Serving the greater Los Angeles area including Downtown LA, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and surrounding communities.
Key Takeaways
If your new or used vehicle in Los Angeles has a defect the dealer or manufacturer can't fix after a reasonable number of repair attempts while it's under warranty, California's lemon law may entitle you to a buyback, a replacement, or a cash payout. You pay no attorney fees out of pocket because the manufacturer covers them when you win.
any LA driver whose new or used car still under the manufacturer's warranty has a defect affecting its use, value, or safety.
generally four repair attempts for the same problem, two for a serious safety defect, or 30 days out of service for warranty repairs.
a full buyback (purchase price plus taxes and fees), a replacement vehicle, or a cash settlement to keep the car.
nothing unless you win. The Song-Beverly Act shifts your attorney fees onto the manufacturer.
following the 2024 Rodriguez v. FCA decision, a used vehicle sold with the balance of a factory warranty generally no longer qualifies for a buyback or replacement, though a certified pre-owned car with its own new warranty may still qualify and owners can often recover damages and attorney fees. Contested LA cases can be filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
From Downtown to the Valley, we represent owners and lessees across LA County under California's Song-Beverly Act, and a manufacturer that loses pays our fees.
No charges for your case review. We evaluate your situation and provide honest advice at zero cost.
The manufacturer pays all attorney fees. You never pay out of pocket.
Work directly with your attorney from day one, no call centers.
California lemon law is what we do. We read the repair history, count the attempts, and build the claim.
Your case is handled by licensed California attorneys, including Michael Saeedian (State Bar No. 265470) and Arash Khorsandi (State Bar No. 249405). Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Standing up for Los Angeles drivers under California's lemon law.
California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act protects you when a dealer or manufacturer can't fix a vehicle they sold you. Here's how it applies on LA roads.
The Song-Beverly Act covers any new or used vehicle still under the manufacturer's warranty. If your car has a defect that affects its use, value, or safety, and the manufacturer has had a reasonable number of chances to repair it, you may be owed a buyback or a replacement. The defects that qualify are the ones LA drivers know well: engines that stall in traffic, transmissions that slip, brakes that fade, electrical gremlins that trip warning lights, and battery or charging faults on hybrids and EVs.
Los Angeles puts cars through conditions most of the country never sees. Triple-digit heat in the Valley wears down batteries, A/C compressors, and tires faster than the manufacturer's testing accounts for. Stop-and-go gridlock on the 405, the 101, and the 10 grinds away at brakes, transmissions, and suspension components. When a vehicle keeps failing under normal LA driving, that's not bad luck, that's often a defect the manufacturer is on the hook to fix or refund.
Two things decide most claims: the warranty status of the car and the paper trail behind it. Keep every repair order. Each visit should name the complaint, the work performed, the technician, and the date the car went in and came back. That record is what turns a frustrating ownership experience into a provable claim. California's lemon law changed for used cars after the 2024 Rodriguez v. FCA decision. A used vehicle sold with the balance of a factory warranty generally no longer qualifies for a buyback or replacement, though a certified pre-owned car with its own new warranty may still qualify, and used-car owners can often recover damages and attorney fees even when a full refund or replacement is off the table. We review used-car claims to see which remedies apply.
Certain makes turn up again and again in Los Angeles lemon claims. Ford, Toyota, Chevrolet, and Chrysler vehicles lead the pack, usually for engine faults, transmission failures, electrical problems, or repeat safety recalls. That doesn't mean other brands are safe bets, German luxury models, Teslas, and full-size trucks all show up in our caseload, but those four account for a large share of the defective vehicles LA drivers bring to us.
One example: a driver in the San Fernando Valley bought a Chrysler SUV that kept stalling out, even after several trips back to the dealer. Once the repair attempts were documented, we filed the claim, and the client had a full refund within weeks instead of pouring more money into a car that couldn't be trusted on the freeway. Chrysler cases are a particular strength of our firm, but the make on the hood doesn't change your rights, we handle every brand.
