Customer Reviews

Lemon-Aid Car Guide (Lemon-Aid: Suvs, Vans, & Trucks)

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Good overall information in this book. The teaser at the Lemonaid website about GM transmissions prompted me to order the book, but my transmission wasn't covered by any secret warranty. Great book for cars, but not much information on trucks. The book was a good motivator for going back to the dealer with problems. The money spent on this book will likely be recovered in repair savings, so I would recommend it.

Where to start. This book is simply the best car buying tool on the market. It tells you what to look for in a good vehicle. It tells you what to stay away from. It tells you how to negotiate the best deal and how to avoid being taken advantage of. And if you have problems with your vehicle, it also tells you what you can do about it.

I was scared about buying a new vehicle. After reading Lemon Aid, I wasn't scared any more. And I negotiated an amazing deal for myself.

Thanks Phil.

I just saved enough money to buy this book 50 times over. It could do the same or more for you.

The `Introduction' says its information is taken from sources like owner complaints, lawsuits, judgments, and manufacturer service bulletins. These are facts that won't be found in advertising or the hobby magazines that are dependent on manufacturer's advertising. This book should be read by anyone who intends to buy a car. Both new and used cars can vary according to parts and wear; there is no guarantee that what you read in this book will apply to every car. It points out that air-bags can be deadly (p.1). [Even the paid lobbyists for air-bags never told the whole truth.] Only seatbelts are reliable and safe, if used. Note the varying quality of cars over the decades (p.5).

`Part One' covers various topics on buying a car. There are 5 reasons to buy used cars (pp.8-12). Safety features, and their trade-offs, are discussed (pp.12-22). About half of all accidents are caused by drivers who drank alcohol or used drugs! [No mention of cell phones.] Air-bags and anti-lock brake systems can kill a driver (p.13). Crash-worthiness is the features that reduce the risk of death or serious injury in a crash. They are discussed on pages 19 to 22. Recalls will only work if the car is brought in for service (only 2 out of 3 are). The book discusses the many places to buy a used car. It warns against different problems (lien on car, flood damage, repossessed vehicles, and others). Page 31 gives advice on paying less for a car. They warn against both dealer and private party scams (pp.35-39). It warns about registering a changed title! The book discusses other considerations (pp.48-51). The best rust-proofing is to keep your car outside. The summary of advices is on pages 58-59.

`Part Two' is called "Fighting Back!" and covers what can be done if your car has defects. Any sales contract for a used vehicle can be canceled for various reasons, such as seriously defective at the time of purchase (p.61). Examples are given. You will need printed evidence of the testimony of an independent mechanic. American law holds dealers responsible for car defects; but not private sellers. It tells how to guard against an expired warranty (p.63). Extended warranties will be worthless when the issuer goes out of business (p.70). Secret warranties can provide free repairs (p.71). There is an estimate of durability on page 85: two years, 40,000 miles for a muffler of shock absorbers. The book lists the three steps to a settlement of a problem (pp.88-90). It tells about settlements for a paint defect (pp.93-98). Most automotive consumer fraud occurs with used cars (undisclosed accident damage, rolled-back odometers). Pages 104-119 tell about launching a lawsuit when you have a defective vehicle, one "not fit for the purpose for which it was sold".

`Part Three' has "Car and Minivan Ratings". It explains the differences between `Recommended', `Below Average', and `Not Recommended'. Keep in mind that a marque can change over the model years [either by evolution or intelligent design]. This rating is the author's it is not "a scientific sampling", but has been generally correct (p.121). The various secret warranties and service tips are listed. There is a discussion on prices, and the effect of popularity on depreciation (pp.124-125). There is a greater chance of failure on an older, high-mileage vehicle. But there are other things that can fail on a new vehicle. Automobiles are complicated and are used in a hard environment. They need to be maintained even if not driven hard.


I bought two new cars off the dealer's lot. The 198x Cavalier is "Not Recommended" but I had no problems this great commuter car. The 199x Corsica is "Average"; a leak from the backlight was fixed under warranty.

I've been buying the Lemon-Aid books for many years, and they've saved me piles of money... either by steering me away from car models with bad repair and maintenance histories, or by giving me solid insider advice on how to negotiate with the car companies over repair costs. So: invest about [$] or less, and save thousands. Can't beat that for a bargain.

This book saved me thousands of dollars. By providing me with detailed information about a known defect in my Windstar transmission, it gave me the ammunition I needed to negotiate a settlement with Ford after the transmission disintegrated. Wish I'd bought the book before I bought the vehicle, that's for sure. Would have saved myself a lot of trouble and expense.

This book can save you 1,000's of dollars in repairs and great insight on how to handle dealers and service departments when problems arise with your vehicle. By using this book as a reference usually there are no questions asked and work is done much faster.

Why do you call this book "Car Guide 2000"??. There are no cars past 1998 rated!. I am REALLY disapointed because I was looking for some help in my search for a good 1999 - 2000 car.