Stuck with a lemon? You may be entitled to a refund or replacement.

As per Californian law, when the manufacturer-authorized dealer is unable to repair your vehicle even after a number of foreseeable or multiple repair attempts within the warranty period, then your vehicle is most likely a lemon.

California law presumes a vehicle is a lemon if one of these happens within 18 months or 18,000 miles of delivery, whichever comes first:

• A defect that could cause death or serious injury was repaired 2 or more times and still isn’t fixed.
• The same defect was repaired 4 or more times and still isn’t fixed.
• The vehicle spent more than 30 days in the shop for warranty repairs.

If your warranty booklet says so, you may also need to have told the manufacturer about the problem directly. These are starting points. Plenty of vehicles qualify without meeting them, so we look at your full repair history.

If your vehicle has a substantial defect that is impacting safety, value, and purpose, and your dealer or manufacturer is unable to repair your vehicle even after a number of attempts, then your car is considered as lemon law. But your car must be under warranty period. However, it is highly recommended to get yourself updated, as the Lemon law regulations are significantly different state by state.

Under Californian law, consumers are entitled to get a repurchase, replacement option, and third-party resolution. The reimbursement includes loan payoffs, monthly payments, down payment, repairs, and towing. However, the manufacturer may deduct the cost from the refund or replacement value that is equivalent to the mileage driven by you before the first repair attempt.

No, there is no upfront fee. According to the fee-shifting provision under the law, the manufacturers need to pay the California lemon law attorney fees, expenses, and court costs. This allows the consumers to go to get the claim even if they can't able to afford lawyer’s fees or are prevented from bringing a claim.

Yes, you can. Even if the third party denied your claim, you have the absolute right to pursue your case under the lemon law. There are several factors that courts consider including the severity of the defect, how long your vehicle is out for service, and the number of attempts made by the manufacturer or dealer. But, you need to make sure that, you have valid evidence so that your attorney can represent you at the court. But if the case is under binding arbitration, the decision is final, and if it is non-binding, then you can proceed with lemon law. It is best to seek expert advice from the best like Sage Law Group.

In most cases, you have four years to file a lemon law claim in California. The clock usually starts when you get the vehicle, or when you learned (or should have learned) that the defect couldn’t be fixed.

Some manufacturers use a newer process that took effect in 2025, and it can set shorter deadlines. The right deadline depends on your vehicle and your dates, so call us sooner rather than later.

Yes, you are eligible, as your case is still under lemon law. Some defects may take time to deal with, that is when the discovery rule comes into play. This extends the statute of limitations, only f the problem is not resolved under the timeframe. This rule helps consumers to ensure that, they are not penalized during the procedure or for the defect that took time.

If your vehicle has been serviced during the warranty period and was never properly fixed, then you have every right to apply for a lemon law claim. But you must have all the comprehensive records of repair attempts which significantly indicate that the issue is still not repaired. Additionally, consulting with the best lemon law attorney in California will be beneficial.

As per the law, you are not eligible to have a legal course if you started to have a similar issue in your vehicle after the lemon law right period ended. However, based on the state’s law and the severity of the issue, you can contact the manufacturer for a claim. Moreover, it is best to let your attorney deal with this, as they can help you with potential legal avenues that you have.