If your car has a recurring defect or a safety problem the dealer can't resolve, the sooner you talk to an attorney, the stronger your position. Warranty windows close, and waiting rarely helps your case.
Most claims never see a courtroom. Here's the path from a defective car to a settlement, step by step.
The whole point of hiring a firm that lives in this area of law is that you don't have to manage any of it. We talk to the manufacturer, track the timelines, and push for the largest recovery the facts will support. You can start with our buyback calculator to get a rough sense of what your vehicle may be worth, then call us to confirm it.
California law gives the manufacturer a reasonable number of repair attempts before a claim can move forward. In practice, that usually means several tries at the same defect, but if the problem is a serious safety risk, even one failed repair can be enough. The dealer also can't sit on your car indefinitely. By law, a dealership cannot keep your vehicle longer than 30 days for warranty repairs. If your car has been in the shop for a month, that alone may entitle you to a buyback or replacement.
You have the right to be kept informed about repair progress and timelines. Write down every delay and every repeat failure; that documentation directly strengthens your claim. The deadlines matter too. The defect should first show up within 18 months or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first, and the claim itself must generally be filed within four years. Waiting too long can cost you the case entirely, so it's worth getting advice early even if you're not sure the problem is serious.
One recent change works in your favor. In Niedermeier v. FCA (2024), the California Supreme Court ruled that your restitution can no longer be cut by whatever you got from selling or trading in the defective vehicle. For drivers who already moved on from a bad car, that ruling can mean a larger recovery than it would have a few years ago. The core of the Song-Beverly Act, in place since 1970, and the Tanner Consumer Protection Act from 1982 remain intact, the protections are strong, and they're getting stronger.
Los Angeles is not one driving environment, it is a dozen. A commuter who crawls the 110 from South LA into Downtown wears a car differently than someone running the 405 over the Sepulveda Pass to the West Valley, or a family hauling kids on the 5 through the northeast neighborhoods. We take claims from drivers in Hollywood, Echo Park, Highland Park, Boyle Heights, Koreatown, Mid-City, the Harbor area near San Pedro, and the San Fernando Valley communities of Van Nuys, North Hollywood, and Northridge. The vehicle and the warranty decide the claim, not the ZIP code, but knowing how a car gets used here helps us show a manufacturer why a defect keeps surfacing.
Heat is the quiet factor most owners underestimate. Valley summers sit well above the coast, and a battery, A/C compressor, or cooling component that was marginal from the factory tends to give out first under that load. Add the constant idling that comes with LA gridlock and you get repeated thermal stress that a brief test drive at the dealer never reproduces. That gap is exactly why a service writer can log "could not duplicate" while you live with the failure every afternoon. Detailed, dated repair orders close that gap and put the pattern in front of the manufacturer.
If you bought from one of the dealer rows along Figueroa, in the Mid-Wilshire corridor, or out in the Valley, the selling lot does not limit where you can take the car for warranty work. Any franchise dealer for your brand counts, and every visit belongs in the record. When a manufacturer tries to send you back to the original store, the obligation under California law still runs to the carmaker, and that is the party we hold accountable.
"The Lemon Pros worked with me during a time in my life where I was going through a lot of transitions. They were professional and very patient. When the day came to negotiate my settlement, it was a glorious outcome. I told them get me at least $10,000 and I'll be happy, and they got me a settlement of $17,500."
"I couldn't be more grateful for the outstanding team at The Lemon Pros. They were responsive, professional, and committed to keeping me informed every step of the way. Their follow-through was exceptional and their determination made a difference in achieving a positive outcome in my case."
"I had an excellent experience with The Lemon Pros, with Tony and Suzy B. on my case. Both were incredibly helpful throughout the entire process and always kept me well-informed. They made everything smooth and stress-free. I highly recommend their services to anyone with a lemon law case."
Rated 4.7 out of 5 across 97 Google reviews. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Every day you wait is a day the manufacturer wins. Take 60 seconds to find out if your vehicle qualifies, it's free, confidential, and could change everything.
