The lemon law attorneys at Young & Young APC exclusively handle California lemon law claims. Our attorneys represent consumers in Irvine, Newport Beach, Orange County, and throughout the state. If you think you purchased or leased a lemon vehicle from a dealership, you need an experienced and dedicated team of attorneys on your side. Our attorneys have successfully resolved lemon law cases against every major auto manufacturer. Unlike other lemon law firms, we do not charge our clients retainer fees or contingency fees. When you hire our firm, you pay nothing out of pocket for experienced lemon law attorney representation in Irvine and throughout California.
If you are tired of taking your vehicle to the dealership for warranty repairs, contact our California lemon law attorneys in Irvine today. We offer free lemon law consultations, carefully evaluate your case and provide valuable information so that you may confidently pursue your legal rights.
Why Choose Us?
We are committed to the success of our clients. We have a 99 percent case success rate. Your lawyer will make sure that you have everything you need to recover and move forward from the stress and inconvenience of having a lemon vehicle.
Our law firm levels the playing field against auto manufacturers. We have large national law firm litigation experience, aggressive attorneys and state-of-the-art resources to demand justice for your Lemon Law case.
We make the Lemon Law process easy. Our lawyers have an in-depth understanding of how to handle these cases and know how the law works in California. We will handle everything for you from start to finish.
Do I Need a Lemon Law Attorney to Pursue My Claim?
Car dealerships and auto manufacturers have “customer assistance” personnel and attorneys that specialize in California lemon law claims. Our lemon law attorneys in Irvine have the experience and resources necessary to level the playing field and obtain the compensation you deserve. Our team of lemon law attorneys will aggressively fight to protect your rights and get the results you deserve.
Do not let the dealer or manufacturer take advantage of you. When you hire our firm, you get a team of experienced and dedicated lemon law attorneys to fight for you. We fully explain the process each step of the way so that you fully understand your options. Manufacturers and dealerships may give you the runaround or mislead you regarding your rights under the California lemon law. Unlike in other states, California does not require consumers to participate in the arbitration to resolve their Lemon Law claims.
Our attorneys are dedicated to protecting our clients’ lemon law rights in Irvine, Orange, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Fullerton, Tustin, Garden Grove, Mission Viejo, Brea, Lake Forest, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Beach, Seal Beach, Los Alamitos, all of Orange County,Los Angeles and throughout California.
Our Irvine lemon law attorneys have large national law firm litigation experience. We use this experience to effectively and aggressively prosecute lemon law claims on behalf of our clients.
What Is the California Lemon Law?
The California lemon law protects Irvine residents that have purchased or leased a new or used CPO 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 it after a “reasonable” number of repair attempts or within a reasonable amount of time.
The Lemon Law is also known as the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, and is found in California Civil Code Section 1790-1795.8. Under this law, a vehicle is considered a “lemon” if it has a problem, defect or nonconformity that is covered under the manufacturer’s warranty and impacts the use, safety or value of the vehicle. If the defect is persistent and cannot be repaired in a reasonable number of attempts by the dealership, it is a lemon.
If you own or lease a lemon in Irvine, you qualify for a remedy from the auto manufacturer. At no cost to you, your vehicle should be replaced by the manufacturer or bought back. Alternatively, you have the right to request a cash settlement for your lemon vehicle. The financial resolution to which you are entitled will also cover everything you spent in repairs, towing, rental cars and attorney’s fees because of the vehicle defect.
What Counts as a Reasonable Number of Repair Attempts Under the California Lemon Law?
The California lemon law does not state a required number of repair attempts. A “reasonable” number of repair attempts is determined on a case-by-case basis in relation to the type of the vehicle’s defect. For safety-related defects, this could mean as few as two repair opportunities at the manufacturer’s authorized repair facility. This requirement may also be satisfied if the vehicle is in the repair facility for a cumulative total of over 30 days for repair (not necessarily all at one time).
