The California Lemon Law protects consumers from defective vehicles and other products that don’t meet standards and continuously fail. Its purpose is to give consumers a resolution to the problem usually through compensation or replacement. When can you apply the California Lemon Law?
Vehicles Still Under Warranty
California offers consumers protection for new and used vehicles sold with a written warranty. The warranty typically applies to vehicles bought in California with 18,000 miles or less and more than 18 months after the date of sale. If a used vehicle has been certified, a longer warranty and more mileage may apply, typically three years and up to 36,000 miles.
Have a Defect Covered by Lemon Law
Under lemon law, your vehicle is covered for anything that imposes safety risks. These issues may include malfunctioned airbags, brakes, suspension systems, oil leaks, steering problems and electrical problems. Lemon laws do not apply to abuse, misuse or annoying issues, such as a broken radio.
Attempted Required Number of Repairs
You must have attempted to repair the vehicle four times for the same issue before it qualifies for lemon law. If the defect could increase the risk of injury, such a failing brakes, you have to attempt repairs at least twice. Your vehicle also has to be out of commission for at least 30 days. Be certain to keep all repair receipts detailing what repairs were made and notify the manufacturer about the issues you experienced.
Getting Legal Help
In some cases, dealers refuse to cooperate and argue you abused or neglected the vehicle. This is when you need to contact Krohn & Moss, Ltd. Consumer Law Center.
