Free Buyer GuidesCalifornia Lemon Lawyer
Repair Attempts
How many repair attempts must you make before you can seek a refund or replacement under the California Lemon Law?
The law requires that you make a reasonable number of attempts to repair the defect (also known as a non-conformity). The nature of what is "reasonable" is somewhat subjective, and a judge or arbitrator will ultimately interpret "reasonability."
What is a repair opportunity?
Every time you turn the vehicle over to a manufacturer or to a repair center that's authorized by the manufacturer to do repairs counts as an "opportunity to repair". This will count toward your total even if the manufacturer or repair facility did not do any work or did only partial work.
What is the typical standard under the California Lemon Law?
Typically, if a manufacturer or an authorized facility attempts to repair the same problem four (or more) times without success, the vehicle can be dubbed a lemon.
Are there exceptions?
Yes. Generally, if the problem is one that makes the vehicle unsafe to drive, you only need two unsuccessful attempts at repair to get the car or vehicle dubbed a lemon. However, an experienced CA lemon lawyer knows that there are exceptions to this exception as well.
Are there any time limits or other limits?
Although the basic requirement for lemon law relief is that the vehicle cannot be repaired after a reasonable number of attempts, it is presumed that the vehicle is a lemon if the repair attempts (2 for safety and 4 for use and value) come in the first 18 months or 18,000 miles (whichever comes first) of ownership. In addition, there is statute of limitations of four years – in other words, you have up until four years from the time you first realized that the car was lemon (or should have known it was) to use the Lemon Law.
What if the manufacturer or repair center fails to acknowledge your claims or fails to cooperate?
In cases such as these, you should consult with an experienced California Lemon Law attorney right away. To schedule a half hour free and completely confidential consultation with the Law Offices of Howard D. Silver, dial 1-866-49-LEMON now, or email our offices through this website. We have a 95% success rate with Lemon Law cases in Southern California, and have decades of experience dealing with cases just like yours.