The law is supposed to attend to the needs of people at various points in time. This is how it should be as some laws in the past will not serve a relevant purpose today. In addition to this, some new laws have to be made to address certain current concerns.
The policymakers in California understand this too well and this is why they make amendments and new laws from time to time. To know the new laws and some amendments as of 2022, you can go through this article.
Policymakers pay attention to these things so that society will be sane. It is also so that vulnerable people will not be taken advantage of. Speaking of the vulnerable, some owners of faulty vehicles are vulnerable.
This is because the vehicle’s fault can be traced back to manufacturer’s error during production. Well, there is a term for such vehicles and this is known as “lemon”.
As explained above, laws are made and amended from time to time and this includes lemon laws. However, the thing is that these laws are peculiar depending on the state in the country. For this reason, we will be more precise by discussing lemon laws in California as of the year 2022.
About Lemon Law in California
The lemon laws in this state were birthed by some Acts that paid attention to the need to protect consumers of automobile products. The main Act that created a legal ground for addressing the concern is the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act.
In addition to this Act, the Tanner Consumer Protection Act also went on to supplement the aforementioned Act. In legal collaboration, both Acts are aimed at protecting consumers of automobile vehicles that are defective and have been considered irreparable for no fault of the consumers.
They are considered irreparable because they have been subjected to repairs over and over again and there is very little or no improvement. And as mentioned above, this fault is not supposed to come from the consumer but from the manufacturer or even the dealership.
In addition to this, there is a timeframe involved and this has to do with the written warranty’s duration. This is why consumers need to take legal steps as soon as possible. This is by reaching out to a legal professional that is into this legal aspect.
Are All Vehicles Covered by Lemon Laws in California?
Some vehicles are not covered by these laws in California. Only vehicles that come under the following categories are covered:
Leased or Purchased at a Retail Service in the State
Those that are obtained as a result of private sales are not protected by this law. This might explain why the cost of vehicles from private sales is expected to be a lot less regardless of the state.
Purchased by a Full-Time Military Worker
Complications involving lemon laws can set in when the vehicles have crossed borders. This is understandable as the laws are regionally sensitive. This simply means that the status of lemon laws differs depending on the state in question.
On this note, full-time military workers that got the vehicle in California but moved to another state still have their vehicle protected. This is as long as it is within the defined time frame and it is a problem from the manufacturer or dealership’s end.
Does not Exceed Vehicle Registration Limit for Business Purposes
There are aspects of lemon laws in this state that some people find hard to comprehend why they are operational. This happens to be one of those aspects of the law.
This is because businesses with more than 5 registered motor vehicles in the state are not covered. All the business’s vehicles must not weigh up to 10000 pounds or exceed this weight benchmark.
Used for Household, Family, or Personal Reasons
Vehicles that are used for these purposes are equally covered by lemon laws in this state. So, owners that realize they are dealing with issues that are not in line with promises by the manufacturer’s warranty are covered. They should therefore hire a good California Consumer Lawyer that understands this legal aspect in this state to get what they deserve
How do you know that a Vehicle Is a Lemon in Line with California’s Statute?
You can tell that California’s Statute considers your vehicle a lemon if:
- The buyer approaches the dealership or manufacturer for vehicle replacement, repurchase, or refund after failed attempt to fix certain problems with the vehicle
- If the vehicle’s safety, value, and/or use is impaired by the fault in question
- If the vehicle’s problem(s) is no fault of the user(s)
What is Considered a Reasonable Number of Repairs?
The California Statute that addresses these concerns infers that lemon cases can only be termed as such after a reasonable number of unsuccessful attempts at repairs. To determine that the unsuccessful attempt at repairs is reasonable, the following may need to happen:
- Repairs have been carried out no fewer than 4 times and yet the problem persists
- Repairs have been carried out no fewer than 2 times for significant problems and the issue persists. Significant problems are the sort that can cause major complications if they are not addressed immediately.
- The vehicle has stayed no fewer than 30 days undergoing repairs
- The manufacturer was notified about these issues even when it was still covered by a warranty
Can You Insist on Refund Rather than a Replacement?
It is possible to insist on a refund rather than taking another vehicle in place of the one that gave you serious problems. Some people would prefer this route as they do not trust the quality of products from the manufacturer or dealership.
Conclusion
We have gone through some FAQs on lemon laws in California. The questions discussed here are some of the ones that people seriously need answers to. However, there are some more questions and answers you might want to know. For more FAQs, you can check: https://bbbprograms.org/
As one facing a lemon problem, you should be aware of the laws about this in your area. This is why we have discussed how the law about this matter operates in California. You should reach out to a good lemon attorney to be better informed about this.