Orange County New Car Lemons

Protecting Consumers Under New Car Lemon Law

Buying a new car is a major financial decision and essential for every Californian. But sometimes, the car you purchase or lease turns out to be faulty or even worse — a lemon. This can leave you feeling frustrated, angry, and helpless as you’re stuck with something that does not meet your expectations or threatens your safety.

If this has happened to you in Orange County, there are laws in place designed to help protect consumers. These laws provide recourse for consumers who have purchased or leased new cars that do not live up to their intended purpose.

The first step to pursuing legal action under California's Lemon Law is to contact an experienced lemon law attorney. At O’Connor Law Group, our knowledgeable lemon law lawyers can review your case, assist you with filing a claim, negotiate with the manufacturer, and represent you in court, all at no charge to you.

What Is a Lemon?

A lemon is a term used to describe a new car that has repeated issues under warranty. In order to be eligible for relief under California's Lemon Law, these issues must affect the use, value, safety, or reliability.

Common issues with a lemon can include:

• Mechanical failure: Engine, Transmission, Fuel System, Cooling system, HVAC, suspension, emissions, steering, ignition, etc.
• Safety issues: Cars with safety issues such as faulty brakes, airbags, seatbelts, hands-frees/Bluetooth, collision sensors, or back up camera are often considered lemons.
• Lack of features: If the car lacks features that were promised at the time of purchase, it may also qualify as a lemon.

If your situation meets these criteria, you may be entitled to compensation from the manufacturer. The criteria for determining what constitutes a lemon in California is outlined in the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Also known as California’s Lemon Law, it requires that manufacturers provide compensation or replacement for a vehicle that has failed multiple repair attempts and is still substantially defective in a way that impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle. Whether your car was purchased with cash, financed, or leased, any new vehicle under warranty is protected by California's Lemon Law.

A "substantial defect" is sometimes referred to as a “nonconformity” which means that the vehicle does not perform as described in its new vehicle warranty, or does not meet the requirements of its implied warranties. For example, if your new car has an engine that does not run properly or brakes that fail when applied, these could be considered substantial defects. In order to qualify for compensation under California’s Lemon Law, your vehicle must have significant defects that have not been fixed after a reasonable number of repair attempts.

If you believe your car fits these criteria, you may be able to take legal action against the manufacturer or seller of the car and receive compensation for any damages incurred due to the faulty product. This could include costs related to repairs, reimbursement or replacement of the vehicle, as well as any other expenses, including attorney fees.