California Lemon Law — Quick Reference
Coverage Details Vehicles Covered New and used vehicles still under the manufacturer's original warranty; personal, family, or household use. Also covers motor homes (chassis/drivetrain), motorcycles, and dealer-owned demonstrators. Repair Attempts Required 2 attempts for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury; 4 attempts for any other substantial defect; OR 30 cumulative days out of service during the warranty period. Coverage Period 18 months from delivery OR 18,000 miles, whichever comes first. (Song-Beverly Act covers the entire express warranty period.) Motorcycles Covered Yes Used Car Coverage Yes — vehicles still within the original manufacturer's express warranty period. Remedy Replacement vehicle or full refund (purchase price, taxes, fees, finance charges, less a mileage offset for use before first repair attempt). Attorney's Fees Manufacturer pays prevailing consumer's attorney fees. Most CA lemon law attorneys work on contingency — no fee unless you win. Statutes Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Civil Code §§1790–1790.4) and Tanner Consumer Protection Act (Civil Code §1793.22) Last Verified April 2025 Note: California's lemon law is among the strongest in the nation. The Tanner Act creates a presumption that a vehicle is a lemon if it meets the repair-attempt or days-out-of-service thresholds above — the burden then shifts to the manufacturer to prove the vehicle is not a lemon. Always mention "AutoPedia" when contacting any attorney listed below.
- CA - Lemon Law - Civil Code Section 1790-1790.4 - (Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act) and Civil Code Section 1793.22 - (Tanner Consumer Protection Act)
- CA - Lemon Law - California Attorney General's Office.
- CA - Lemon Law - Office of the Attorney General: Consumers - Motor Vehicle Warranty and Lemon Law
- CA - Lemon Law - Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS) Consumer Advocacy.
- CA - Lemon Law - California Arbitration Certification Program Lemonaid
- CA - Car Buyer's Bill of Rights - Additional car buyer protection added in 2006.
- CA - Lemon Law
- California Arbitration Certification Program Brochure (.pdf)
California (CA) Lemon Law Attorneys:
• Alex Simanovsky & Associates, LLC. – Free Lemon Law Help, Serving all of California.
• Ovation Law Firm – Relentless Advocacy. Proven Results.
• Nita Lemon Law Firm – Our mission is to maximize the clients' recovery while minimizing the negative aspects of dealing with a defective vehicle.
• Patrick Law Firm, PC – Experience and results matter. Free case evaluation
• Lemon Law Experts, PC. – California’s Premier Lemon Law Firm
• California Lemon Law Center – California's ONLY 24/7 lemon law specialist.
• Joseph Kaufman and Associates – Unparalleled experience & expertise on your side!
• Law Offices of Choi & Associates – Seeking Justice One Case and One Client at a Time.
• Law Offices of David Valdez, Jr. – Free Case Review. Se Habla Español.
• Thompson Consumer Law Group, PC – Consumer Protection and Class Action Attorneys