If you’ve come to suspect that your vehicle is a lemon, chances are you’ve had a frustrating experience with recurring problems and ineffective repairs on your vehicle. You may have considered pursuing a lemon law claim. However, you don’t quite know all the criteria that the California Lemon Law sets for defective vehicles and pursuing a case. On top of that, even if you were eligible, you might not know how to prepare for a lemon law claim.
In this blog post, we will summarize what constitutes a lemon vehicle, the steps you can take to prepare, and how to find out if you have a potential lemon law case.
Table of Contents
- What Constitutes A Lemon Vehicle?
- Step 1: Gather Documentation
- Step 2: Keep Records of Conversations
- Step 3: Consult a Lemon Law Attorney
- Hire A Lemon Law Attorney Today
What Constitutes A Lemon Vehicle?
Under the California Lemon Law, a lemon vehicle is one that has one or more defects that substantially impair the vehicle’s use, value or safety and have not been fixed by the auto manufacturer after a reasonable number of repair attempts.
Step 1: Gather Documentation
If you think you might have a lemon vehicle, the first step is to gather any documents relevant to your case. This will include proof of ownership or lease of the vehicle, your vehicle’s warranty, your repair orders and any receipts for expenses related to your vehicle’s defects.
Your repair orders are documents provided to you at the end of each repair visit. These repair orders may also be known as “work orders.” These repair orders should include the date of the repair attempt, the problems you reported to the mechanic, the repairs performed on your vehicle and how much you paid for the repairs. If your vehicle was under warranty, the repair orders should indicate whether the warranty covered your repair.
Step 2: Keep Records of Conversations
If you’ve had conversations with the manufacturer or dealership regarding your vehicle, keep careful records of them. Records can include email or mailed correspondence. If your conversations took place over the phone, write notes of what was said. Include the date and time of the conversation, the name of whoever you spoke with, and what was said during the conversation.
For record-keeping purposes, keep these communications – and repair orders – in chronological order. This can help you form a timeline of your experiences with your vehicle’s defects.
Step 3: Consult a Lemon Law Attorney
You’ve gathered your documents and records of communications, but you cannot yet tell whether you would qualify for a lemon law claim. Luckily, most lemon law attorneys offer free consultations. You can ask questions about your legal options. At the end of the consultation, you may be requested to send your repair orders and other documents. Their review of these documents will help determine whether you should pursue a lemon law claim.
If you suspect that your vehicle is unsafe to drive, we do not recommend continuing to drive it. If your warranty is still valid, we recommend taking that vehicle in for repairs. Even if the next repair does not fix the issue completely, it is worth giving the auto manufacturer a fair number of chances to repair it to warranty.
Hire a Lemon Law Attorney Today
No part of a firm’s lemon law services should cost you any money out of pocket. Lemon law attorneys are paid on a contingency fee basis. In other words, they only get paid if you win, and the attorney’s fees and costs are paid by the auto manufacturer.
If you’re not sure whether to pursue a lemon law claim, call our lemon law firm to discuss your options. Our free consultations are offered 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 guides on the California Lemon Law and Used Car Lemon Law for more information.
