JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Florida does not have "lemon laws" that apply to used cars, which can put buyers at-risk when going through private or secondary sellers.
A Jacksonville woman learned that lesson the hard way after buying a vehicle from a local dealer. She said it broke down less than 24 hours after her purchase.
“I spent $4,000 on the car and the next day, it stopped working while I was driving on the interstate,” Mashella Hughes said. “The salesman at the dealership said it was a reliable vehicle and made me feel comfortable enough to buy the car.”
According to a mechanic, Hughes’ car needs a new crankshaft, camshaft, breaks and fuel pump.
Hughes is a single parent and said she bought the vehicle for work and to take her kids to school.
"I posted about my problems online about the dealership and that’s when four other people reached out to me saying that they had purchased lemon vehicles from the same lot,” she said.
First Coast News reached out to the dealership, 123 Auto Sales, to check out their business policy and see what they could do to help Hughes.
After speaking with the dealership’s finance manager, the company stated they are an “as is” lot, meaning they encourage customers to read the fine print.
“They’re allowed to take a vehicle to a mechanic before they purchase one and that’s why we highly recommend that they read the contract prior to buying the vehicle,” Michael Mills said.
In the end, the dealership agreed to purchase all the parts needed to repair Hughes’ car.