The Lemon Law Presumption
California’s Lemon Law has a provision known as the Tanner Consumer Protection Act, found in Cal. Civ. Code Section 1793.22. This provision is also referred to as the “Lemon Law Presumption.” It states that it will be presumed that a motor vehicle is a lemon if:
The defect occurred within 18 months of the vehicle’s delivery or 18,000 miles traveled, whichever comes first
You notified the manufacturer about the defect if this was required by the warranty or owner’s manual
You have taken the vehicle to an authorized dealership for repairs:
Two or more times for a defect that could cause a serious bodily injury or death
Four or more times for a defect that significantly impacts the safety, value, or use of the vehicle
The vehicle has been out of use for repairs for more than 30 cumulative days
The defect or problem is still not fixed.
The Lemon Law Presumption offers an additional layer of protection to consumers. However, it is not required. You can still qualify for a resolution from the manufacturer if it has been longer than 18 months or you’ve driven the vehicle over 18,000 miles.
Common Vehicle Defects
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) receives thousands of consumer complaints regarding vehicle defects each year. According to data from 2020 to 2022, the motor vehicle manufacturer with the highest number of consumer complaints was Ford, with 12,376. The second highest was Chevrolet at 7,303 complaints. Some of the most common vehicle defects involved in Lemon Law cases in Irvine are:
Air conditioner mold
Airbag malfunctions
Braking system failures
Chassis problems
Defective seat belts
Electrical issues
Engine failure
Fuel line defects and fires
Transmission problems and fluid leaks
Uncontrolled acceleration
Many of these defects are serious and put consumers at risk of car accidents, injuries, or death. However, your vehicle defect does not have to be dangerous or cause an accident to qualify you for a remedy under California’s Lemon Law. If the problem affects your ability to use or drive the car or decreases the value of the vehicle, you have a lemon.
What Remedies Are Available if My Car Qualifies as a Lemon?
If you have been sold a lemon vehicle, you could be entitled to compensation through the California lemon law. At Young & Young APC, our practice is exclusively dedicated to prosecuting California lemon law claims and we provide free lemon law attorney consultations in Irvine and throughout the state. Under the California lemon law, you may be entitled to the following:
A refund of all amounts paid or payable for the purchase or lease of your vehicle (less a statutory mileage offset or “good use” credit for miles driven before the first repair attempt); or
A replacement vehicle of the same MSRP value; or
A cash settlement.
In addition, you will be entitled to full reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses connected to the vehicle defect, which may include but are not limited to vehicle repairs, towing charges, the price of a rental car, and reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. Finally, if the auto manufacturer willfully violated California’s Lemon Law, it may owe you civil penalties.
What Is California’s Time Limit on Lemon Law Claims?
In Irvine, you have a limited amount of time in which you can file a Lemon Law claim. California has a law known as the statute of limitationsthat limits a claimant’s ability to pursue compensation or another legal resolution for this type of case. The deadline is four years from the date that the consumer discovered or reasonably should have discovered the vehicle defect or nonconformity, in most cases. With only a few exceptions, if you wait longer than four years to try to pursue damages for your lemon vehicle, you will be barred from making a financial recovery. Act quickly to contact an attorney if you think you have a lemon.
How Can a Lemon Law Attorney Help?
An Irvine Lemon Law attorney from Young & Young APC can help you if you have purchased or leased a lemon vehicle. You do not have to lose the money you spent or blame yourself for making the wrong choice in car. You can take legal action with our assistance to demand a fair resolution from the auto manufacturer. Our Lemon Law attorneys will take care of many tasks for you during your case, such as:
Determine if you have a claim under the state’s Lemon Law
Preserve and collect evidence supporting your Lemon Law case
Collect copies of your vehicle’s warranties, maintenance records, service orders, etc.
Protect you from allegations by a dealer that you caused the car problems
File your Lemon Law case before California’s deadline
Skillfully litigate your case to demand fair compensation for your defective vehicle
Take your case to trial in Irvine, if necessary
We will work tirelessly to achieve a positive case result on your behalf. Throughout your case, we will answer your questions and guide you through each step of the legal process, as well. Whether your case requires arbitration, litigation, or a jury trial, we are fully prepared to fight for your rights. We know that this process can be complicated and confusing. Our experienced attorneys are here to help.
GET A FREE CALIFORNIA LEMON LAW CASE EVALUATION
For a free initial case evaluation and consultation with one of our California Lemon Law lawyers, call (833) 536-6600 (toll-free), fax (844) 572-7150, or fill out our free California Lemon Law case evaluation form.
