If you have purchased or leased a truck that turns out to be a lemon, your rights as a consumer are protected under the California Lemon Law. Because they are passenger vehicles, trucks that are still under factory warranty and meet the other necessary qualifications are covered under this law. Truck lemons can come from a range of manufacturers, such as Ford, Dodge, Nissan, GMC, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Toyota, and more.
New Truck Warranties
Fortunately for consumers, any new truck that you lease or purchase will come with at least one manufacturer’s warranty. Many new trucks come with multiple warranties to cover the various parts and systems in your truck. For instance, you may have a separate factory warranty for components that are more expensive to repair, such as the transmission or the engine. These warranties ensure that for a set period of time, problems and defects that fall outside the category of normal wear and tear are covered by the manufacturer. As long as your new truck is under factory warranty, it is also protected by the California Lemon Law.
Used & Certified Pre-Owned Trucks
If you have purchased or leased a used or certified pre-owned truck, your Lemon Law case may be more complex. While some used trucks will still be covered by the original manufacturer’s warranty, trucks that are older or high-mileage may not be. In the latter case, your truck may still be protected under the California Lemon Law if you were provided with a dealer factory warranty or extended service contract when you purchased or leased the vehicle. In addition, if the dealer misrepresented the condition of the truck, your vehicle may also qualify as a lemon.
Many consumers who cannot receive approval for a typical automobile loan are forced to purchase used trucks from “buy here, pay now” dealerships. These dealerships specialize in selling trucks that are older and have higher mileage, which often turn out to be lemons. Because of this, a new law was recently enacted in California requiring these types of dealerships to provide consumers with a 30-day or 1,000-mile factory warranty for any vehicle that they sell or lease, keeping you protected under the Lemon Law.
Truck Lemons: Common Defects
According to the California Lemon Law, a truck that qualifies as a lemon has a substantial defect that impedes either the safety, use, or value of the vehicle. This encompasses a wide variety of defects with various parts and systems, such as:
- Engine: Many different problems can arise with your truck’s engine, including not starting, stalling, overheating, hard starting, rough running, misfiring, surging, vibrations, running hot, and making abnormal noises.
- Brakes: A critical component of your truck, brake issues can include premature wear, anti-lock braking system failure, and brake pedal failure.
- Transmission: Truck lemons often experience problems with the transmission, such as slipping, jerking, hesitation, hard shifting, and fluid leaks.
- Steering: If you experience difficulties with your truck’s power steering such as vibrations, fluid leaks, or your truck pulling to one side, you may have a lemon.
- Electrical: Issues with your truck’s electrical system can be very serious, and they can include blown fuses and other malfunctions.
- Lights: Your truck may experience a range of issues with lights, such as malfunctioning headlights, taillights, brake lights, or turn signals as well as flickering lights on the dashboard.
- Heating & Cooling: Truck lemons commonly experience heating and cooling system malfunctions.
Why Choose Johnson Attorneys Group
At Johnson Attorneys Group, we are dedicated to ensuring that you are appropriately compensated by the manufacturer of your truck lemon. Our skilled attorneys offer the experience and knowledge you need from the legal team representing you. We will walk you through every step of the case, from determining if your truck qualifies as a lemon to receiving a refund, replacement, or other type of settlement. Contact Johnson Attorneys Group today for a free consultation regarding your case.
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