Does My Car Or Truck Qualify For The Lemon Law?

1. Did you purchase a car or Truck with a warranty?

A lemon law case is a breach of warranty case. This means that you may have a lemon if you purchased a vehicle with a manufacturer's warranty and the manufacturer can't repair your vehicle after a reasonable number of repair attempts or within a reasonable time.

2. Have you taken Your car or Truck in for repairs several times under warranty but it's still not fixed?

The lemon law requires consumers to give the manufacturer a reasonable number of repair attempts. Depending on how serious your issue is, you may be able to get away with less repair visits to qualify for the lemon law. You may also qualify if your repair visit was over 30 days long.

3. Talk to An Attorney

Don't fight the manufacturer alone. If you purchased a vehicle with a warranty, and have taken it in for repairs several times but your vehicle is still not fixed, it's time to talk to an attorney. An attorney at West Coast Lemons can tell if you if have a case, but even if you don't you can walk away with great advice on what could make your vehicle qualify in the future. The consultation is free so click below to schedule!

Tired of getting the runaround from the dealership? 

Used all of your time off work taking your car in for repairs over and over again? 

Worried about driving your family around in a car you know is defective?

Sound familiar? You may have a lemon and you have rights

Frequently Asked Questions

There are three main ways to qualify for the lemon law:

  • Implied warranty- this means your car or truck wasn’t up to normal standards within the first year after purchase.
  • Express warranty- you take your car in multiple times for the same issue and the dealer can’t fix it.
  • 30 day rule- the dealership has your car or truck for over 30 days for the same repair.

There’s no one size fits all magic number to answer this question, but the law does provide some basic guidelines within the first 18 months or 18,000 miles after purchase of a new car or truck:

  • At least two repair visits for serious, safety related issues
  • At least four times for almost any other issue
  • At least 30 days for one repair visit

Even if none of those guidelines sound like your situation yet, speaking with an experienced lemon law attorney can point you in the right direction and make sure that if you did end up with a lemon, you’ll be able to prove it!

If your car or truck qualifies as a lemon, you have the option of a repurchase (also called a buyback) or a replacement vehicle. Based on the current state of the law, a repurchase consists of:

  • Your down payment
  • All payments made towards the loan
  • Your loan payoff
  • Reasonable repair, rental, and towing costs

Standard deductions include:

  • Mileage offset which is meant to compensate manufacturers for the “trouble free” miles you were able to drive the car or truck before you started having problems
  • Service contracts
  • Aftermarket additions

The law on this issue changed as recently as 2020.

Registration renewal and nonoperation fees are now recoverable as incidental damages if (1) they were incurred in the care and custody of the vehicle and (2) if they were incurred as a result of or incident to the manufacturer’s breach or other violation of the Song Beverly Consumer Warranty Act.

An experienced lemon law attorney will be able to tell you if you meet this criteria. 

No. Unfortunately the lemon law does not provide for pain and suffering, or punitive damages. However, the law does provide for a civil penalty for willful violations of the lemon law.

A civil penalty is money in addition to your repurchase or buyback. That means it’s essentially “extra” money you would get in addition to your down payment, payments, and loan payoff.

Manufacturers hate paying civil penalties, so make sure to get an experienced lemon law attorney on your side to fight for you to get what you deserve!

Due to a recent change in the law, we are only taking on used cars that were purchased certified pre-owned. 

Depending on your circumstances, sometimes a replacement vehicle makes better sense than a repurchase. Talking to an experienced lemon law attorney can help you see all of your options and decide on the best one for you and your family. 

I Will Help You Every Step Of The Way

Your phone calls will be returned.

You’ll get responses to your emails.

Your questions will be answered. 

Contact Us:

Mailing Address: 

1197 Timbergate Lane 

Brea CA 92821

Orange County Office: 

1327 N. Broadway 

Santa Ana, CA 92706

Los Angeles Office: 

145 S. Spring Street 

Suite 850

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Phone: 714-804-5546 

Toll Free: 888-959-3500

Fax: 714-592-0803

Email: mfkamana@westcoastlemons.com

Disclaimer:

The information contained on this website is meant for general information and advertisement purposes only and is not intended to be construed as legal advice. Use of this website or contact form does not create an attorney client relationship. West Coast Lemons makes no representations that any of it’s attorneys are certified as specialists in any area of law by any state board of legal specialization. The testimonials, reviews, or articles found on this website do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.