California Lemon Laws

In order to protect the automobile buyer from being stranded with a product of inferior quality, the California Lemon Laws have been designed to help. Here is how California Lemon Laws help to protect California car buyers.

California Lemon Laws--How Not to Get Stuck With Junk!

Lemon laws allow the average car purchaser relief in the event they have bought a “lemon”, i.e. a car that does not work due to inferior quality and significant manufacturing defects. While most states in the USA have comprehensive lemon laws, they vary slightly from state to state in terms of implementation. The major portions that any consumer needs to know about California Lemon laws are outlined below.

Before going into the major pieces of the California Lemon Law it is important to note that what is presented here is not intended as legal advice. This is offered merely as information only. The accuracy of this information is not guaranteed. It is best to seek the advice of a legal professional for the best help.

Applicability of California Lemon Laws

The California Lemon Laws only apply to a motor vehicle that has been bought or leased from a dealer for personal use. Motorcycles and off-roaders may or may not be found eligible under the California Lemon laws, depending on the circumstances. The vehicle, when purchased, must be under the manufacturer’s warranty. If it is a used motor vehicle, it is eligible under the lemon laws if it is still under the manufacturer’s warranty or an extended warranty from the dealer.

Attempts at fixing

The Lemon Laws in California come into effect only after a few efforts have been made to repair the car. The number of attempts that is deemed “reasonable” can vary. In simple cases, two repair attempts may suffice. For more complicated and extensive problems, a total of up to four repair attempts may need to be showcased before the lemon laws come into effect.

Notifying the manufacturer

It is a must to send an appropriate warning to the manufacturer as soon as possible after any defects have been noticed. It is also mandatory to use the company’s official service network for the repairs. Otherwise coverage under the Lemon Laws may be denied in California. It must also be ensured that you notify the manufacturer directly and not go through the dealer as this could also invalidate the Lemon Law coverage for your vehicle.

Charges

Once you have successfully proved that you have indeed been given a product of unusable quality when it comes to your vehicle, you will get a replacement or a refund according to the policies put down under the California Lemon Laws. However, in case of a refund, you will probably not get your entire money back. Under the California laws, the automobile manufacturer is allowed to deduct charges based on the amount of use your car has gone through. The distance covered is noted from the first service slip when repair was attempted after the problem surfaced.

While California Lemon Laws are similar to ones in place in most of the other states, there are some significant differences. The most important of these is with respect to the coverage. California offers coverage for used vehicles still under the manufacturer’s or dealer’s warranty, something which is not present in the Lemon laws of most other states. Additionally, the number of repair attempts that are deemed “reasonable” is not put down in stone. While there are guidelines, the final decision rests with the judge or the arbiter in this case. The amount the manufacturer may charge for car usage before the problems surfaced is also not calculated using any set pattern. Manufacturers have a lot of freedom in this regard under the California Lemon Laws.