Lemon Law for California

If you have never heard about the lemon law or have heard but do not understand what it is about, keep reading this article and you will get very interesting information about the lemon law.

Lemon laws are laws that provide a remedy for buyers of cars that continually fail to meet quality and performance standards. These cars are called lemon cars. State lemon laws vary state by state and lemon law is just the common nickname. Each state has different names for the laws and acts. For example, the lemon law in California has the name “The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act” or simply California Lemon Law.

The CA Lemon Law applies to cars purchased or leased in the state of California. This law comes into action when the manufacturer or the auto dealer has been unable to repair the car within the warranty period after being given a reasonable number of opportunities.

If the car qualifies under the lemon law, the automobile manufacturer must give the purchaser his or her money back or replace the vehicle with a comparable model. Vehicle replacement only occurs if both consumer and manufacturer agree.

The California Lemon Law also requires the manufacturer pay the consumer’s attorney fees and costs on a lemon law case.  This means that everyone can afford to hire an attorney to defend the right.

Build Dates : 01 March, 2007 – 04 May, 2009

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 09V223000

Date Owner’s Notified: 2009-09-18
Date Received by ODI: 2009-06-15
Date Added to Database: 2009-06-15

Manufacturers Involved: TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION
Manufacturer’s Responsible for the Recall: TOYOTA MOTOR CO., LTD.
Manufacturer Campaign Number:

Component: EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Potential Number Of Units Affected : 27080

Summary:

Toyota is recalling 27,080 model year 2009 and 2010 passenger cars built from June 2, 2008 to May 4, 2009. These vehicles were not equipped with load carrying capacity modification labels which fail to conform with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 110, “Tire Selection and Rims.”

Consequence:

Incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels could result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy:

Toyota will notify owners and provide them with a new, accurate label to be installed over the inaccurate label free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about August 31, 2009.

Anyone who purchases a vehicle has certain rights covered by lemon laws. When a vehicle performs improperly within the warranty period, the law entitles the owner to get compensation for substantial defects that consistently occur and are not repaired after a reasonable number of attempts.

The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (CA lemon law) covers problems with leased or bought new vehicles. In fact, it even covers used cars as long as the defects arise during the warranty period. If the manufacturer/ car dealer cannot repair the vehicle in accordance with the warranty terms and conditions after a reasonable number or attempts, they are required to replace the vehicle or return the purchase price to the consumer. This law doesn’t apply if the defect is caused because of not following the warranty terms for proper care and maintenance.

Determining a reasonable number of repair attempts depends on how serious the defect is. If it is serious safety defect that can cause death or serious injury, one or two repairs could be considered reasonable, or the manufacturer has had a reasonable number of times to fix the defect if the same problem has been repaired four or more times; or if the vehicle has been out of service for more than 30 days since purchase due to the defect. California lemon law applies to these problems if they occur within the first 18 months or 18,000 miles, whichever expires first, after purchasing the vehicle.

If you feel your car is lemon you should contact a CA lemon law firm. You should bring all repair documentation so the case can be discussed and evaluated. They will determine whether the vehicle does fall under the lemon law and what can be done for compensation.

Build Dates : 28 December, 2007 – 17 April, 2008

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 08V235000

Date Owner’s Notified: 2008-05-30
Date Received by ODI: 2008-05-28
Date Added to Database: 2008-05-28

Manufacturers Involved: VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC
Manufacturer’s Responsible for the Recall: VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC
Manufacturer Campaign Number: 24M9/R7

Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Potential Number Of Units Affected : 6579

Summary:

Volkswagen is recalling 4,079 My 2008 Passat and 2,500 My 2009 Tiguan passenger vehicles equipped with 2.0t FSI ULEV II engines. These vehicles have an Engine Control Module “ECM” containing software that may not properly control engine idle with the air conditioning turned on. In rare cases, the ECM may unexpectedly increase engine rpm.

Consequence:

An engine surge caused by an unexpected increase in engine rpm may surprise the vehicle operator and can result in a crash without warning.

Remedy:

Dealers will inspect and update the ECM software free of charge. The recall began on May 30.

There are new and used car lemon laws to protect the people that get stuck with a vehicle that has many things wrong with it. Though the lemon laws vary from state to state most states lemon laws require certain criteria be met in order to be covered under the lemon law. The most common criterion that must be met is that the lemon car report must be done within a specific amount of time from the purchase of the transportation.

In order to qualify under all the lemon laws the new or used car should be used for personal transportation purposes. Commercially used vehicles such as delivery trucks, taxi cabs and other means of transportation used for business purposes primarily are not covered under the lemon laws.

If you have purchased new or used car and have experienced continuously repeated problems that have resulted in spending large amounts of time without use of the vehicle or have had to invest significant amounts of money in a used vehicle to repair it over and over again, you may be able to rectify the situation under the lemon laws.

If you are from California you should take legal advice from an attorney that is knowledgeable about the CA lemon law and find out if there is help for you if you have bought a new or used car that is a lemon.

