Used Cars for Sale in California (2024)

FAQs

Can you return a used car if it has problems in California? ›

In California, the lemon law provides consumers with rights when purchasing used cars. This law allows for a car to be returned and exchanged if it has major mechanical problems that were not apparent at the time of purchase. The law also applies to cars bought through a dealership.

Aliso Viejo, in southern Orange County, has been named the #1 most affordable city in the state of California in which to buy a car. According to a recent survey by Autolist.com, Aliso Viejo is approximately $1,160 less expensive for buying automobiles than anywhere else in the state.

Option to Cancel

If you purchase the option, you have the right to cancel the sale within two days for any reason. If you decide to return the used car, you must return it to the dealer within two business days by closing time (unless the contract gives you more time).

Dealer has 10 days to cancel the contract if the loan is not funded. They must tell you within 10 days that the contact is being canceled (a letter in the mail on day 10 counts). If they do, you return the vehicle and get a 100% refund. If they try to cancel after day 10, you need to get an attorney asap.

There's no rule to how many miles on a used car is too much, but by attempting to stick to the 12,000 miles per year rule is a great place to start. Find out how old the car is, multiple the number of years by 12,000, and if the number on the odometer is significantly higher than that, some concern might be warranted.

Both Carvana and CarMax advertise no-haggle pricing, but Carvana offers a seamless selling process that helps it come out ahead in our rankings. We give Carvana the edge over CarMax as a car selling website. Our team rates CarMax just slightly ahead of Carvana for its car buying services.

What state is most expensive to buy a used car? ›

States like Alaska, Montana, Oregon, Delaware, and New Hampshire stand out due to their lack of statewide sales tax, as well as generally low unexpected fees. Iowa is also noteworthy for its affordable insurance rates, averaging less than $720 annually.

Despite the sales dominance of the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 as the top two car models sold in the state, Toyota was still overall the best-selling automaker last year.

Toyota Camry

Additionally, the Camry is known to meet diverse preferences (from sporty to casual) and budgets. The Camry had 51,330 registrations in 2023, making it to the top spot on this list of the most popular cars in Los Angeles.

The only time a buyer has a legal right to return something within a given time period is when the sale was made as part of a door-to-door sale or other high-pressure environment which is NOT the seller's usual place of business. Here is the list of scenarios where there is a three-day cooling off period.

Under California's lemon law, a “buy-here-pay-here” dealer must provide a minimum of a 30 day or 1,000 mile warranty, whichever comes first. The lemon law protects you if you buy a car from a buy-here-pay-here dealer and it dies or has significant issues soon after you leave the dealer.

Yes, the California Lemon Law applies to used cars, but specific conditions must be met. The vehicle must be under a warranty, either the original manufacturer's warranty or an extended warranty provided by the dealer.

If a store has no posted policy, California law provides that in most cases, as long as you have your receipt, you are entitled to full refund or equal exchange within 7 days of purchase. (Cal. Civil Code § 1723.)