California Lemon Law News + Info

What if my defects don’t affect drivability? Can I still pursue the lemon law?

If you bought or leased a vehicle and experienced recurring problems, you may have asked if your specific problems qualify as a “defect” under the California Lemon Law. Lemon law considers problems to be “defects” if they affect the use, value or safety of the vehicle and the auto manufacturer cannot fix them within a reasonable number of repair attempts.

However, you might have experienced problems that do not, to the best of your knowledge, currently affect its safety and drivability. The California Lemon Law does protect owners and lessees experiencing vehicle defects that affect the value of the vehicle. Specifically, there are a number of vehicle defects that affect the vehicle’s value, and filing a lemon law claim can help the consumer recover substantial compensation.

That being said, proving that a vehicle problem substantially impairs a vehicle’s value and warrants restitution requires the assistance of an expert lemon law attorney.

In addition, you should also consider whether your vehicle problems really do exclusively impact your vehicle’s value. You can do this by talking to an independent mechanic about whether a defect can result in impaired drivability or safety, or consult a lemon law attorney about your specific situation.

Otherwise, understand that not all vehicle defects will be covered by the California Lemon Law. If a vehicle problem does not substantially impair value, safety or drivability, could be fixed within a reasonable number of repair attempts, or was otherwise caused by abuse or negligence, the problem may not be considered a defect.

Consult a Lemon Law Attorney

If you’re unsure whether your vehicle problems are considered “defects” and covered under the California Lemon Law, get a free consultation from a lemon law attorney. During the consultation, you may be asked to describe your vehicle problems and repair history, and you may ask any questions you have about your lemon law rights.

Initial consultations are free. The best part? Our lemon law representation will cost you nothing out of pocket; our lemon law attorneys are only paid if you win.

Take the first step and contact our lemon law attorneys today: 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: 2019–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.

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