More consumers are choosing green vehicles such as electric and hybrids, especially in California where there is considerable infrastructure to support it. Indeed, more than half of all electric vehicle sales was in the Golden State – in part due to its zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) goal of 1.5 million vehicles by 2025.
National sales of electric vehicles went up 37 percent to 159,139 vehicles in 2016, compared to 2015.
There are now about 30 different EV models to choose from, but the top sellers with at least 10,000 units each last year was the Tesla Model S, Tesla Model X, Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf and Ford Fusion Energi.
Buyers of these green cars usually pay a premium for their vehicle. So when something goes wrong, they expect it will be repaired under the original factor warranty. However, if your vehicle continues to have the same issue, it’s possible you have a lemon law claim.
Some typical problems electric vehicle owners have with their vehicles included:
- Battery longevity, failures
- Electrical system failures
- Control panel malfunctions
- Accessory failures
- Braking system
The lemon law protects consumers by making sure that auto manufacturers stand behind their warranties. This includes electric or hybrid vehicles that are under factor warranty and become defective. So if a consumer takes their electric or hybrid back to the dealership for the same repair at least four times, or two times for a potential safety issue and or the vehicle has spent at least 30 days in the shop, the vehicle may qualify as a lemon under California law.
Electric Lemonade — Green Cars Turn Yellow
Most consumers do not understand how the California Lemon Law applies to their circumstances, but with the help of an experienced lemon law attorney this can be determined in a free consultation.
The California Lemon Lawyers at Johnson Attorneys Group can be reached at 800-235-6801. It’s our pleasure to help you resolve the problems you are having with your electric or hybrid vehicle and the cost of our services is paid directly by the auto manufacturer — not you.
- Tesla Recalls 2024 Cybertruck Gas Pedal Unintentional Acceleration - April 22, 2024
- Recall Ford Bronco Sport SUV, Maverick Pickup Low Battery Issue - April 17, 2024
- 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024 Kia Telluride SUV Rollaway Recall - April 10, 2024
4 Comments on “How Does California Lemon Law Apply to Electric and Hybrid Vehicles?”
Yeah I have a 2019 Honda Insight in which I purchased on May 5, 2020 ( be 1 year old from Roberts Auto in Modesto CA) with 20,000 miles on it, in the summer of 2021 there apparently was a recall on the A/C condenser that it could leak refrigerant ….in which also at that same time my A/C was going out …June 2021 right when temperatures was reaching 100 degrees… I had it in Stockton Honda at least 3 times over night twice, in the last year..now I just got it out (yesterday Monday June 20) after they had it again since last Wednesday….because the A/C went out again… They called me last Thursday to inform me the recall part wasn’t the problem this time, it was another piece of the A/C and it would take days to repair at a price of over $2,000 for a almost brand new car that I paid $25,000 for… I highly disagree with their findings as I informed them they never fixed it the first time and merely just charged the system so it barely lasted the rest of the season … and here I am again a year later with the same problem… I got them down to $1,100 as I’m a single person paying my own bills and with everything going sky high I really couldn’t afford that… I’ve had 5 Hondas and 4 Nissans and have never had a service bill over $400 all being newer cars and less than 5 years old if not brand new… This car is 3 years old and Apparently has had a faulty A/C from day one if part of the AC was recalled!! Now I’m out over $1,100 just for this faulty AC …
Please call us directly for a free consultation and we can discuss this at 1-800-235-6801.
I have a 2013 Honda Civic Hybrid that I purchased in May of this year 2022. The Hybrid battery has gone out and Carmax is stating that it is not covered under warranty and they will not pay for the repair/replacement of the battery. The car has just over 125,000 miles and I owe close to $16,000 for the car. Does it qualify under the lemon law? I dont want my money back or really a replacement, unjust want them to cover the cost of repairs considering it’s a major component that is necessary for the car.
Good morning Orlando,
Please call us at 1-800-235-6801 and we can go over the facts of your case and let you know if you have a claim.
Thank you.