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Is my car a lemon?
Five questions about the things the statute actually turns on. If your answers fit the pattern, an attorney reads your case the same day — not a call centre.
Find your vehicle
Already know your make, model and year?
Three fields. The page for your exact vehicle opens with the recall and complaint record on file.
Not sure? Take the 60-second quiz instead, or call (619) 235-0137.
The Statute
What California's lemon law actually says
California's lemon law — the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Cal. Civ. Code § 1790 et seq.) — covers a vehicle sold or leased in California with a manufacturer's warranty, when a defect substantially impairs the use, value or safety of the vehicle and the manufacturer cannot repair it after a reasonable number of attempts.
The Tanner Consumer Protection Act (Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22) sets the presumption, which applies when the defect is first reported, and the vehicle is presented for warranty repair, within 18 months of delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first. In that window the presumption is generally four attempts for the same nonconformity, two attempts for a defect that could cause death or serious injury, or a cumulative thirty days out of service for warranty repair.
When a claim succeeds, § 1794(d) shifts the attorney fees to the manufacturer, so the firm is paid by them, not out of what the owner receives.
The Quiz
Five questions the quiz covers
01
Where did you buy or lease it?
California's statute applies to vehicles purchased or leased in California (and some vehicles bought elsewhere but registered here).
02
New, CPO, or used?
Song-Beverly covers new and certified pre-owned vehicles with a manufacturer-backed warranty.
03
How many repair attempts?
The statute's presumption turns on repeat attempts, not whether the dealer logged them as repairs.
04
Total days in the shop?
Thirty or more cumulative days out of service for warranty repair triggers the days-out-of-service presumption.
05
Use, value, or safety?
Song-Beverly requires a defect that substantially impairs one of those three — safety defects count most strongly.
Build your case
Repair-attempt checklist
Your paperwork is your case. Before the call, gather:
- Every repair order — including the "could not duplicate" visits.
- Your purchase or lease contract.
- The warranty booklet.
- Service history from the dealership and any independent shop.
- Correspondence with the manufacturer or dealer about the problem.
Have an attorney read your repair orders.
Start My Free Case ReviewAttorney Advertising disclaimer: Prior results do not predict or indicate a similar outcome in any future matter. The information on this page is general information about California law, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. If your vehicle is unsafe to drive, stop driving it and call the firm on (619) 235-0137. Figures from the federal safety regulator's record are estimates taken from the record on the date shown.