When you hear somebody talk about California’s “lemon law,” you probably think about defective vehicles. While this is where the lemon law is often applied, the law can be applied to other consumer products. For example, the lemon laws apply to electronics, appliances, residential furniture and other manufactured goods.
Application of California’s Lemon Law to Vehicles
The most common application of the lemon law is new vehicles or used cars if there is still time left on the warranty from the manufacturer. California Lemon Law applies to the following:
● Automobiles, trucks, SUV’s and vans.
● Chassis, drive train and chassis cab of a motor home
● Vehicles owned by dealers, including demonstrators
● Vehicles leased for personal or household use
● Most vehicles bought or leased primarily for business purposes
The lemon laws do not apply to vehicles that are not registered under the California Vehicle Code, including off-road vehicles. Vehicles that have been abused are also excluded from the lemon law.
Lemon Law Checklist
If you are not sure whether your car or truck is covered by California Lemon Law, consider the following checklist to determine if you may qualify for a replacement or refund:
- Did you receive delivery of your vehicle within 18 months or within 18,000 miles as shown on the odometer (whichever comes first)?
- If the problem covered under warranty could cause death or serious injuries, has the manufacturer or dealer been given at least two (2) opportunities to repair it?
- If the defect covered under warranty is not life-threatening or extremely dangerous to your safety, has the manufacturer or dealer made four (4) or more attempts to fix the same issue?
Or
- Has your vehicle been out of service for your use more than thirty (30) days due to it being repaired for any number of problems covered by the warranty?
Or
- Did the defect(s) covered by the warranty significantly reduce your vehicle’s use, value or safety (none of which were caused by abuse or misuse of the vehicle)?
- Have you directly notified the manufacturer about the defects (preferably in writing), if required by the vehicle’s Owner’s Manual or warranty?
If you have met all the criteria listed above, it is time to see if you are entitled to the replacement of your vehicle or the refund of the purchase price. Even if you do not meet all the items on the checklist above, you should still contact a knowledgeable attorney to see if you qualify for a case against the dealer and/or manufacturer.
If you think your vehicle may qualify for a lemon law lawsuit, contact the Law Offices of Alex Cha & Associates today. We are highly experienced in handling lemon law matters and we can answer all your questions. Schedule your appointment today