California Lemon Law: Is Your Car a Lemon?
Keep taking your new car back to the dealer for the same problem? California's Song-Beverly Act can require the manufacturer toreplace the vehicle or buy it back. Check whether yours may qualify, then request a free case review.
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Common Lemon Law Problems
If your vehicle has any of these issues, you may qualify for a buyback or replacement.
Repeated Repair Attempts
Vehicle has been to the shop 2+ times for the same problem with no permanent fix.
Safety System Defects
Brakes, steering, airbags, or other critical safety systems failing or malfunctioning.
Engine / Transmission Issues
Major mechanical failures under warranty that the dealer cannot permanently repair.
Electrical Problems
Recurring electrical malfunctions, dashboard warnings, or system failures that can't be fixed.
Extended Time in Shop
Vehicle has been out of service for 30+ days total for warranty repairs.
New Car Defects
Bought new but plagued with problems from day one that substantially impair use or safety.
What Can You Get Under California Lemon Law?
Under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Civil Code § 1793.2 and § 1794), if the manufacturer can't fix a warranty defect after a reasonable number of tries, the law provides these remedies.
Does your car qualify?
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Six questions based on California's Tanner Act presumption
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Plain-language answers to the questions people ask most, with links to the laws behind them.
Does California's Lemon Law Cover Used Cars?
Sometimes. Since the California Supreme Court's 2024 decision in Rodriguez v. FCA US, the lemon law's buyback-or-replace remedy no longer covers a used car just because part of the original manufacturer's warranty is left. A used car can still be protected if the dealer gave you its own written warranty, and other California laws may apply.
Read the guideLemon LawHow Many Repair Attempts Before a Car Is a Lemon in California?
California law requires a "reasonable number" of repair attempts. The Tanner Act presumes that number has been reached if, within 18 months or 18,000 miles, a defect likely to cause death or serious injury was repaired 2 or more times, the same defect was repaired 4 or more times, or the car spent more than 30 days in the shop for repairs.
Read the guideLemon LawHow a California Lemon Law Buyback Works
In a lemon law buyback, the manufacturer refunds what you paid for the car (including taxes and fees, and paying off the loan), minus a mileage offset for the miles you drove before the first repair for the problem. You return the car. The manufacturer also pays incidental costs, and if you win in court, your attorney's fees.
Read the guideLemon LawWhat Qualifies as a Lemon in California?
Under California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, a vehicle is a lemon if it has a defect covered by the manufacturer's warranty that substantially impairs its use, value, or safety, and the manufacturer or its dealers can't fix it after a reasonable number of attempts.
Read the guideLemon Law · ArizonaArizona Lemon Law: How It Works for New Cars
Arizona's lemon law covers new vehicles with a warranty defect that substantially impairs their use and value. If the manufacturer can't fix it after a reasonable number of attempts, it must replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price, minus an allowance for your use. The law presumes a reasonable number of attempts after 4 repairs for the same problem or 30 days in the shop within the warranty term or 2 years/24,000 miles, but only if you notified the manufacturer in writing.
Read the guideLemon Law · ArizonaArizona's Used Car Lemon Law: The 15-Day / 500-Mile Warranty
Yes, Arizona has a used car lemon law. When you buy from a used car dealer, the car must be safe and substantially free of defects that significantly limit its use for 15 days or 500 miles after delivery, whichever comes first. If it isn't, the dealer gets a chance to repair it, and you pay at most $25 for each of the first two repairs.
Read the guideLemon LawDoes California's Lemon Law Cover RVs and Motorhomes?
Partly. California's lemon law treats the chassis, chassis cab, and drivetrain of a new motorhome as a "new motor vehicle," so the buyback-or-replace rules apply to defects there. The living quarters aren't part of that definition, but they're still consumer goods under the Song-Beverly Act, so the warranty must be honored and repeated failures can still lead to replacement or reimbursement.
Read the guideHow the Free Case Review Works
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Read our free lemon law guides to understand what California law says about your situation.
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Use the form or call us. Share the basics: the vehicle, the dealer or manufacturer, and what went wrong.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers about California Lemon Law and your legal rights.
Think Your Car Might Be a Lemon?
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Still Dealing With the Same Repair?
Legal deadlines apply to lemon law claims. Get your free, no-obligation case review today and find out if you qualify for a buyback or replacement.