Car Lemon Law Attorney for California Drivers
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Your car should not keep going back repeatedly to the repair shop for the same defect. Our California lemon law attorneys pursue a buyback, a replacement vehicle, or cash compensation from the manufacturer. Under California law, the manufacturer pays attorney fees when a claim succeeds.
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What Does a Car Lemon Law Attorney Do?
A car lemon law attorney takes over the dispute with the manufacturer once the dealership cannot fix a defect covered by the vehicle's warranty. The attorney reviews your repair orders, confirms the vehicle qualifies, and demands a repurchase, a replacement, or cash compensation. If the manufacturer doesn't agree to settle, the lawyer goes to court.
Automobile manufacturers handle these claims every day. An experienced legal team puts you on more even footing and keeps the paperwork off your plate.
Many drivers feel that all the repeated trips back to the dealership wear them down more than the actual defect itself. Your lawyer converts each of those trips into evidence of the history of repairs.
The Lemon Pros is a Beverly Hills law firm at 9100 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 500W, and our attorneys practice California lemon law exclusively. Founding attorney Michael Saeedian (California State Bar 265470) received his J.D. from Loyola Law School and was inducted into Super Lawyers Rising Stars every year from 2020 to 2025.
Does Your Vehicle Qualify as a Lemon Under California Law?
A lemon vehicle is one that the manufacturer cannot repair after making a reasonable number of attempts. The defect has to be covered by the warranty and has to substantially impair the car's use, value, or safety. Song-Beverly covers new motor vehicles sold with a manufacturer's warranty.
California Civil Code section 1793.22 presumes the manufacturer had a reasonable number of repair attempts when one of three things happens within 18 months or 18,000 miles of delivery, whichever comes first. A defect that could cause death or serious injury has been repaired two or more times. The same defect has now been fixed four or more times. Or the car has spent more than 30 calendar days in total out of service.
Those 30 days do not have to be consecutive. The presumption is rebuttable, so a driver outside those limits may still have a claim.
Determining whether lemon law applies hinges on looking at the warranty for the product, whether there is a defect, and the history of repairs. If you suspect you may have a lemon, a short review of those three items usually answers the question.
New Vehicles
A new vehicle that comes with a manufacturer warranty has the smoothest way to go. The defect has to appear and be reported during the warranty period. Make sure you keep track of both the delivery date and every repair date.
Used Vehicles
Used-car coverage narrowed in October 2024. In Rodriguez v. FCA US, LLC, the California Supreme Court held that a used car sold with only the unexpired balance of the factory warranty is not a new motor vehicle under section 1793.22(e)(2). A certified pre-owned car sold with its own warranty may still qualify, and damages and attorney fees can remain available. The sale paperwork decides which rules apply.
Leased Vehicles
A person who leases a vehicle has the same warranty rights as someone who purchases that vehicle. The lease terms affect how a buyback is calculated, but they do not close the door on a claim.
Defects That Support a Lemon Law Claim
A lemon car can fail in many ways, and defective vehicles tend to show a pattern of the same problem returning. Defects that justify a claim usually involve safety, drivability, or the car's value. These defect types appear throughout our settled matters.
Transmission and Engine Failures
Jerking, slipping, stalling, and engine replacement all qualify when the defect persists after repeated repairs.
Electrical and Infotainment Faults
Black screens, failed CarPlay, and warning lights that return after software updates fall here. Manufacturing defects in electronics can take several visits to diagnose.
Brake, Steering, and Safety Faults
Brake problems, power steering failure, and seat belt faults can make a vehicle unsafe. A safety defect needs fewer repair attempts to meet the presumption.
Settled Cases From Our Practice
The Lemon Pros has settled 154 cases under California's lemon law against 30 manufacturers, and 42 of them needed four or more repair visits. The three examples below show the vehicle, the defect, and the repair history. We don't publish settlement amounts.
2019 Jeep Cherokee
The vehicle shook, shut off, and left the driver stranded, and it burned excess oil. The engine was replaced after five visits to the mechanic, and the case settled in June 2025.
2022 Chrysler Pacifica
The vehicle shut off on the freeway and would not accelerate anymore. The transmission was replaced after three repair visits and more than three months in the shop, and the case settled in December 2025.
2019 Volkswagen Jetta
The transmission jerked heavily and clanged constantly. It took 10 repair visits before the case settled in October 2025.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its own facts.
How Does the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act Work With State Lemon Laws?
In 1975, Congress enacted the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. It includes consumer goods sold with a written warranty, including motor vehicles. People refer to it as the federal lemon law, but it doesn't treat repair attempts in the same way that lemon laws at the state level do.
The law mandates that manufacturers honor an express warranty and forbids misleading warranty practices. Together with state lemon laws, these federal warranty laws provide drivers more than one route to relief.
