What Things Does the Lemon Law in California Cover?
Under California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, commonly known as the state's lemon law, a consumer who buys or leases a vehicle has a number of rights and options if a vehicle that's under warranty doesn't operate properly due to new or preexisting mechanical problems. The law says that if a car dealer or maker can't fix a vehicle's problems after a reasonable number of attempts, the consumer can receive a new vehicle or a refund.
Other People Are Reading
-
Repair Attempts
-
The number of repair attempts covered under California's lemon law depends on the type and seriousness of the vehicle's defect. Problems that affect the vehicle's safety, use or value are covered under the lemon law if they occur within the first 18 months the consumer has had the vehicle, or within the first 18,000 miles on the vehicle's odometer, whichever comes first.
Who's Covered
-
The state lemon law applies to new vehicles that are bought or used primarily for personal or family reasons and not for business purposes. The law also applies to vehicles with a gross weight of under 10,000 pounds that are used primarily for business purposes by a either a person or business that has five or fewer motor vehicles registered in California.
-
Other Vehicles
-
Although the California's lemon law's main provisions expressly cover new cars, there are general provisions that also apply to used cars and other types of motor vehicles, such as motorcycles and mobile homes, as long as the vehicles are sold with a warranty or service contract. However, in these cases, if the consumer opts to receive the purchase price back as compensation, then the vehicle maker can subtract the amount of the consumer's usage of the vehicle from the buyback cost.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
