Lemon Law - what qualifies? California

Brand new car lease has 430 miles, stalled out at a light and would not start. Towed to dealer. 3 days later they tell me it needs a new engine. Called corporate and told them I don’t want it, either refund or replace. Will report back.

Lemon law in each state varies, contact a lemon law lawyer for the best results. I don’t recommend DIYing.

:chocolate_bar:

2 Likes

Varies by state, but generally you’re looking at either 30 days in the shop or in the shop 4+ times for the same problem.

This doesn’t sound like it’d qualify, unless they’re unable to procure a new motor.

2 Likes

What car is it?

2021 Camaro LT1 about 2 weeks old

Agreed. There’s no good reason to do this alone.

You sure it needs a new engine or do they just need to repair the damaged valves (assume this is the same bad valve spring issue that can pop up on some of the earlier production 2021s).

1 Like

The service tech notified me they are waiting for approval from GM to replace the engine.

@Jdillen15 mind sharing your experience?

Before contacting a lawyer, maybe OP should try Google first?

Took one second to find this.

No, this doesn’t qualify. Not yet, at least.

1 Like

What is the mystery car?

Presumably you are leasing it, so who cares. Let them fix try and fix it. If they can’t or it’s out of service enough to meet the Lemon Law, you can ask for a collateral exchange or a buyback.

Google is your friend…

How does a car qualify for lemon law in California?

California Lemon Law allows the manufacturer and authorized dealers a reasonable amount of time to correct the defect. They are allowed a number of attempts to repair the problem vehicle before they must repurchase or compensate the vehicle’s owner. The number of attempts and allotted time to repair the vehicle depends on whether or not the defect is a safety issue.

California Lemon Law kicks in when there have been at least two attempts at fixing a serious safety defect. This could include a serious problem that can result in injury or death, such as brake failure. If the problem recurs then it’s reasonable that the owner will not feel safe using the vehicle. Manufacturers get four or more attempts to repair a non-safety related issue. The exact number depends on the specific problem.

Manufacturers must also repurchase the vehicle or compensate owners if the number of repair attempts exceeds a reasonable amount, or if the vehicle is in for repairs for more than a total of thirty days.

There are certain instances when a manufacturer does not have to refund or replace the vehicle. California Lemon Law becomes void if the defect is a result of abuse occuring after the consumer purchases the vehicle.

1 Like

LT1 as he noted above.

So you know, don’t pay for a Lemon Law Lawyer YET.
Wait for the 30 days for them to not fix your car in time.

Because if they do, any money you paid the LL lawyer is wasted.
You might be pissed at the dealer / manufacturer, but in CA eyes you are whole.

BTW they are paying for an EQUIVALENT rental car right?

1 Like

You don’t pay for a lemon law lawyer ever. They take then case on contingency and are paid separately from the manufacturer.

At this point, a call to an attorney would just get a “you’re not there yet, but keep all your receipts and keep track of how long the vehicle is in service,” but it isn’t going to cost any money.

4 Likes

They gave me a bolt which sucks. I asked for a gas car but they didn’t have any.

As mentioned above, for serious defects there should be 2 repair attempts before you take it for litigation. If the problem happens again (hopefully not) you can PM me, I’ve been through this and can refer to the lawyer that handled my case.

1 Like

What if you don’t have a place to charge it? Don’t all dealerships contract with rental companies for when they run out of their own loaners.