What Is a Lemon?
For most people, buying a car is a significant investment that takes savings and research. The last thing a buyer wants to discover is that the car they bought, new or old, is actually a lemon car. A lemon car is defined as a purchased defective vehicle that cannot be repaired after a reasonable number of attempts or within a reasonable amount of time. In California this law is codified in California Civil Code, Section 1793.2.
Methodology
This study is based on cars purchased and lemon law claims filed in the state of California between the years of 2018-2021. The findings in this study were found in the Auto Lemon Index, written by Calpirg Education Fund, Consumer For Auto Reliability and Safety Foundation and the Frontier Group.
Lemon Law Resources
To quickly find out more about the California lemon law, use the resources below:
- California Attorney General’s Website
- California Department of Consumer Affairs
- California DMV Website
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- National Motor Vehicle Title Information System
The Top 10 Least Reliable Car Manufacturers Based Off Lemon Law Claims
#1: General Motors
Total lemon cases filed: 9,892
Cars associated with this brand: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC
#2: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Total lemon cases filed: 5,798
Cars associated with this brand: Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, dodge, FIAT, Jeep, Ram
#3: Ford Motor Company
Total lemon cases filed: 4,621
Cars associated with this brand: Ford, Lincoln
#4: Nissan North America
Total lemon cases filed: 4,308
Cars associated with this brand: Infiniti, Nissan
#5: American Honda Motor Company
Total lemon cases filed: 2,026
Cars associated with this brand: Acura, Honda
#6: Kia Motors America
Total lemon cases filed: 1,144
Cars associated with this brand: Kia
#7: Volkswagen Group of America
Total lemon cases filed: 1,091
Cars associated with this brand: Audi, Volkswagen
#8: Jaguar Land Rover North America
Total lemon cases filed: 1,021
Cars associated with this brand: Jaguar, Land Rover
#9: Mercedes-Benz
Total lemon cases filed: 927
Cars associated with this brand: Mercedes
#10: BMW of North America
Total lemon cases filed: 803
Cars associated with this brand: BMW, MINI
Analysis Of Cars Sold Per Lemon Law Case
The lemon law was created to help protect buyers from defective cars, and hold the seller accountable. However, is there a certain car consumers should be cautious of? Oftentimes lemon law cases are settled outside of the court. However, court filings against auto manufacturers provide us with the frequency in how many times consumers file against a certain manufacturer for selling and refusing to fix a lemon car. California state electronic court filings show that from 2018-2021, General Motors was the company most often reported. For every 78 cars sold there was 1 lemon law case filed against the company. On the other end of the scale is Toyota. Toyota had one lemon case filed against them for every 2,029 cars sold.
| Parent company | Cars sold per lemon case | Total vehicle registrations, 2018-2021 | Total lemon cases filed | % of lemon cases filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Motors | 78 | 771,809 | 9,892 | 0.29 |
| Jaguar Land Rover North America | 83 | 85,087 | 1,021 | 0.03 |
| Fiat Chrysler Automobiles* | 107 | 618,355 | 5,798 | 0.17 |
| Nissan North America | 115 | 493,957 | 4,308 | 0.126 |
| Ford Motor Company | 148 | 686,045 | 4,621 | 0.135 |
| Maserati North America* | 237 | 6,860 | 29 | 0.001 |
| Kia Motors America | 242 | 276,403 | 1,144 | 0.034 |
| Volkswagen Group of America | 304 | 331,614 | 1,091 | 0.032 |
| Porsche Cars North America* | 321 | 58,814 | 183 | 0.005 |
| Mercedes-Benz | 324 | 300,175 | 927 | 0.027 |
| Hyundai Motor America | 361 | 274,144 | 760 | 0.022 |
| BMW of North America | 369 | 295,953 | 803 | 0.024 |
| American Honda Motor Company | 476 | 963,390 | 2,026 | 0.059 |
| Volvo Cars of America | 575 | 51,758 | 90 | 0.003 |
| Subaru of America | 880 | 290,557 | 330 | 0.01 |
| Mitsubishi Motors North America | 982 | 30,435 | 31 | 0.001 |
| Tesla* | 1,553 | 337,077 | 217 | 0.006 |
| Mazda Motor of America | 1,571 | 175,930 | 112 | 0.003 |
| Toyota Motor Sales | 2,029 | 1,527,887 | 753 | 0.022 |
| Total* | 222 | 7,576,250 | 34,136 |
Conclusion
Not only can lemon law vehicles be a financial burden, they can be extremely dangerous to everyone on the road. That is why the lemon law is a crucial component of the consumer protection landscape. If you have bought or leased a defective vehicle it is crucial that you file a claim to not only receive compensation, but hold manufacturers and dealers accountable.
We highly reccomend you speak to our experienced lemon law attorneys at Young & Young APC, so they can utilize their resources to help you. At Young & Young APC, our attorneys are experts in California Lemon Law and are ready to help you obtain the compensation you deserve by utilizing our extensive resources. Click here to sign up for a free consultation today.
