What To Do if You Bought a Car That Is a Lemon
Under California's lemon laws, an automobile dealer or manufacturer must replace your car or refund your money if (1) your vehicle's defect is substantial, (2) the car was under warranty when the defect began, (3) the dealer had sufficient opportunities to repair the defect, and (4) the defect still exists, despite the dealer's repair attempts.
At the law office of Darrel C. Horsted, located in San Francisco, California, Attorney Horsted represents people who have bought a car that is a lemon from an auto dealership. His law practice advises people of their legal rights under the lemon law.
California's Lemon Law
To qualify for a refund or replacement, your car must be new or not repaired within the period or terms of its warranty. Few lemon law lawyers have Mr. Horsted's experience advising clients about lemon law rights. However, Attorney Horsted can provide the representation you require. To get lemon law protection, you must prove these elements:
- Your car must be fairly new or under warranty when the defect arose
- It must have been purchased for private use or in a small business
- Your car must have a "substantial" defect that affects its value, use, or safety
- The manufacturer or dealership must have been given reasonable opportunities to repair the automobile
Reasonable Attempts to Repair
The question of whether a manufacturer or dealer has had "reasonable opportunities" to make repairs depends on the nature of your vehicle's defect. If the defect constitutes a safety hazard or dangerous condition, the dealer will be given fewer opportunities to make repairs. Under most circumstances, a dealer or manufacturer is "presumed" to have had reasonable opportunities to repair if the car has been returned four times for repairs of the same or similar defect (motor, transmission, drive train, electronics, etc.). If you believe you bought a lemon, contact Darrel C. Horsted.
Car Dealer Fraud Lawyer
Mr. Horsted also represents people who are the victims of car dealer fraud, such as misrepresenting the mileage, the car's accident history, and its present mechanical problems. Any one of these misrepresentations is actionable under California law.
For more information about California's lemon law, contact attorney Darrel C. Horsted today for a free initial consultation. He represents people throughout the San Francisco Bay area, including Oakland, Alameda, and Sausalito.
Darrel C. Horsted, Attorney at Law
130 Sutter Street, Suite 700
San Francisco, CA 94104-4204
Phone: (415) 291-1900
Fax: (415) 291-3500
Darrel C. Horsted, Attorney at Law represents clients throughout the San Francisco, California, bay area including Daly City, the East Bay, Oakland, Alameda, Fairfield, Hayward, Livermore, Vallejo, Vacaville, Walnut Creek, Brentwood, Concord, Antioch, the South Bay, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Milpitas, Campbell, Sunnyvale, Chico, Napa, Richmond, Redwood City, Redding, Ukiah, Lodi, Fremont, Sausalito, Novato, and San Francisco, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Marin, Napa, and Alameda Counties.