Congratulations! You finally bought a brand new car. Not only that, but you’ve made a huge investment in time and money buying the newest model. At long last, no more worrying about repairs or going without a car that is in the shop for days at a time.
Unfortunately, your brand new car develops problems right away. But it’s under warranty, so you take it back to the dealership from which you purchased it. After several attempts at repairs, the dealer can’t fix your car. That new car you’ve purchased – is it a lemon?
A “lemon” is a car with a significant defect that the dealer and/or manufacturer cannot fix within a reasonable amount of time. In the state of California, you must meet several requirements for your car to qualify as a lemon:
- Your car was purchased from a dealer or manufacturer
- The problem in question is under warranty
- You have made a reasonable number of attempted repairs
- The problem with your car must be considered material, meaning it significantly alters its ability to function
Sick of making trips to the dealer?
When you purchased your new car, the last thing you wanted to do was drive back and forth, making repeated trips to the dealership for repairs while driving their loaners.
And to top it off, the dealer doesn’t seem concerned that they’re unable to diagnose or repair the defect in the car they sold you. Why? Because they know your car is protected under California’s Lemon Law guidelines.
The manufacturers must provide a remedy to your problem. According to the state’s lemon law, the manufacturer has to either buy back your car or replace it.
Don’t call the dealer back. Call an attorney instead.
It can get to be a real headache to make repeated trips to your dealership. And, if the dealer can’t fix your car, they may begin making excuses or even try to put the onus of responsibility on you.
However, California’s Lemon Law Presumption contains the following guidelines for what’s a reasonable amount of repair attempts:
- The same problem hasn’t been fixed after four or more attempts
- The car’s problems could cause death or serious bodily injury if driven/two unsuccessful repair attempts have been made
- The car has been in the shop for more than 30 days, not consecutive
If your car is still not repaired, you have a lemon law case and need the services of an experienced lemon law attorney. The Law Offices of Robert F. Brennan, new car lemon law attorney, serves clients in the greater Los Angeles area.
We are highly knowledgeable when it comes to California Lemon Laws and typically handle our cases on a contingency basis.