If you are experiencing an intermittent problem with your vehicle, you might ask if you have a case under the California Lemon Law. Sometimes their vehicle problems appear rather prominently, and sometimes the problems seem to go away on their own… only to cause a headache at an unexpected time.
Many vehicle problems are intermittent and are not easily repeatable. Examples of intermittent vehicle problems include issues with automatic emergency brakes or faulty electrical systems. That does not mean your vehicle is not a lemon. Your vehicle may be considered a lemon if the vehicle problem is not fixed within a reasonable number of attempts and substantially impairs your vehicle’s use, value or safety.
An unpredictable vehicle cannot fulfill the basic promise of safe, reliable transportation. In other words, an unpredictable vehicle is an unsafe vehicle.
If your vehicle defect is intermittent, follow these tips to better document your vehicle problem and either get the vehicle repaired or get enough evidence for a lemon law claim:
- Document the problem every time it occurs. Write down the date and time that the vehicle problem happened, as well as a basic description of the problem itself. For example, you might write down that your vehicle started shaking while driving at highway speeds, or that your brakes are not working properly. If it’s safe to do so, you may catch the vehicle problem on camera.
- Take your vehicle in for repairs. Sometimes you might be able to take your vehicle for a repair soon after the defect appears. Other times, you may have to schedule an appointment some days in advance. However, you need to show that you gave the auto manufacturer a reasonable number of opportunities to fix the vehicle problem.
- Keep a record of your repair attempts. Collect the repair orders that you get at the end of each repair attempt. These repair orders should contain a description of the problem and what the technician or mechanic did to fix them. Even if the repair order states that the technician or mechanic did not find the problem, these repair orders still establish a paper trail.
Once you’ve taken all of these steps, reach out to a lemon law attorney. Representation by a lemon law attorney will cost you nothing out of pocket, and you will not be expected to pay any upfront fees. Initial consultations are free.
If you are unsure whether your intermittent vehicle problem is covered by the California Lemon Law, reach out to our lemon law attorneys at 877-217-7676.
Lemon Law Help by Knight Law Group is an automotive lemon law firm that exclusively practices in California. If you are a California resident who purchased or leased a defective vehicle from a licensed dealership in California, we may be able to help you get rid of your potential lemon and recover significant cash compensation. Model year restrictions apply: 2017–Present vehicle models only.
However, we cannot help those who reside outside of California or purchased their vehicle outside of California unless they are active duty members of the Armed Forces, nor will we be able to refer those to a lemon law firm in their states.
To learn more about the California Lemon Law and your legal rights, visit our guide on the California Lemon Law for more information.
