California Electric Vehicle Lemon Law Attorney

California Electric Vehicle Lemon Lawyer

If you’re still stuck with a defective vehicle despite a manufacturer or dealer attempting to fix the issue, you may be entitled to compensation. Lemon law can be confusing, especially now, thanks to new updates to California law that make filing a case more difficult for consumers. Luckily, a California electric vehicle lemon law attorney can guide you and represent your case.

Our skilled lemon law team at Legal Lemon Pro has been handling these unique cases all throughout California for years, so we’re familiar with the process and understand how to navigate the requirements and legal parameters to ensure you get a fair settlement or outcome in court.

How Is a Lemon Vehicle Defined in California?

California defines a lemon as a vehicle that has serious warranty defects that the manufacturer cannot fix. The defect must occur within 18 months or 18,000 miles of you leasing or purchasing the vehicle and fall under repairs outlined in the vehicle’s warranty.

Per California’s Lemon Laws, you can file a claim for a lemon if a manufacturer or dealer cannot fix the same problem after four or more attempts if they can’t fix a serious or deadly problem within two attempts, or if the vehicle has been in the shop for more than 30 days for a repair that is covered by its warranty.

Nearly 10 percent of all civil filings in Los Angeles County alone are lemon law cases, and the state as a whole has been seeing more and more of these types of cases over the last five years. Due to this high volume of lemon law cases, Governor Gavin Newsom recently updated the state’s lemon laws.

California’s Lemon Law on Electric Vehicles

California’s lemon law, also known as the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, applies equally to all types of vehicles, including electric vehicles, gas-powered vehicles, and hybrids. It protects buyers from buying or leasing defective vehicles by giving them the right to seek damages at the manufacturer’s expense.

California registered approximately 1,256,646 light-duty electric vehicles and 3,784 medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles in 2023. Moreover, cumulative sales of Zero Emission Vehicles have reached 2,213,296 from 2024 to now.

Under California’s lemon law, they are subject to the same standards and criteria as traditional vehicles. However, there are unique defects to consider due to the differences between electric and gas-powered vehicles.

Some EV-specific defects California lemon law covers include:

• Battery degradation
• Charging system malfunctions
• Electric motor issues
• Software glitches

New Lemon Law Update in California

Governor Newsom signed new updates to California’s lemon laws into effect in an attempt to streamline the lemon law process. However, the new bill has made the process of filing a claim more challenging and complicated for some consumers. The law made changes to:

• Pre-civil action requirements
• Settlement procedures
• Statute of limitations

Ultimately, the updated lemon law in California, along with a recent California Supreme Court ruling, which stated that manufacturers do not have to honor a car’s warranty if they resell it as a used vehicle, has restricted consumers’ privileges to seek legal recourse for vehicle defects.

How Much Does a California Electric Vehicle Lemon Law Attorney Cost?

Thanks to a provision in California’s lemon law that allows attorneys to recover their costs and fees directly from the vehicle manufacturer, our attorneys at Lemon Law Pro don’t have to charge you anything for our services. That means you get our representation completely for free.

Even with this provision in place, some attorneys may still charge their clients for their services. If an attorney does charge you, their fee typically covers expenses for case filing, mediation, witnesses, and more. That said, if you’re looking for quality service that you won’t have to pay for, Lemon Law Pro is here for you.

FAQs

Q: What Does a “Reasonable” Number of Repair Attempts Mean in California?

A: California’s Lemon Law Presumption states that there has been a reasonable number of attempts to fix a problem if the dealer or manufacturer can’t fix the same problem after four or more attempts. If they can’t fix a problem that could cause serious injury or death after two attempts, or if the vehicle has been in a shop for more than 30 days for a problem that’s covered by its warranty, then you may have a lemon law case.

Q: What Types of Vehicles Does California’s Lemon Law Apply to?

A: California’s lemon law covers both new and used vehicles that come with the manufacturer’s new warranty. This typically involves vehicles purchased or leased for family, household, or personal purposes. That said, the state’s lemon law also covers certain commercial vehicles as long as the business owner has five or fewer in the fleet and they weigh 10,000 lbs. or less.

Q: What Do I Do If the Manufacturer Won’t Replace or Repurchase My Lemon in California?

A: If you officially notified the manufacturer of your defective car and they have not responded within 60 days or have refused to cooperate, your next step is to file for arbitration. Arbitration is the process of settling a dispute through a neutral third party that is not a court. Many manufacturers in California offer a state-certified arbitration program to handle these issues.

Q: Is It Hard to Win a Lemon Law Case in California?

A: Winning a lemon law case in California is possible, but it can be challenging. This is even more true with the recent updates to the state’s lemon laws, which shortened the statute of limitations and complicated the process of filing a lemon claim. You can improve your chances of a positive outcome by working with a California electric vehicle lemon law attorney.

Get in Touch With a California Electric Vehicle Lemon Law Attorney to Learn More

If you have a defective vehicle and you’re not sure what to do next, get in touch with a California electric vehicle lemon law attorney. When you choose Lemon Law Pro as your attorney, you get all the benefits of professional legal representation without the cost.

From attending vehicle inspections to consulting with witnesses to filing your claim and representing you in court, our team has unparalleled experience handling every aspect of lemon law cases in California. If you want skilled legal counsel for free, reach out to our office to set up a complimentary consultation and learn more about your complimentary legal counsel today!