What You Can Do Legally About a Lemon Car

Not all car purchasers end up happy. Sometimes, they buy a “lemon.” Under the California lemon law, a vehicle is considered a lemon when substantial defects on the car have occurred within a given period, and these defects haven’t been satisfactorily resolved even after a number of attempts to remedy them. The state’s lemon law states that these defects should cause the car to be inoperable for 30 days, consecutively or otherwise.

For the state’s lemon law to apply, the owner of the defective car should have taken his or her car for repairs at least four times or more. Furthermore, the nature of the problem should be one where the mechanical flaw would substantially impair the value and use of the car due to safety issues. It is also important to understand that the core of the lemon law in California (as in most jurisdictions) is that these cars are purchased under a warranty.

If your car, recently purchased under a warranty, turns out to be defective, and you have made several attempts to resolve the problem with the manufacturer, you can take your case to court and have it stand on its own under the state’s lemon law. 

If you foresee any further dispute between you and the car’s manufacturer, it’s important to consult with an attorney in Los Angeles. You’ll need expert help this time when you can’t turn to your car’s manufacturer to resolve the issue on your lemon car.