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IS YOURCAR ALEMON?
If your new, leased or certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicle has a defect the dealer can't fix, the Song-Beverly Act requires the manufacturer to buy it back or replace it, and pay your attorney's fees. We are the same firm behind Lemon Law Help: 10,000+ consumers helped, a 99% success rate, and record results in California.
Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send confidential information until we confirm representation in writing.
- of cars sold in California turns out to be a "lemon"
- 1 de 100
- of our lemon law cases are won, 10,000+ consumers helped since 2006
- 99%
- additional civil penalty the manufacturer can owe for acting in bad faith (up to 2× the vehicle value)
- hasta 2×
- out of your pocket, the manufacturer pays your attorney fees when you win
- $0
What you need to know
The Song-Beverly Act: The Strongest Lemon Law in the Country
The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, California's "Lemon Law", exists to make manufacturers keep the promises in their warranties. If your car, truck, SUV or van has a warranty-covered defect that affects its use, safety or value, and the manufacturer has not fixed it after a reasonable number of attempts, the manufacturer must buy the vehicle back (a refund minus a small mileage offset) or replace it with an equivalent one.
The law does not set an exact number of attempts, but it does create a presumption: within the first 18 months or 18,000 miles, your vehicle is presumed a lemon if the same defect was repaired 4 or more times, if a defect that could cause serious injury or death was repaired 2 or more times, or if the vehicle spent more than 30 cumulative days in the shop. Passing 18 months or 18,000 miles does not take away your rights, it only changes who has to prove what. You generally have four years from when you noticed the defect to bring your claim.
What makes California unique is who pays: when you win, the manufacturer pays your attorney's fees and costs separately, and if it acted in bad faith it can owe a civil penalty of up to twice your damages. Our team is the same one behind Lemon Law Help: 10,000+ consumers represented, industry-leading verdicts, and more California appellate cases in the last seven years than any other lemon law firm in the country. And all of it in Spanish.
Does this apply to you?
Does Your Vehicle Qualify?
You bought or leased a new vehicle, or a certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicle with a manufacturer warranty, from a licensed California dealership
The vehicle has a recurring problem that affects its use, safety or value, engine, transmission, electrical, brakes, EV battery, software, leaks
The defect is covered by the manufacturer warranty (not a dealer service contract) and was not caused by abuse or lack of maintenance
You have taken the vehicle in 2 or more times for the same problem, or have been without your car for more than 30 cumulative days
It is for personal or family use, or for a business with no more than five registered vehicles (under 10,000 lbs)
Active-duty members of the Armed Forces stationed in California qualify even if the vehicle was bought in another state
How it works
How We Turn Your Lemon Into Compensation
Free Review of Your Repair Orders
Gather your repair orders (all of them, front and back), the purchase or lease contract and the warranty. If you don't have them, the dealer must provide them. We review them at no cost and tell you within 24 hours whether you have a case and what you can recover.
Formal Claim to the Manufacturer
We present a documented claim to Toyota, Honda, Ford, GM, Stellantis, Hyundai/Kia, Tesla, Nissan, VW, BMW or any manufacturer. We know their buyback programs and their tactics for offering less than the law requires.
Lawsuit if the Offer Isn't Fair
Other firms take a partial refund to close quickly. We don't. If the manufacturer won't offer what the law requires, we file suit. We go to trial more than any other California lemon law firm.
Buyback, Replacement or Cash
You choose: the buyback (price paid, loan payments, taxes, registration and incidental costs, minus the mileage offset), an equivalent replacement vehicle, or cash compensation while keeping the car. Plus civil penalties when they apply.
The Manufacturer Pays the Fees
We work on contingency. No out-of-pocket costs and you owe nothing if we don't win. When we win, the Song-Beverly Act requires the manufacturer to pay our fees separately, your recovery is yours.
Real results
What We've Achieved
Published results of our firm (Knight Law Group / Lemon Law Help). Amounts are in addition to statutory attorney fees.
- Record Result$358,161+
Buyback + damages · Cadillac · plus manufacturer-paid attorney fees · Los Angeles
- Lemon Law Won$334,500+
Buyback + damages · Ford · plus manufacturer-paid attorney fees · Riverside
- Lemon Law Won$304,581+
Buyback + damages · Mercedes · plus manufacturer-paid attorney fees · Hawthorne
- Lemon Law Won$302,179+
Buyback + damages · GMC · plus manufacturer-paid attorney fees · Palmdale
* Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Each case is unique.
How many repair attempts do I need to have a case?
The law requires a "reasonable number," and presumes the vehicle is a lemon if within the first 18 months or 18,000 miles there were 4+ attempts for the same defect, 2+ attempts for a safety defect, or more than 30 cumulative days in the shop. But you don't need to meet the presumption: many cases win with two or three well-documented visits. Send us your repair orders and we'll evaluate for free.
My car is past 18 months or 18,000 miles. Can I still file?
Yes. That limit only affects the automatic presumption; it is not a filing deadline. You can claim as long as the problem began during the warranty and wasn't fixed after reasonable attempts. The general deadline to file is four years from when you noticed the defect, don't wait.
How much money can I receive?
It depends on the vehicle. In a buyback, the manufacturer returns the purchase price, financing payments, taxes, registration and incidental costs (towing, rental car), minus an offset for miles driven before the first repair attempt. If it acted in bad faith, it can owe a civil penalty of up to twice your damages. In our record California cases, clients have received more than $300,000 in addition to manufacturer-paid fees.
Does it apply to used, leased or electric vehicles?
Leased: yes, with the same rights as a buyer. Used: only "certified pre-owned" (CPO) vehicles sold with a manufacturer warranty, "as-is" or private-party used cars don't qualify under Song-Beverly. Electric: yes; we handle Tesla, Rivian, Cadillac Lyriq, Ford Lightning and other cases for battery, loss of power and software defects.
The dealer says the problem is "normal." What do I do?
It's a common tactic. Ask them to write on the repair order exactly what you reported, even if they say it "could not be duplicated", and keep every order. Keep bringing it in. A visit where the dealer "found nothing" still counts as a repair attempt. Call us: we can often obtain an independent technical opinion.
How much does a lemon law attorney cost?
Nothing up front. We work on contingency and you owe nothing if we don't win. When we win, the law requires the manufacturer to pay attorney fees and costs separately from your recovery. You can file alone or through the manufacturer's arbitration program, but most people recover far more with an attorney.
Is a lemon law settlement taxable?
Generally no. The refund or buyback portion returns money you already paid, so it usually isn't taxable income. Interest or certain penalty amounts can be. Confirm with a tax professional for your specific settlement.
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Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send confidential information until we confirm representation in writing.