On the other hand, a car with more than 12,000 miles may still be a lemon, because the lemon law warranty period often exceeds this mileage, and the warranty dispute may have been resolved only after years of delay. An independent repair dealer or body shop may be the first to reveal the ugly truth to the owner. Lemon laundering is often first noticed when something else goes wrong and the scars of prior repair work catch the attention of a skilled auto technician. Good independent technicians have computer-assisted tools so sophisticated they can measure paint depth in millimeters to search out evidence of replacement parts and multiple repairs. The repair shop may have access to technical service bulletins, in which the manufacturer instructs its dealers on known defects and suggested repairs.
Consumers can also contact a previous owner.
At least five states require dealers to provide the names of previous owners to prospective buyers, and a title search will also uncover this information. Tracing the title will also provide other indications of a laundered lemon, such as the manufacturer being listed as a prior owner. The title may have to be traced back several sales if the car has been moved around to hide its history. Consumer can also demand the vehicle title and repair history from the manufacturer who maintains records of all cars in order to issue recall notices. Some of the above suggestions require formal discovery requests.