Defective vehicles are subject to state lemon laws
Any car with significant defects or numerous relatively minor ones which reoccur after multiple repair attempts can be legally considered a lemon. A vehicle can also be considered a lemon if it is determined to be defective after its purchase.
Under product liability law, a product (such as a car) is considered defective if it is unfit for its intended purpose. If the car’s condition is substantially devalued or its safety is materially compromised, then a court may conclude that the only fair recourse to the consumer is to receive a refund or a comparable replacement vehicle.