Lemon Law

The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act governs the protections afforded to purchasers of defective vehicles in California. California’s Lemon Law regulations protect purchasers of both new and used vehicles, including leased vehicles, so long as there was an applicable warranty for the time period during which reasonable attempts were made to repair the defects.

 

When a new vehicle, despite repeated attempts to repair it, is defective, it may qualify as a “lemon”. In such cases, California consumer laws may entitle its purchaser or leasee to compensation. When a vehicles is a “lemon,” then manufacturers must offer either a replacement vehicle or a refund; such refund may compensate for various related losses, including the down payment made on the vehicle, monthly payments, cost of repairs, value of time spent on attempting to correct defects, taxes and registration fees, loss of use, as well as other incidental expenses. In addition, car manufacturers must also pay out the purchasers’ attorneys’ fees.

 

On the other hand, when the manufacturer refunds the vehicle, they are entitled to deduct the value that you derived from your use of the vehicle. Typically, this is measured by the mileage that you have put on the vehicle.