see http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...RK%3AMEWA%3AIT

I'm not really considering this car but it did raise the issue in my mind. Is it ever worth considering such a car? If so, how much of a discount from the value of a "clean" car would be appropriate?

 

I've purchased two. The first was a Lexus GS400 I bought at an auction. I didn't know it was a lemon law vehicle, and the auction was running very low. I bought it on an impulse because of the price. Later I found out that it was bought back due to a short in the brake lights that wasn't fixed correctly many times. It ended up being a shredded wire that was hidden and fixed before I bought the car. Never had a single problem with it.

I knew the second car , a Mercedes E430, was a lemon law vechicle. I bought it becuase I had no problems with the Lexus, and the auction price was low. This car was a nightmare. It was bought back because of electical problems. They never went away. One thing after another went bad.

If you can send vehicles through auction to unload them, I think it is worth a shot. Selling a lemon law car privately is very difficult, especially on high end cars. For a TT I would not consider it. I want to love my Porsche, not regret it.

El Duderino

 

two of my brand new cars were lemons ... i wouldnt take the cars back if you paid me ... too many problems ... killed the enjoyment of having the cars

 

The price on that car is way high. I talked with a couple of guys this last weekend at a PCA track event that bought 2001 TT's for the low 70's. And these cars had no issues.

 

The last lne in the seller's post says "carpe diem"...seize the day? Is he kidding? More like "caveat emptor."

That aside, price is $15K high at least....cars with no problems from this year can be had for $80K.

I say run, don't walk, away.

 

Porsche is THE hardest manufacturer to get your car bought back from. It only works with a very good lawyer that costs the owner a ton of money.

I have first hand experience with this and would under no circumstances buy a lemon Porsche. You will receive a BRANDED TITLE that says all the way accross "MANUFACTURER BUY BACK" much like a Salvage Title. Maybe I'd buy a BMW or a Mercedes but NOT a Porsche.

This calles for at least a 25% discount to the $80,000 listed.

 

FYI - in lemon law the manufacturer must pay all lawwyer fees

 

That is not completely true. It depends on when in the lemon law process the car was bought back. If it was bought back after an arbitration hearing that was won by the owner than they are responsible for all their own legal fees. However, it the process goes to court and the owner wins there then the manufacturer must pay all legal fees.

Most people that win in arbitration will not goto court as the legal fees are worth the time and effort you didn't need to put into the court case. Especically since you may not win in court and can not go back to the arbitrators decision.

Anway to post on topic, if you can get the car inspected by an independant person or different dealer too see if the actual buy back problem was fixed. In my case my car was fixed in the end, however it took over 40 days to get there and I wanted it out of my hair and had porsche buy it back.

You never really know I suppose, but I can agree that porsche is a hard business to deal with, and the only reason I believe I may have won is because I delt with one of, if not the best lemon law firms in the U.S.

~ Jason
No Porsche, No Money, No Fun

 

Having personally litigated two lemon law cases, I can tell you that (in Arizona at least) it is a simple manner to get your vehicle purchased if:

1. You keep good documentation
2. You have somewhat of a technical or mechanical background.

Porsche would be no more difficult than any other car manufacturer.

By the way... I'm not a lawyer, I'm an engineer (Electrical).

To answer the original question... I would NOT purchse any lemon law vehicle unless the price were 50% or so of current averages.

Joe West

 

Not in CA. If you go through BBB Autoline that is the case.

BBB is paid for by Manufacturer but you - the screwed buyer - are not represented well and your interests are not served at all.

BBB will ask you for "one last repair attempt" after another and tell you that you are "unresonable" for not giving the manufacturer a third "last repair attempt".