Have you ever felt like your car is spending too much time in the shop than on the road? This shows that your car has legally become a lemon. “What does a ‘lemon’ mean?” you might ask. It means that your car is beyond repair. But how do you determine if your car or other vehicle is a lemon? This guide helps you to find out if your car meets the lemon law standards and what to do in such cases. Understanding laws for lemon cars in California helps you to make wise decisions at the earliest and save thousands.
What the Lemon Law Actually Means?
The term ‘lemon’ is used to describe a car that has serious damages and defects that affect its safety, value and use. Such cars cannot be restored even if you try multiple repairs. In California, the Lemon Law helps people who have such cars by giving them the right to receive a refund or replacement if certain conditions are met.
However, these laws are strict- there are very specific conditions. For a car to qualify as a lemon, it must have a substantial defect that the manufacturer hasn’t fixed after numerous attempts. The issues must be severe enough to affect the car’s safety and usage.
The Type of Vehicle Matters
California’s Lemon Law does not cover every vehicle. The law typically covers new cars, some used cars, leased cars and certain business vehicles under 10k pounds. If your car was bought or leased with a manufacturer’s warranty and has been repaired multiple times, it may be covered.
Other vehicles that qualify are electric vehicles, hybrids, trucks, SUVs and motorcycles that are bought for personal and family use. Business-use vehicles qualify, if the owner has five or fewer cars.
Watch for Repeat Repairs
One of the most important signs that your car might be a lemon is, if your car has been repaired multiple times for a single issue. If you cannot fix a particular issue even after many repairs, that’s a red flag.
Even if the problem keeps returning after multiple fixes, your car becomes a lemon and automatically qualifies for the lemon law protection.
Has Your Car Been in the Shop for Too Long?
Another sign that your car is a lemon is if it has been in service for more than a month totally. These long stretches of service show that your car is not reliable for any use, and automatically qualify your case under the Lemon Law.
The 30-day rule applies even if the issue isn’t related to safety. The rule applies if the issue significantly affects the car’s use or value. For example, a faulty gearshift might not cause accidents, but it makes the car unsafe to drive.
Manufacturer’s Warranty Is Key
One important thing that you must remember is that your vehicle must be under the original manufacturer’s warranty when the issues and repairs occur. The law also applies to extended warranties or certified pre-owned warranties in most cases.
Hence, if your car gets faulty at 11 months when you have a 3 year warranty, and the issue continues, you are likely to be protected. But if fault signs appear after the warranty expires, the Lemon Law will not apply.
What Kinds of Defects Are Covered?
Not every defect and warning signs qualify for the Lemon Law. The problem must greatly impact the car’s value, safety, and usability. These include:
- Electric malfunctions like brake failure
- Transmission or engine faults
- Fuel system issues
- Airbag or seatbelt failures
Accessories’ defects and minor wear-and-tear issues don’t count. The defect must be concerning to a serious driver that can affect his ride.
How to Start the Lemon Law Process?
If your car shows the above-mentioned defects, it has legally become a lemon. At this time, you should act fast in legal proceedings.
Start by gathering information on every repair, order and communication with the dealer or manufacturer. Make a timeline of the issues and how many days the car was unavailable. Then, write to your manufacturer that your car qualifies for the Lemon Law and request a buyback or replacement.
Having a faulty vehicle can make you stressful. But California’s Lemon Law helps to protect you and other drivers from this burden. By documenting every repair information and noticing signs of defects in your vehicle, you can easily find if your car qualifies for the Lemon Law and act accordingly.
