The California Lemon Law Lawyers at Young & Young APC aggressively represent clients throughout California. If you have purchased or leased a vehicle in California that is defective or has been subject to multiple repair attempts, you need to contact a California Lemon Law firm today. You may be entitled to a replacement vehicle, refund or cash settlement.
Buying or leasing a new car should be an exciting and rewarding experience – the last thing you expect is to end up with repeated visits to the dealership. At Young & Young APC, we understand the hardship and financial stress that a defective vehicle can cause. Our Lemon Law attorneys are committed to providing you with the utmost professional service and we will fight for the compensation you deserve.
Realizing that you’ve bought a lemon is distressing and can be overwhelming. While you may be protected under California’s Lemon Law, dealing with the process of taking your car to the shop, initiating a case and dealing with the automotive manufacturer can be difficult on your own. An experienced and knowledgeable Los Angeles lemon law attorney can make things easier. Your lawyer can guide you through the legal process – removing the burden from your shoulders and increasing your odds of a successful case.
A lawyer can navigate the Lemon Law on your behalf, starting by determining if you have a lemon under the state’s definition and whether you are eligible for a refund or replacement. If the dealership is unable to repair your vehicle within a reasonable amount of time or within a reasonable number of repair attempts within the warranty period, a Lemon Law lawyer can demand a fair resolution. While most of these cases are resolved without the need to go to trial, a lawyer can represent you in court against a manufacturer, if necessary.
California’s Lemon Law is codified in California Civil Code, Section 1793.2. This statute protects consumers who purchase defective vehicles that cannot be repaired after a reasonable number of attempts or within a reasonable amount of time. The California Lemon Law provides protection for those who have leased or purchased a new or used vehicle within the manufacturer’s original warranty period.
In California, the Lemon Law requires a manufacturer to promptly repurchase or replace a vehicle when the dealership is unable to repair the vehicle after a “reasonable” number of repair attempts or within a reasonable amount of time. What counts as a reasonable number of repairs depends on the unique circumstances, such as the severity of the problem and how soon it occurred after the purchase of the car.
The Lemon Law applies to new vehicles that are purchased or leased in California and are still under a manufacturer’s warranty. A used vehicle is still covered under California’s Lemon Law if it is a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicle and the defect repair attempts occurred before the manufacturer’s warranty period ended. Even if the vehicle repair attempts did not take place within the first 18,000 miles and 18 months of use, the vehicle can qualify as a lemon if the repair attempts were made within the warranty.
A lemon can refer to cars, pickup trucks, vans, motorcycles, and SUVs. However, it does not cover defective after-market parts or equipment.
When determining if you qualify for financial reimbursement or vehicle replacement under California’s Lemon Law, you can use something known as the Lemon Law presumption. This presumption states that you legally have a lemon if all of the following are true:
In addition, any one of the following must be true:
With these elements in place, the Lemon Law presumes that you have purchased a lemon and that a reasonable number of repair attempts have been made – entitling you to compensation or vehicle replacement. However, you may still have grounds to file a Lemon Law case in California even if all of these elements are not present. Describe your situation to one of our attorneys at Young & Young APC during a free consultation to find out if you have a case.
A vehicle defect can refer to many different types of car problems or issues with one or more of its parts. Defects can make a vehicle dangerous by posing the risk of car accidents. They can also make a vehicle difficult to use or decrease its value in other ways. Historically, the most common warranty problems that provide the basis for a Lemon Law claim include the following issues:
If your car breaks down or is not performing up to par, take it to an approved dealership for inspection and repairs. If multiple repair attempts still cannot fix the defect, or if the repair attempt lasts more than 30 days, you may have a lemon and be entitled to a legal remedy.
You have rights as someone who is experiencing vehicle defects within your manufacturer’s warranty period. If your vehicle is deemed a lemon, the manufacturer is by law required to promptly refund the purchase or replace the vehicle. If you have purchased or leased a lemon, the law in California mandates that the auto manufacturer must:
You have the right to choose a refund rather than a vehicle replacement if desired. If you encounter issues trying to exercise your rights as a consumer under the California Lemon Law, you may have the right to file a claim or lawsuit against the manufacturing company. An attorney in California can help you with this process.
Our mission is to provide the best legal representation to California consumers with a focus on communication, professionalism, and results.
Under the California Lemon Law, a vehicle qualifies as a “lemon” if it has a nonconformity that significantly impairs its use, value, or safety. This nonconformity must be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty and reported to the manufacturer or dealer within the warranty period. In summary, a “lemon” in California is a vehicle with a significant and covered defect that was reported within the warranty timeframe, making it eligible for protections under the Lemon Law.
In order to find out if you have a lemon, follow these steps:
In California, hiring a lemon law attorney typically won’t cost you anything upfront. The law requires the manufacturer to cover your reasonable attorney’s fees, costs, and expenses. This means you can pursue a lemon law claim without worrying about the financial burden of legal fees. The manufacturer is responsible for covering these expenses.
At Young & Young APC, we understand California’s Lemon Law and how to pursue remedies such as financial reimbursement, vehicle buybacks, or replacement vehicles for our clients. If you need to exercise your rights as a consumer under the California Lemon Law, you may have the right to file a claim or lawsuit against the manufacturing company. One of our lemon law attorneys will listen to your story and let you know if we believe you have a lemon. If so, we may offer to represent you during a Lemon Law case. Please call (833) 536-6600 (833 LEMON-00) today for more information.
