Prerequisites Of The California Lemon Law

The California Lemon Law is in place to protect consumers, but there are certain prerequisites that must be fulfilled to qualify for the auto lemon law. First of all, the vehicle must be under warranty when the defects became apparent. The warranty period for any new vehicle is considered to be 18 months or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first, according to an amendment that was made to the California Lemon Law. Repair attempts must also be made before the owner can receive a full replacement or reimbursement according to the automobile lemon law.

Manufacturers must be given a chance to repair a defective vehicle before they are required to replace it under the California Lemon Law. After four attempts to repair a slightly defected vehicle, or two attempts for a seriously defective vehicle, the auto lemon law states that it is considered a "lemon." They also only have 30 days of servicing to complete the repairs. Car owners must keep records of all the repair invoices to be protected under the automobile lemon law, and they should also have all of their purchase and warranty information available. A reasonable number of attempts should be carried out within this warranty period and if not, the manufacturer is not responsible for the reimbursement or replacement of the vehicle under the auto lemon law.

If the owner has damaged the vehicle because of negligence or misuse, the law is also made void. In order to qualify under the automobile lemon law, the defects must also impair the use of the vehicle, reduce its safety, or diminish its resale value. There are many stipulations to the law, but this is only to ensure that only those who deserve it are protected and not scam artists.

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