With so many vehicles having issues for various reasons, how does a car qualify for lemon law? If you want to find out if your car qualifies for lemon law, you should understand the basic principles of the California Lemon Law to prove your case. Our lemon law attorneys provide the most up-to-date information on laws currently in place that will protect you as a consumer. If your car is experiencing issues and you believe that it is covered under the lemon law, call us immediately to find out if you have a valid claim.
Common Problems Related to Lemon Vehicles
Just like buying a product from the store that guarantees a product’s functionality or replacement, the same goes for a vehicle purchase. If the vehicle is covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, any defect that it experiences that you did not cause may qualify for the lemon law. This can mean that the vehicle does not perform as promised, has a safety defect, or defect affects its value. Here are some common problems that a lemon car may present:
- electrical
- transmission
- engine
- suspension
- paint
- brakes
- steering
- software technology
In the case of a new vehicle purchase, about 1 out of 100 cars are made with a defect. This is common among any manufactured products. Even Amazon’s best-selling products have one-star reviews where the buyer received a defective version of the product. Under the lemon law in California, the defect that your vehicle is experiencing has to be within the warranty period and must have had a reasonable number of repair attempts to fix any particular defect.
Qualifications for a Lemon Vehicle
Whether it’s a car, truck, or SUV, you should not have to keep a defective car, even though you signed a contract for no returns when purchasing the vehicle. In the case of a faulty car, there are two main ways to determine whether you have a lemon.
Vehicle Under Warranty
The defect that you are experiencing must fall under the warranty from the manufacturer. Most vehicle defects should be covered under warranty, so you should be protected if the dealer refuses to fix the defect or is unable to fix the defect after multiple attempts. The California Lemon Law protects you if you are under the manufacturer warranty, whether it’s a new or used vehicle.
Reasonable Number of Repairs for a Vehicle
You may be able to claim your vehicle as a lemon after the dealership made a reasonable number of repair attempts to fix your vehicle’s defect. It is recommended that you collect all dealer invoices to help your case in case you need to show proof of the repair attempts. While the law does not provide the exact number of attempts required to be considered reasonable repair attempts, it typically takes an average of 3-4 repair attempts for the same issue to qualify.
In this case of a successful lemon case, the manufacturer must either replace the vehicle with an equal vehicle choice or provide a full refund, including all maintenance charges and attorney representation.
Lemon Law Attorneys for Lemon Car Cases
It is best to contact a lemon law attorney to help you get the best results and answer any questions that you may have. Our lemon law lawyers typically get our clients a lemon law buyback, replacement vehicle, or cash and keep, depending on what they want. To learn more about your lemon law situation, call our law office at (818) 254-8413 for a free case evaluation.