What Is the Time Limit to Return Lemons?

New vehicles sometimes develop severe warranty-covered defects that their manufacturer or authorized dealers cannot fix after multiple repair efforts. Even when these issues are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, you don’t have unlimited time to act if you have a lemon vehicle. Knowing the California Lemon Law time limit to return your vehicle when it qualifies as a lemon can help preserve your right to pursue relief from a defective car.

How Long Do I Have to Return a Faulty Lemon Vehicle?

You may have the right to return a lemon vehicle to the manufacturer for a Lemon Law refund of the price you’ve paid to purchase or lease the car, plus compensation for additional expenses you incurred due to your vehicle’s defects. That said, you have a limited time in which to claim your Lemon Law remedy and return your vehicle. The filing deadline is set by the California Lemon Law’s statute of limitations.

What Is the Statute of Limitations to File a Lemon Law Claim in California?

If you have a lemon vehicle, you must file a Lemon Law claim before the applicable statute of limitations expires. The statute of limitations under the California Lemon Law requires you to file within a certain number of years from when you first purchased or leased the vehicle. The exact amount of time you have to file your Lemon Law claim depends on various factors and circumstances. A skilled Lemon Law attorney can tell you what the deadline is for your specific case.

If you do not file your claim within the limitations period, you might lose your right to seek legal relief and compensation from the manufacturer. The statute of limitations makes it essential to act promptly if your vehicle develops a serious issue covered by the new-vehicle warranty.

Other Important Deadlines for Lemon Law Claims You Should Know

The Lemon Law also applies other deadlines to your claim. Most importantly, you should have your vehicle’s defect repaired within the manufacturer’s new-vehicle warranty period. If your car develops an issue after the manufacturer’s original warranty expires, you may lose the right to pursue financial recovery in a Lemon Law claim.

Why Timing Is Critical to a Lemon Law Case

Taking prompt action when your car develops a serious issue can be critical to protect your rights under the Lemon Law. To file a claim, you must establish that your vehicle’s defect developed during the new-vehicle warranty period. You need to take your vehicle to the manufacturer or authorized dealer for repairs as soon as possible after a defect develops so you can receive warranty repairs before it’s too late.

Taking your vehicle in for repairs as early as possible will also give the manufacturer or its authorized dealer enough time to make a reasonable number of repair attempts. Your vehicle may qualify as a lemon only after the manufacturer has failed to fix a warranty-covered defect despite having a reasonable opportunity. The sooner you act, the sooner you can establish those repair attempts.

Most importantly, you could lose your Lemon Law protections entirely if you wait too long. Acting quickly can protect your rights and help you build a stronger case.

How Long Does It Take to Settle a Lemon Law Case?

Unfortunately, no one can predict how long it will take to settle a Lemon Law claim. However, various factors can affect the timeline of your Lemon Law case, including:

• The nature of your vehicle’s defects
• How many repair attempts the manufacturer or its authorized dealer makes and how long your vehicle spends in the shop
• The extent of your expenses related to your vehicle’s defects
• The complexity of the evidence supporting your claim
• The manufacturer’s cooperation with settlement negotiations
• Whether you need to go to trial to continue pursuing your claim
• The schedule imposed on your case by the court

An experienced Lemon Law attorney can give you a better idea of what the timeline would look like in your specific case.

Preparing for a Lemon Law Claim Before It’s Too Late

You can take steps to pursue a Lemon Law claim before it’s too late, including:

• Take your vehicle to the manufacturer or its authorized dealer for repairs. The Lemon Law only counts repair attempts by the manufacturer or its authorized dealer as part of the required reasonable number of repair attempts, not repairs made by independent auto or body shops.
• Gather documentation of your vehicle’s defects, including photos or videos, diagnostic reports, and repair records.
• Keep records of each repair attempt by the manufacturer or authorized dealer, including what steps they took to repair the defect, the number of times your vehicle went into the shop for repairs, and the total amount of time your vehicle spends in the shop.
• Keep copies of all bills, invoices, or receipts for expenses you incur due to your vehicle’s defect, including towing fees, out-of-pocket repair costs, and alternative transportation costs (e.g., rental cars, taxis, rideshares).
• Gather evidence of money you’ve spent buying or leasing your car, including your purchase or lease documentation and receipts of your loan or lease and tax payments for your vehicle.
• Contact a Lemon Law lawyer as soon as possible to help you prepare and file your claim.

How to Expedite the Lemon Law Claims Process

You can help move the Lemon Law claims process forward by hiring a California Lemon Law attorney to represent you. A lawyer experienced with Lemon Law claims will know what information and evidence you need to prove your right to compensation, allowing you to have a solid case. An attorney will also know the complex legal requirements and regulations governing Lemon Law claims and can advocate on your behalf with your car’s manufacturer to pursue a settlement of your case. If the manufacturer denies liability or refuses to agree to a fair settlement, an experienced lawyer can take your Lemon Law claim to court to hold the company accountable.

Call an Experienced Lemon Law Attorney from The Barry Law Firm for Help!

You may have the right to pursue relief under California’s Lemon Law if your car has developed severe defects under warranty that the manufacturer cannot fix despite a reasonable number of unsuccessful repair attempts. However, you have limited time to act or you risk jeopardizing that right.

Contacting a Lemon Law attorney as soon as possible can help ensure you don’t miss any critical deadlines and allow them to begin working on your case sooner rather than later. And when you work with The Barry Law Firm, there’s no financial risk. California’s Lemon Law requires the manufacturer to pay the consumer’s legal fees in a successful claim, and we never charge our clients – no matter the outcome of the case.

Contact The Barry Law Firm today for a FAST & FREE consultation with an experienced Lemon Law attorney to learn more about the timelines for exercising your rights under the Lemon Law.