You Need to Discuss Your Lemon Law Case with a Professional

Some people think that their new or used vehicle is a lemon if they find anything wrong with it after they purchase it. Other people are willing to let serious problems go because it’s been a few weeks or months after they bought the car. In both instances, confusion over the California lemon law has led consumers to not fully understand their rights and potentially have some major headaches down the road.

Part of the problem with the law is its ambiguity. Nowhere in the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act does it explicitly state which problems are covered -- just that it must be a “substantial” nonconformity that significantly impairs the safety or ability to use the vehicle. Our team has some of the top Los Angeles lemon law lawyers and we have seen car companies try to use this ambiguity to avoid paying a lemon law claim. A good rule of thumb is that any problem that will make the car unsafe to drive (brakes, steering) or unable to run properly (engine trouble, leaking fluids) is a “substantial” problem. The California Lemon Law Center has also been successful litigated cases where the vehicle’s defects were with the navigation system, air conditioning system, misalignment of the headlights and inoperative turn signals.

Some people also think that the lemon law only protects consumers for a short period of time. In fact, the law applies to cars throughout the life of the original manufacturers’ warranty. If you have bought a car and it has a three year or 36,000 mile warranty, then any problems that occur within that time frame are eligible to be part of a lemon law claim filed by a Los Angeles or Orange County lemon law attorney. Also, many car manufacturers who sell their used vehicles as certified pre-owned extend the original warranty to 10 years/100,000. In addition, many vehicle manufacturers sell their vehicles with two sets of warranties which have a different coverage period. For instance, your vehicle may have a bumper to bumper warranty for the first 3 years/36,000 miles and also have a power train warranty that extends to 6 years/60,000 miles. The California Lemon Law Center can assist you in figuring out if your vehicle is covered under warranty.

Finally, it’s important for people to understand that there is no set number of times that a car dealer or manufacturer has to repair your car. Car companies might insinuate that they can attempt to repair a vehicle five times or more before you can make a lemon law claim. The fact is that the “reasonable” number of attempts can vary widely depending on the type of defect. If you are having trouble with a new or used vehicle, it’s important to see top lemon law lawyers in California such as the California Lemon Law Center immediately for a free consultation. Only a qualified attorney can tell you whether you have a valid case, and the longer you wait the weaker your case might become.