What is a Lemon Under California Lemon Law?

California Lemon Law covers a variety of new motor vehicles, including:

• A new vehicle bought or used primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.
• A new vehicle with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) under 10,000 pounds bought or primarily used for business purposes (provided the owner or business has no more than five vehicles registered in California).
• The chassis, chassis cab, and propulsion portions of a motor home.
• A dealer-owned vehicle, a demonstrator, or a used vehicle sold with a manufacturer's new car warranty.
• Leased vehicles.
• Motorcycles that are registered under the Vehicle Code.

California's Lemon Law presumes that a vehicle is a lemon if the vehicle:

• Does not conform to the manufacturer's express warranty.
• Has substantial defects affecting the use, safety or value of the vehicle.
• Has manufacturer's defects that occurred during the first 18 months from the original owner's delivery date or the first 18,000 miles on the odometer (whichever period ends first) unless your vehicle is covered by a longer warranty; if you have a longer warranty, Lemon Law protects you for the entire warranty period.
• Has been taken in four times for the same problem or if it has been out of service for 30 days due to a series of unrelated problems; or if the problem is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, the vehicle has been taken in two times for repair.
• The manufacturer has been notified of the need for repair if the manufacturer requires it.