used car lemon laws australia

Australia doesn’t really do US‑style “lemon laws”; we’ve got the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) with consumer guarantees instead. If a used car has a major failure—unsafe, unfixable in a reasonable time, or something that would’ve scared off a sensible buyer—you can demand a refund or replacement; minor faults get a free repair. Buy from a licensed dealer and you may also get a statutory used‑car warranty (length varies by state, age and kilometres—typically months and a few thousand kays for newer used stock). Private sales have far fewer protections: the car must match its description and have clear title, but warranties usually don’t apply. Document everything, report issues promptly, and call your state fair‑trading body if the seller suddenly develops selective hearing. It’s not magic, but it does keep the sourest lemons from turning your driveway into a science experiment.