Many consumers often contact our firm to ask if there is a time limit to filing a lemon law claim. The answer is that there is a time limit, known as a statute of limitation. Broadly speaking, California’s lemon law imposes a four-year deadline to file a lemon law claim. Another question that arises is when does this four-year deadline begin to run. The answer to that is usually the date that the consumer discovers or first believes that his or her car is a lemon, and this can be after a reasonable number of repair attempts have been performed or after the warranty expires and the vehicle still has not been properly repaired. Sometimes the statute of limitations might begin to run after the warranty expired when the same problem rears its ugly head again.
Even though a consumer may have a four-year deadline to file a lemon law claim, consumers should act sooner rather than later with a lemon law claim since delaying a claim can negatively affect the outcome. This is because under California’s Lemon Law statute, for a consumer to qualify for a lemon law buyback, they need to establish that the vehicle in question, whether it is a car, truck, or SUV, legally meets the definition of “lemon”. That means that the vehicle has a faulty defect that cannot be repaired by the dealership or manufacturer after multiple repair efforts and the issue substantially impairs the vehicle’s use, value, or safety. The attorneys at Joseph Kaufman & Associates, Inc. recommend contacting a qualified lemon law lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your lemon law rights as soon as possible in order to maximize your chances of a successful outcome.
If four years passes after the date a consumer thinks his or her vehicle might be a lemon and a lemon law claim has not been made, under California law the consumer might be barred from pursuing a lemon law claim. This is why it is best to contact a qualified consumer protection attorney who understands the time limits and other complexities involved with lemon law cases. If you think your vehicle might be a lemon, contact our office sooner rather than later for a no obligation and no cost lemon law evaluation.
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