California Lemon Law Blog

California residents who buy a used car may have the ability to file a lawsuit if the vehicle is defective. The exact rights a person has depends on whether the car was bought at a dealer or from an individual and if there was a warranty on the vehicle. If there is a warranty on the vehicle that isn't honored, a car owner may be entitled to compensation for money spent on repairs.

It is important to note that a vehicle may be sold "as-is", which means that there is no implied or specific guarantee as to its condition. A lawsuit may also be effective if there is evidence of fraud or if a dealer failed to disclose issues related to a used car. Fraud may occur if the odometer is rolled back or if damage to the body or frame are deliberately disguised.

If SB 713 passes in California, it will expand the states lemon law to include commercial trucks. It would apply to trucks that weigh more than 10,000 pounds and are owned and operated by a business of any size. The bill was proposed after complaints from the Western States Trucking Association (WSTA). It claimed that new trucks were down for too long because emissions equipment was malfunctioning.

Under the proposed law, the trucks would be covered for up to 18 months or 100,000 miles. To qualify as a lemon, the truck would need to be down for 30 days because of repairs of a dangerous defect that is covered by its warranty. It would also qualify if the manufacturer were notified of the issue and at least four attempts to rectify the matter. If the bill passes, California would be one of just two states that offers protection to large truck owners.

California residents tend to have a narrow view of their legal protections against poor vehicles. Many believe that new cars are the only eligible vehicles for compensation or buyback, but fortunately this isn’t the case.

This misconception could be holding residents back from finally owning a well-functioning machine. If you have a motorized product that doesn’t work as advertised, you may be able to take advantage of these laws to avoid wasting your money – even if the vehicle is something other than a new car.

The excitement of swapping your old vehicle with a shiny new one is a thrill that you feel whenever you get in your car. Not all new cars function properly, however. If you’re disappointed with the vehicle’s unsafe performance, you will feel frustrated and nervous every time you get behind the wheel instead.

Normally, you could take the car back to the dealership, explain the problem and receive an offer from the dealer to repair or examine the issue, but your dealer might not be helpful. Some vehicle owners get stuck when the dealer and manufacturer disregard the issue entirely.