Build Dates : 06 February, 2008 – 11 March, 2008

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 09V218000

Date Owner’s Notified: 2009-07-08
Date Received by ODI: 2009-06-12
Date Added to Database: 2009-06-12

Manufacturers Involved: VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.
Manufacturer’s Responsible for the Recall: VOLVO OF AMERICA CORP.
Manufacturer Campaign Number: R214

Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING: COOLING SYSTEM:FAN

Potential Number Of Units Affected : 17614

Summary:

Volvo is recalling 17,614 My 2008-2009 S80, V70, and XC70 vehicles. The engine cooling fan may stop working due to a software programming error in the Fan Control Module “FCM”. Depending on driving conditions, the customer may experience reduced air conditioning performance, and/or rapid increase in engine coolant temperature.

Consequence:

This situation may result in loss of cooling system function and engine failure. The driver may not have sufficient time to react to the warning light”s” or the text message in the instrument panel, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy:

Dealers will replace the fan control module free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during July 2009.

The California lemon laws are designed to protect the Californians who believe they have been misled by manufacturers/dealers. When you buy a vehicle that doesn’t perform as said at the time of purchase you feel to be cheated as you pay the money for the “best” product but get a lemon instead. It really pains and you want either your money back or similar product of the best quality.

People who are not aware of this law generally think that it is a little difficult to understand. The CA lemon law protects buyers of new as well as used vehicles that turn to be defective and entitles them to receive a refund or replacement. Your leased car also can be covered by the California lemon law if it is under the warranty period.

The California Lemon Law is generally known as the California Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act and can be applied to the manufacturers/dealers that are unable to repair the defects impairing the use, value and safety of the vehicle in the provided warranty period after a reasonable number of opportunities given to them.

The single limitation of the lemon law is that it is applicable as long as your vehicle is under warranty. However, if the first repair takes place while the vehicle is under warranty period, the vehicle can come out of warranty and still be protected by the California Lemon Law.

Build Dates : 09 February, 2009 – 26 February, 2009

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 09V118000

Date Owner’s Notified: 2009-06-01
Date Received by ODI: 2009-04-09
Date Added to Database: 2009-04-09

Manufacturers Involved: CHRYSLER LLC
Manufacturer’s Responsible for the Recall: CHRYSLER CORPORATION
Manufacturer Campaign Number: J13

Component: AIR BAGS: FRONTAL

Potential Number Of Units Affected: 4314

Summary:

Chrysler is recalling 4,314 My 2009 Dodge Journey, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Commander and Wrangler vehicles. Wiring may be reversed on the steering column control module driver airbag squib connector. The driver’s airbag may not deploy as intended.

Consequence:

In the event of a crash, the driver’s airbag may not properly inflate and may not be able to properly protect an occupant, increasing the risk of injuries.

Remedy:

Dealers will inspect the driver’s airbag squib wires and replace the steering column control module free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during May 2009.

You bought a vehicle and from the very first day you’ve had problems with it. You have heard about the CA Lemon Law and you’re wondering if your car qualifies for it. This provides the consumers (if they win) with a refund from the manufacturer or a vehicle replacement. But firstly the car must be qualified as a lemon.

•    The vehicle has a written warranty.
•    The vehicle has been bought for non-commercial purposes.
•    The vehicle has been in the dealer’s repair shop for a minimum of 30 days.
•    A reasonable number of repair attempts have been made by the repair shop but you are still dealing with      the problems.
•    You have to show in writing that repair attempts were made to the vehicle.

The very big misconception is that this law only covers new vehicles. That isn’t true. Your vehicle even if it’s used, can qualify as long as it is still under warranty.

This law can be your best friend when dealing with a lemon vehicle issue. But without speaking to a lemon law attorney, it is very difficult to review your situation and objectively discover if you qualify under this law or not. You’ve spent a lot of hard earned money on your vehicle and the manufacturer should not escape with selling you a lemon.

Find a lawyer that deals specifically with the lemon law in California, the one who is aware enough of all the pitfalls that you might run into. Many California Lemon Law attorneys will do a free evaluation of your particular situation and inform you if you qualify immediately.

Build Dates : 01 July, 2008 – 24 November, 2008

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 09V187000

Date Owner’s Notified: 2009-07-14
Date Received by ODI: 2009-05-29
Date Added to Database: 2009-05-29

Manufacturers Involved: MAZDA MOTOR CORP
Manufacturer’s Responsible for the Recall: MAZDA (NORTH AMERICA),INC
Manufacturer Campaign Number: 5509E

Component: ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL

Potential Number Of Units Affected : 7100

Summary:

Mazda is recalling 7,100 My 2009 Mazda3 vehicles equipped with dynamic stability control for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 126, “Electronic Stability Control System”. The yaw rate measured after completion of the sine with dwell steering input exceeded the test standards.

Consequence:

Improper operation of the electronic stability control.

Remedy:

Dealers will inspect and have the unit replaced free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before July 14, 2009.