You can save a lot of money when buying a used car. However, before you sign on the dotted line and fork over your hard earned cash, do a little research on your state's lemon laws to see if you could have a potential used car lemon on your hands. By gathering up your research on your potential "new" used car right now, you could be saving a whole lot of heartache. After all, you do not want to fork over your hard earned cash on lemon law attorneys down the road, do you?

There are lots of horror stories about people purchasing a used vehicle, driving it off the car lot, only to have it break down before even getting it home. And unfortunately, the fine print in their paperwork sometimes states "as is". So that means these poor people are out of hundreds to thousands of dollars with nothing but a car lemon to show for it. If you are in the market for a used car, there are a few things you can do to protect yourself.

Have your own mechanic inspect the used vehicle you are thinking of buying. You are more likely to trust your own mechanic rather than the used car dealership or private individual that is selling. Most lemon laws deal with just new cars, so you have to take care to avoid a car lemon in your used vehicle. Secondly, you can research the title of the car by ordering a report on the vehicle's history. CARFAX is the most widely known resource for finding out about the history of the used car you are eyeing. You can also use AAA if you are a member.

All you need in order to find out whether you have a potential used car lemon on your hands is the vehicle identification number (VIN). The VIN is located on a small piece of metal on the dashboard and is usually visible through the windshield. You might want to check on those instruction stickers located on the inside of the car doors for the VIN. Based on this vehicle identification number, you can have a report run on the prospective car you want to buy.

You can find out all sorts of things from this car history report. Whenever a vehicle is brought in for any type of service, the mechanic has to enter the vehicle identification number as well as the work done to the car. This history report will tell you if the vehicle has been in a wreck, if it was salvaged and rebuilt and even if was ever flooded out due to adverse weather conditions.

Most states do not have a lemon law for used cars. Their car lemon law is usually for new motorized vehicles. Unless you live in New York where they do have some coverage, you are out of luck should something go wrong. So, do not rush into a purchase. Avoid being used. Take your time, research the vehicle and shop around! If something should go wrong with your used car, chances are that any of the lemon law lawyers around your state will not be able to help you.