The “Lemon Law” in California mandates that a vehicle manufacturer (e.g., BMW, Lexus, Acura, Mercedes, Honda, etc.) that is unable to repair a vehicle to conform to the manufacturer’s express warranty after a reasonable number of repair attempts to

• replace the vehicle for you, or
• repurchase the vehicle from you.

It is important to note that there is no real set number for “reasonable repair attempts.” However, California’s Lemon Law presumption contains certain guidelines for determining when a “reasonable number of repair attempts” have been made. The lemon laws in California cover the following new and used vehicles sold or leased in California that come with the manufacturer’s new vehicle warranty:

• Cars, pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs;

• The chassis, chassis cab, and drivetrain of a motorhome;

• Dealer-owned vehicles and demonstrators; and

• Vehicles purchased or leased for personal, family, or household purposes, amongst other vehicles.

Attorneys fees in Lemon Law Cases 

The California Lemon Law includes a certain provision that requires the automobile manufacturers to pay for our attorney’s fees and costs when a case is settled. At John J. Stanley and Associates, we provide services to our clients on the basis of a contingency fee. As such, the clients who have retained us to serve their interests in lemon law cases never pay out of pocket for costs and attorney’s fees.