LEMON HISTORY

Before you buy, you can check a national database online through Carfax. All you need is the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), located on the driver's side of the dashboard, near the windshield. That VIN should match the VIN on another plate on the driver's door. Keep in mind that the Carfax database is NOT foolproof. For instance, many states fail to brand lemon titles, creating gaping "lemon loopholes" in the available data. While the Carfax guarantee sounds good, it probably would not cover the thousands you stand to lose if you get stuck with a lemon.

BRANDED TITLES

Before you buy, insist on seeing the title itself. Some states require auto manufacturers to submit the lemons' titles to have warnings stamped on them. Look carefully – sometimes the print is small. "Lemon" brands include: "Lemon Law Buyback" or "Manufacturer Buyback." Dangerous rebuilt wrecked cars may have titles branded as "junk," "rebuilt," "salvage," "prior damage," or "flood." If you take out a loan, you might not see the title until years later, when you pay off the entire loan, unless you insist on seeing it before you buy.

But a clean title is not the whole story. Some unscrupulous rebuilders "launder" titles across state lines – or counterfeit titles. Double-check by getting the car inspected, even if the title is clean.

DOOR JAMB STICKER

Some states require auto manufacturers to place a permanent sticker on the driver's door jamb to alert prospective buyers when a car is a lemon.