If the car seems unsafe, stop driving it and have a qualified mechanic check it. Follow any do-not-drive, towing, or parking notice from the manufacturer. In an emergency, call 911. Report a safety defect to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). That report won't get your car fixed or pay you back. To hear about new recalls, sign up for NHTSA's free recall emails for your car's year, make, and model.
Write down every deadline now: payments, temporary permits, warranty notices, return policies, and legal dates. If you face a repossession threat, court papers, or the dealer demanding the car back, get local legal help right away. Filing a complaint doesn't cancel your contract, pause your payments, or extend a deadline.
There's no federal 3-day right to cancel. California buyers now have one for most used cars bought or leased from a dealer for $50,000 or less. See how California's 3-day right works. Elsewhere, your state or the seller's written return policy might give you one, so check both right away. Canceling an add-on or ending a lease are separate questions.
Keep the final Buyers Guide. On a dealer's used car, the warranty terms on this window sticker override anything different in the contract. Save both, plus any written repair promise.
“As is” doesn't always end the question. State implied-warranty rules (basic promises that the car works) matter. Per the FTC, if you buy the dealer's service contract within 90 days of buying a used car, the dealer can't remove implied warranties on the parts it covers. What to do when an as-is car breaks down.
Lemon laws vary by state. Most cover new cars, and a few cover used cars. They usually apply when a serious defect isn't fixed after several tries or keeps the car in the shop for many days. Many states require you to notify the manufacturer in writing, so ask your state consumer office or a local lawyer about the rules and deadlines.
You don't have to accept new financing terms. Ask the dealer to text or email the new terms, why they say the change is allowed, and your deadline to reply. Compare that with your contract and any conditional-delivery form you signed. Call the lender named in your paperwork, at a number you look up yourself, to check your approval. If you don't want the new deal, tell the dealer in writing that you want to cancel and ask for your down payment and trade-in back. If your contract didn't clearly say the financing wasn't final, you may be able to keep the car on the original terms. Get local legal help before you return the car or sign anything new. Servicemembers can contact their installation legal office (JAG).
Save these: Your signed contract, any approval or delivery conditions, the lender's name, the original and new terms, down-payment and trade-in receipts, messages, and your reply deadline.
Check your contract and any written warranty, service contract, or repair promise to see who handles the claim. For a used car from a dealer, also check the final Buyers Guide (private sellers don't give one). For a warranty or service-contract repair, file a claim the way the contract says. Ask for the diagnosis, the coverage decision, any reason for denial, and the next step in writing. If a private seller made a written promise, write to the seller, point to the promise, and say what fix you want. Before you pay for a repair you expect to be covered, ask whether it needs approval first. Log every repair visit and every day the car is in the shop.
Save these: Your sale or lease contract, the Buyers Guide (dealer used cars), warranty or service contract, written repair promises, mileage at delivery, dates the problem showed up, repair orders, invoices, photos, claim numbers, and written denials.
In your paperwork, find the add-on's name, the company that runs it, what you signed, and how to cancel. Send a dated cancellation request the way the paperwork says, and keep proof it arrived. Ask for the cancellation date, how the refund was figured, any fees, when it will be paid, and who gets it. If the add-on was part of your loan, confirm the credit with your lender. Your monthly payment may stay the same.
Save these: The itemized price, the add-on contract, what you signed to agree to it, cancellation instructions, your request and proof it arrived, the refund math, and the lender's confirmation of the credit.
The trade-in payoff, title, or registration isn't done
About a week after the sale, call your old lender to confirm your trade-in loan was paid off. If it wasn't, contact your new lender. For a missing title, lien release (proof a loan was paid off), registration, or plates, contact the seller or lender and your state motor-vehicle agency. Ask what's still missing. Write down when your temporary permit expires and any filing deadlines. Save each answer and follow up before a deadline passes.
Save these: The trade-in value and payoff agreement, your old loan's status, title and lien papers, filing receipts, the seller's promises, your temporary permit, and agency reference numbers.
Contact your lender or loan servicer (the company that collects your payments) at the number on your statement. Give the amount, date, and proof of payment, and ask for a written correction. If you're struggling to make payments, call the servicer right away to ask about options, and get any new arrangement in writing. Dispute credit-report errors with both the credit bureau and the company that reported them.
Save these: Your payment schedule, statements, payment confirmations, fees charged, letters and messages, the credit report and its date, dispute numbers, and your next due date.
Save the original ad or offer. Write a short, factual list of what was promised and what you got. Ask the seller in writing for a specific fix. If that fails, file a complaint with your state consumer-protection office and report it to the FTC. A complaint doesn't guarantee a refund or pause any legal deadline.
Save these: Dated ad screenshots, the car's VIN, the quote, your signed contract, payment receipts, inspection or history-report findings, the promised terms, and the seller's reply.
Make sure your old trade-in loan was paid off. Confirm who services your new loan and when the first payment is due. Track your title and registration, and check that promised work got done. If you canceled an add-on, keep the receipt and confirm where the refund went.
Put the facts, what you want, and the next deadline in one place. Download or print it to use when you contact the company, an agency, or a lawyer. Nothing is sent from this page.
Keep the originals and dated copies of every message. Stick to what you can show, and label any guess as a guess.
Ask for a specific answer in writing and keep proof it arrived. Use the notice method and deadlines in your contract or the agency's rules.
Read an agency's instructions before you file. A complaint asks for a response and flags the problem, but it doesn't guarantee a refund or fix.
These notes are for you, not a message to send. Notes stay in this open page only, so copy, download, or print them before you leave. Write down document names or reference numbers. Keep account numbers, credit reports, and ID documents in your own secure files.
Fill in this record
VIN (vehicle identification number), purchase or lease date, mileage, state, dealer or private seller, lender or leasing company, and where your documents are.
What happened, how it differs from your agreement, and the exact fix, repair, explanation, or refund you want.
One line per event: date, person or company, what happened, and your proof.
Contract, Buyers Guide (dealer used cars), ad or quote, messages, receipts, photos, inspection or repair orders, and reference numbers.
Exact date and time, where each deadline comes from, how notice must be sent, payment and temporary-permit status, and any safety or ride needs.
Dealer, private seller, add-on company, lender, or manufacturer: their role, a contact you verified yourself, the date you asked, and proof of delivery.
Their written answer, offer or denial, the reason given, and any missing records.
Who acts next (you, a state agency, the FTC, the CFPB for lender problems, NHTSA, or local legal help), reference number, next deadline, and proof it's done.