Both state and federal laws can apply to the same set of facts, and they are both consumer laws. Magnuson-Moss cases matter most when a state statute does not reach the problem, such as a manufacturer that fails to honor a written warranty on a vehicle outside the lemon law definition.
Under 15 U.S.C. 2310(d), a consumer harmed by a warranty violation can sue in state or federal court. The court may award attorney fees to a consumer who ultimately wins their case, but this award is discretionary. California's statute is firmer, since section 1794(d) says a prevailing buyer shall be allowed attorney fees.
How Do State Lemon Laws Compare?
State lemon laws set different clocks and different counts, so a rule you read online may not match California. The table below compares California with Florida using the text of each statute.
| Rule | California | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Governing law | Song-Beverly Act, Civil Code section 1793.22 | Chapter 681, Florida Statutes |
| Coverage window | 18 months or 18,000 miles for the presumption | 24 months from delivery, the Lemon Law rights period |
| Repair attempts | Four for the same defect, or two for a serious safety defect | Three attempts plus a final manufacturer attempt |
| Days out of service | More than 30 calendar days in total | 30 or more days in total |
| Notice to manufacturer | Direct notice once when the manufacturer disclosed the requirement. | Written notice by registered or express mail, with 10 days for the manufacturer to respond |
The California data comes from Civil Code section 1793.22, and the Florida data comes from Florida Statutes section 681.104. Coverage of motorcycles, RVs, and off-road vehicles varies from state to state as well.
What Steps Should You Take Before Hiring a Lemon Law Lawyer?
You can strengthen a claim before you ever call an attorney. Each step builds the proper documentation your lawyer will need.
Document the Defect
Write down what the problem is, when it began, and what it does. Snap photos and short videos of warning lights or sounds. Write down the date and mileage each time that happens.
Keep Every Repair Order
Collect every repair order, even if the dealer found nothing amiss. Use a dealer who is authorized because repairs count only if done by the manufacturer or its agents.
Notify the Manufacturer in Writing
Write a letter with a date on it that describes the same issue and the repairs so far. Use the address from your warranty booklet or owner's manual. Consumer rights depend upon the manufacturer knowing about the defect.
Request a Free Case Review
An attorney can tell you whether your vehicle qualifies and which deadlines apply. The review costs nothing.
What Can You Recover in a Lemon Law Case?
California gives the buyer a choice between replacement and restitution. Restitution covers the actual price paid or payable, including transportation charges and manufacturer-installed options. It also covers collateral costs such as sales tax, licensing fees, and registration fees, along with incidental damages like towing expenses, renting a car, and repair costs.
The manufacturer may subtract a reasonable allowance for the miles you drove before first taking the car in for the defect. So the payout can fall below the full purchase price, and a full refund is not automatic. Your lawyer reviews your loan documents to check on how finance charges work.
A replacement vehicle must be substantially identical and carry the same warranties as a brand new car. Some drivers like cash and keep where they park their cars and get paid in cash for depreciation of those vehicles. If a court finds the manufacturer willfully failed to comply, section 1794(c) allows a civil penalty of up to two times actual damages.
An Illustrative Buyback Example
You paid $40,000 for the car and took it in first at 6,000 miles because of a defect. The use offset is 6,000 divided by 120,000 times $40,000, which comes to $2,000. This is an illustration of the formula, not a case result.
Why Hire Lemon Law Lawyers Instead of Handling It Yourself?
Claims under lemon laws hinge on deadlines, notification rules, and the number of repairs. One missed step can weaken a claim. Skilled lemon law lawyers know how manufacturers react and what kind of evidence they look for.
Legal representation also changes the tone of a dispute. When a manufacturer fails to fix a defect after repeated visits, a lawyer's demand letter shows you are ready to take the matter further.
If the manufacturer runs a qualified dispute program, your attorney tells you whether it affects your claim and handles that step for you.
Who Pays the Legal Fees?
Under section 1794(d), a winning buyer recovers all costs and expenses, including attorney fees, that have been incurred. This rule allows drivers to seek justice without having to pay upfront for their lawyer.
We handle cases on a contingency fee basis. If we do not recover for you, you do not pay a fee.
How Do You Choose a Lemon Law Lawyer?
Choose a lawyer who practices lemon law exclusively, because state-specific rules decide these cases. Inquire into their track record and how well they deal with paperwork from the manufacturer. Be cautious of any attorney who predicts your result before reading your repair orders.
Ready to Talk to a Car Lemon Law Attorney?
If the same defect keeps sending your car back to the shop, you may have a lemon. The California lemon law professionals at The Lemon Pros review your documents, explain your options under state and federal law, and pursue the remedies available to you.
Contact Us Today for a free case review with them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our lawyers work with California lemon laws every day, and the answers here are based on both the statutes and on handling such claims. Your own case may turn on details we cannot see from here.
This page contains information only and is not intended as legal advice. Contacting The Lemon Pros does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Rules and deadlines do change, and every case is based on its unique specifics.