5 Important Things to Know About California’s Lemon Law

Federal lemon laws refer to vehicles that repeatedly break or fail to meet required quality and performance standards.  If a product fails to operate within the parameters specified in express or implied warranties, the buyer must be reimbursed or the product must be fixed or replaced.  If the dealer refuses to reimburse or to fix/replace the vehicle, you should contact an attorney in California that specializes in lemon law.  These are the 5 most important things to know about California’s lemon law:

1. You are entitled for a refund or replacement if you meet the requirements

First, the vehicle must be under warranty.  Otherwise the car will no longer be eligible for any compensation, repair or replacement. Next, a product is considered a “lemon” only if it has been repaired for the same problem at least 4 times.  If the product is inoperable for a total of 30 days (not necessarily consecutive), it is also considered a “lemon”.

2. The vehicle must be bought in California

In order to apply California’s lemon law, the car must be bought or leased in California.  It must be bought for personal, family or business use. The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act provides protection only for new motor vehicles purchased within California.

3. Dealers and manufacturers must cooperate

The federal law requires the manufacturer or its authorized dealer to replace the vehicle or to return the purchase price if the motor vehicle does not meet the terms of the written express warranty, even after a number of reasonable repairs. You must write a letter to the manufacturer to buy back your car and add the purchase receipt. If the manufacturer refuses, you can either hire a lemon law lawer or ask the manufacturer if it has an arbitration program.

4. The law does not cover the price for installed non-manufacturer items

You will not get your money back for installed or modified accessories. The manufacturer/dealer will only pay for the purchase cost (based on the sent receipt) and the transportation cost. Plus, the manufacturer will pay the cost for: use tax, license, registration and other official fees.

5. The Lemon Law does not apply to vehicles damaged by the owner

This law applies for the entire warranty period, but only if the malfunction was not caused by abuse. The warranty specifies more about this issue and explains more about vehicle maintenance.

If you think that your vehicle may be the subject of a lemon law case, contact a specialized attorney. https://www.lemonlawattorneyinla.com/