How Long Do You Have to File a Lemon Law Claim in California? (2026)

In most cases, you have four years to file a lemon law lawsuit in California for a new or certified pre-owned vehicle, and the clock often starts when the defect appears or the manufacturer fails to fix it, not the day you bought the car. If your manufacturer opted into the 2025 lemon law rules, the deadline can be as short as one year after your warranty expires, so talk to The Barry Law Firm for a free case review as soon as repairs fail.

California’s Lemon Law provides valuable protection if you have purchased or leased a new or certified pre-owned motor vehicle with significant warranty-covered problems that have not been resolved after a reasonable number of professional repair attempts. The law requires the vehicle manufacturer to replace a faulty vehicle or repay the purchase price and associated costs if the vehicle is shown to be defective, or a “lemon.”

But the Lemon Law imposes time limits on a claim through a general statute of limitations and other deadlines that apply to claim eligibility. At The Barry Law Firm, we’ve helped thousands of California consumers pursue Lemon Law cases and recover money they’ve spent on faulty motor vehicles. We can help you understand the time limits associated with filing a Lemon Law claim and protect your rights.

Contact us for a fast and free consultation if you’re tired of dealing with unresolved problems covered by your car’s warranty.

The Basics of California’s Lemon Law

California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act says a motor vehicle is a “lemon” if a defect covered by the manufacturer’s warranty that significantly impairs the vehicle’s use, value, or safety proves to be unrepairable. However, it requires a reasonable number of repair attempts by the manufacturer (typically through one of the manufacturer’s dealerships).

What is considered a reasonable number of repairs can vary from case to case. Under California Lemon Law, if the defect poses a significant danger, two or more attempts to fix the problem are typically considered reasonable. Manufacturers may be entitled to more than two attempts to fix the problem if it is less severe. In certain circumstances, a vehicle may automatically qualify as a lemon if it is out of service for an inordinate amount of time. We explain this in more detail in how many repair attempts California’s lemon law requires.

These protections apply to new vehicles and to certified pre-owned vehicles sold with a manufacturer-backed CPO warranty. The unresolved problem(s) must have been covered by the warranty when the car owner first tried to have it repaired. If the warranty expires after a covered problem has been reported to the manufacturer, the vehicle remains eligible for a claim based on the inability to resolve that issue.

A consumer may require the manufacturer to buy back a lemon or replace it with a similar vehicle. Restitution in either case also includes compensation for fees (title, tags, etc.) and associated costs (towing, vehicle rental, repair work, etc.).

Key Time Limits for California Lemon Law Claims

California’s Lemon Law has several deadlines and time limits, which may nullify a claim if they are misunderstood and violated. A qualified Lemon Law lawyer from The Barry Law Firm can process your claim in a thorough and timely manner to protect your right to be compensated for your losses.

Here are three limits in the Lemon Law time frame to keep in mind:

• Warranty: The end of your warranty period is an important deadline. The Lemon Law protects new and certified pre-owned vehicles bought or leased in California with a manufacturer’s warranty. The problems with your vehicle must start while it is still covered, whether by the new-vehicle warranty or a manufacturer-backed CPO warranty. However, you can still file a claim after the warranty runs out as long as you tried to fix the problem while it was covered.
• Statute of limitations: In most cases, California’s Lemon Law gives you four years to file a lawsuit. The clock often starts when the defect appears, or the manufacturer fails to fix it, rather than on the day you bought or leased the vehicle. Some Lemon Law claims are easily settled, but many require a lawsuit.
• Manufacturers that opted into the 2025 rules: If your vehicle’s manufacturer opted into the lemon law procedures created by AB 1755 and SB 26, a lawsuit generally must be filed within one year after the warranty expires and no later than six years after the vehicle’s original delivery, with some exceptions that pause the clock. For a certified pre-owned vehicle, those six years count from the date the car was first delivered new, not the day you bought it.

Because of these time limits on a claim, you should speak to a California Lemon Law attorney at The Barry Law Firm as soon as possible after multiple repair attempts have failed to resolve a warranty-covered issue with your vehicle. We can determine how long you have to file a Lemon Law claim and ensure that your case meets the legal requirements necessary for it to move forward toward resolution. Our guide to the California lemon law process walks through what happens after you reach out.

Preparing for a Lemon Law Claim

If your vehicle is a lemon, it will be critical to document what you have done to have it repaired and that the issues are under warranty. You should keep documentation such as:

• The purchase or lease agreement
• The manufacturer’s warranty
• For certified pre-owned vehicles, the CPO certification paperwork and CPO warranty terms
• Repair orders
• Service records
• Correspondence (texts, email, letters, etc.) with the dealership or manufacturer

You should also consult a California Lemon Law attorney from The Barry Law Firm who can:

• Determine your eligibility for relief under California’s Lemon Law
• File and aggressively pursue a formal Lemon Law complaint and lawsuit on your behalf, if necessary
• Serve as your advocate and legal counsel in any settlement discussions

Let an Experienced Lawyer Guide You Through This Process

California’s Lemon Law protects consumers who have purchased or leased new or certified pre-owned motor vehicles that turn out to be defective. Pursuing a successful claim requires working within timelines set by law, which makes it essential to enlist the help of a skilled Lemon Law attorney. If you don’t act before the California Lemon Law time limit, you could lose your right to hold the manufacturer accountable for your faulty vehicle.

Since 2010, The Barry Law Firm has dedicated its legal practice solely to California Lemon Law claims. We can help you seek losses you have suffered because of a defective vehicle. And we can manage your case from start to finish at no cost to you because California law requires vehicle manufacturers to pay consumers’ legal fees after a successful claim. In fact, you’ll never get a bill from us, no matter the outcome. Call The Barry Law Firm in Los Angeles, CA, or reach out online now for a FAST & FREE case evaluation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to file a lemon law claim in California?

In most cases, you have four years to file a lemon law lawsuit in California, and the clock often starts when the defect shows up or the manufacturer fails to fix it. If your manufacturer opted into the 2025 lemon law procedures, the deadline is generally one year after your warranty expires and no later than six years after the vehicle was first delivered. The Barry Law Firm can check which deadline applies to your new or certified pre-owned vehicle during a free case review.

Does the lemon law deadline start when I buy the car or when the problem starts?

For most claims, the four-year clock is tied to when the warranty problem appears or the manufacturer fails to repair it, not simply the day you bought or leased the vehicle. For manufacturers that opted into the 2025 rules, the six-year outer limit counts from the vehicle’s original delivery, which for a certified pre-owned car is the date it was first sold new. The Barry Law Firm reviews your purchase date, repair orders and warranty terms to pin down your exact deadline.

Is it too late to file a lemon law claim if my warranty expired?

Not necessarily. If the problem started and was taken in for repair while your new-vehicle or certified pre-owned warranty was active, you may still have a claim after the warranty ends. Because some claims must be filed within one year of the warranty expiring, call The Barry Law Firm at 424-688-9088 as soon as possible for a free case review.