Lemon Law Lawyer in Santa Clarita

California Lemon Law Requirements

The most frequent question asked is, "Does my car qualify for recourse under the California lemon law?"

• The California lemon law provides a solution for California consumers who have repeated problems with their new motor vehicle. It applies to all new vehicles, Certified Pre-Owned vehicles (CPO), and Dealer Demo vehicles, whether purchased or leased, for personal and most small business use. The lemon law also applies to RVs, boats, motorcycles, motorhomes, trailers, 5th wheels, and campers.
• Used vehicles can qualify only if the vehicle was sold by a new car dealership as a CPO or was a Dealership Demonstrator.
• Vehicles must have been purchased in California, and from a new car dealership. There are some exceptions to this such as a military exception, and if the vehicle was purchased outside of CA, but received in CA with CA taxes being paid on the vehicle.
• A consumer must allow the manufacturer a reasonable number of repair attempts. A reasonable number is often interpreted as four or more repair attempts for the same or similar problem; two times if the problem is so severe that it is likely to cause serious bodily injury or death; or if the vehicle has been out of service for more than 30 days. The 30 days do not have to run consecutively. There are some exceptions to these criteria which need to be examined on a case-by-case basis.
• The problem(s) with the vehicle must be considered a substantial impairment of the use, value, or safety of the vehicle.
• The repairs made to the vehicle must begin while under the original manufacturer's warranty, not under an extended warranty. If the vehicle is outside of the original new car warranty at the time of the first repair, the vehicle will not qualify.
• The repairs made to the vehicle must be made by a dealership authorized by the manufacturer to make repairs on your vehicle.

These are not absolute requirements for our office to file a demand for repurchase on your behalf. Some situations do not meet these guidelines but may still entitle you to lemon law protection.

You should know also that you do not have to first go through arbitration to pursue a California Lemon Law claim. In fact, going through arbitration may hurt your case.

Get a Free Analysis

We will be glad to provide you a free analysis to determine whether your vehicle qualifies for recourse. We begin with a phone call to our office or filling out the contact form found on this website. If your case sounds like it may qualify under the lemon law, we'll ask you to provide us your vehicle's repair orders for review.

Call us today at 888-EX-LEMON or 888-395-3666 for a free consultation or complete the short form at the top of this page.