example, a common threshold is that the same problem has been subject to three or four repair attempts or the car has been in the shop for a total of 30 days within the first year or 12,000 miles.
Once a manufacturer repurchases the vehicle, they are required to brand the title as a "Lemon," "Manufacturer Buyback," or a similar term. This brand stays with the car permanently through its Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), alerting all future buyers to its problematic history.
| State | Typical Lemon Law Threshold (Repair Attempts for Same Issue) | Typical Lemon Law Threshold (Days Out of Service) | Common Title Brand |
|---|
| California | 2 attempts (safety issue) or 4 attempts | 30 days | Lemon Law Buyback |
| Florida | 3 attempts | 15 days | Manufacturer Buyback |
| New York | 4 attempts | 30 days | Lemon |
| Texas | 4 attempts | 30 days | Lemon |
| Illinois | 4 attempts | 30 days | Manufacturer Vehicle |
Buying a car with a lemon title is risky. While the original issue was likely fixed, the car's history of significant problems can lead to lingering issues and lower resale value. It's crucial to get a thorough pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic and to understand that you may have difficulty obtaining financing or a warranty. For most buyers, the potential hassle and depreciation make a lemon-titled car a poor investment compared to a clean-title vehicle.
