@Elmud,
Typically, "lemon laws" refer to
new vehicles whose performance and quality fail to meet
state specified standards... not federal, unless it violates some sort of interstate commence law or something like that. But level of quality of a car is not compulsory, it is an optional thing. Notice that most cars have a specific amount of time, say 12,000 miles or 2 years limited warranty on power train. This is meant to fulfill a number of different liabilities car companies face on a daily basis. When a company promises you that 12 mo. or 2 year warranty, that is in a sense their self imposed lemon law. It's good for business and their own reputation. But because it is self imposed, it can be limited in the scope of that which is covered. For instance, power train does not include things like air filters or things that are accessories to the revolution of the engine. So simply put, lemon law applies to new cars, which many car companies cover. Now here is the rub. Say I go down to the BMW dealership, and my brand new 3-series has a thrown piston, I am entitled to a new car, right? Wrong. Typically, you are entitled to the repair of that car
three consecutive times. After that third time, you can apply to the lemon law and ask for a new version of the same or lesser version of that car. BS, right? The amount of money and time spent going back and forth three times is very costly, which the dealership is not obligated to pay.
As to the "as-is" warning. When you see an "as-is" sign, beware. "As-is" implies sufficient notice and fulfills their due diligence to tell you that something is amiss with that car. Many people don't think about that legal aspect when they put "as-is" on a used car, but it is a valid form of warning for the consumer.
Now for your daughters situation. She bought a jeep from a used car salesman. Legally speaking, it was up to her at that time before she bought the car and signed the contract to get the car checked by a third party mechanic. Like when you buy a house, it's always good to get it inspected before you buy it outright. So in this respect, she may be stuck with the balance of the car. However, there are loopholes and alternative actions you can take.
One loophole is to approach the issue from a legal standpoint. Your daughter bought a car for the used car salesman. How did she buy it? Via contract. What are the elements of a contract? There are five prime parts of a contract. Violate any one of the five basic elements and the entire contract is void. The elements of a contract are (and in successive order); Offer, acceptance, consideration, capacity, and legality. The salesman
offers the car. Is it what was advertised? There was an "as-is" on it, so this may not be a very fruitful venue.
Acceptance is your daughters voluntary approval to accept the terms of the cars sale. As with offer, the "as-is" is something difficult to ignore.
ConsiderationCapacity may be something to work with. Is your daughter over 18? If not, she may be held in a different view. This may also affect the
legality