Any motor vehicle that is sold in California and that comes with a factory warranty is covered by California Lemon Law. This includes new, leased, and Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. Motorhomes, ATV’s and watercraft may be included as well.

If you bought your vehicle out of state, unfortunately you are not covered by the California Lemon Law. However, you may be covered by the Lemon Law in the state you bought your vehicle in. An exception to this rule is if you are active military.

If your vehicle was purchased or leased in California, it is covered under the California Lemon Law no matter where it was serviced.

Leased vehicles are covered by the Lemon Law because they come with a factory warranty. Your used car is covered under the Lemon Law if it is still covered by the manufacturer's warranty, or you purchased as a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle.

If you do not have a manufacturer's warranty for your vehicle, you will still be covered under the lemon law if you received another type of factory warranty from the dealer who sold you your vehicle. However, if your vehicle is no longer under any factory warranty, you are not covered under California Lemon Law.

California Lemon Law covers vehicles used for business as long as they have a gross weight that is less than 10,000 pounds.

You are not required to notify the manufacturer of the defect. Make sure the vehicle repairs have taken place at a repair facility authorized by the manufacturer's warranty.

Under California Lemon Law, vehicle manufacturers are allowed to create arbitration programs. Consumers can send their vehicle complaints to the program, and the manufacturer will attempt to resolve the issue outside of litigation. Arbitration can be one sided for the manufacturer so make sure you consult with an attorney prior to agreeing to arbitrate.

If you purchased your vehicle, you can expect to receive either a replacement vehicle or a repurchase. If your vehicle is repurchased, the manufacturer will refund the full purchase price as well as any collateral damages or incidental charges. Oftentimes, manufacturers will attempt to deduct a large amount for using the vehicle. This offset can be minimized and/or eliminated during the case.

The retail purchase of a motor vehicle in California is strongly regulated by two laws to protect you from warranty breaches and any automotive dealer that commits fraud. The California Lemon Law, California Civil Code § 1793.2 et seq., is in place to protect vehicle buyers by enforcing the manufacturer warranty, extended warranty and/or dealer warranty. The Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA), California Civil Code §§ 1750 et seq., protects auto consumers from fraud committed by a vehicle manufacturer or car dealer.