What's the cooling off period to back out of my car purchase?

What's the cooling off period in my state?

Q. I just bought a car and don't like it. What's the cooling off period in my state? Do I have three days to return it and get my money back?

A. Generally speaking, when you buy a new car and sign the contract, you are stuck with it. Basically there is no cooling off period for buying a new car in any US state.

Door to Door Sales - There are cooling off periods for most door-to-door sales per federal and state laws. So if someone knocks on your door and sells you a vacuum cleaner, you generally can rescind that purchase within (typically) three days by giving the seller proper notice. If you contact the dealer for an internet quote, buy the car online and have it delivered to your driveway, you probably can't rescind the purchase (this is different from a salesperson showing up at your door trying to sell you something).

Federal Law/FTC Info - For federal information on cooling off periods see these websites:

Consumer Action Website
The Cooling-Off Rule: When and How to Cancel a Sale

California Used Car Purchases - In California, a used car buyer may obtain a two-day sales contract cancellation option. Fees and restrictions apply - see California's DMV site.

New Jersey Car Leasing - In New Jersey, if you lease a car, you have a one-day cooling off period to give you time to review the unsigned lease terms. New Jersey Consumer Affairs

Contractual Options - Saturn offers a Vehicle Exchange Program that gives you 30 days/1500 miles to exchange your car for another Saturn vehicle. Carmax offers a 5-Day Money-Back Guarantee on used car sales. You'll have to visit a store to see the details to learn what restrictions and fees may apply.

Unwinding Deals - There are situations where a deal may be unwound. The dealer may not be able to obtain financing for you after you drive a car home and the dealer (not you) may unwind the deal. You may also have lemon law or warranty rights, or you may be able to claim dealer fraud. See Unwinding the Deal - What Are Your Rights? and Backing Out Of A Deal? at Edmunds for more information.

Help Us With This Guide - A lot of weasel words have been included in this Guide, because every state's consumer protection website was not surveyed. If you know of a situation where a cooling off period applies, please leave a comment so the guide can be updated and corrected. If you have information about similar provisions in other countries besides the US, please leave a comment about that too.