Do you own or lease a Fiat with substantial warranty-covered defects that you have been unable to get repaired despite giving the manufacturer multiple attempts? If you do, a Fiat Lemon Law attorney from The Barry Law Firm may be able to help you seek restitution of the money you have sunk into your faulty car through a California Lemon Law buyback.
The California Lemon Law provides a variety of consumer protections. Most importantly, it allows Fiat owners and lessees to demand that the manufacturer buy back a defective vehicle and pay other costs associated with buying or leasing a lemon.
The legendary Italian automobile manufacturer Fiat is now a subsidiary of Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) through its Italian division, Stellantis Europe. Stellantis has recently reduced the number of Fiat models sold in the U.S. to only the Fiat 500e, a compact electric vehicle. Fiat also introduced the 500e Giorgio Armani Collector’s Edition, promoted as designed in collaboration with the renowned fashion house. Fiat models discontinued in the last few years include a two-seat sports car and a subcompact SUV.
If your Fiat has defects covered by the manufacturer’s warranty that have proven unrepairable after the manufacturer’s reasonable number of attempts, you should contact a Fiat Lemon Law attorney at The Barry Law Firm in Los Angeles. Our firm focuses its practice solely on Lemon Law claims and has been securing fair compensation in Lemon Law buybacks for clients across California since 2010. We have a track record of positive results, and we never charge a fee to pursue California Lemon Law claims. Call or reach out online for a free consultation today!
Is Your Fiat a Lemon?
The California Lemon Law says a motor vehicle is a lemon if it has a substantial defect covered by the manufacturer’s original warranty that is unresolved after a reasonable number of repair attempts by the manufacturer (typically through an authorized local dealership or service center).
The Lemon Law applies to warranty-covered defects that substantially impair at least one of the following:
- Safety – These defects put the vehicle’s driver or passengers in serious danger of injury or death.
- Use – A vehicle may be a lemon if a defect hinders its function as reliable transportation.
- Value – A defect that reduces the vehicle’s overall resale value may qualify it as a lemon.
If the manufacturer’s warranty issued for your Fiat has expired, you are still covered if you initially attempted to have the car repaired while the warranty period was active.
The law also requires that you allow the manufacturer a reasonable number of attempts to repair your vehicle’s problems without success before it will be considered a lemon. The number of repairs that are considered reasonable under the California Lemon Law will vary from case to case:
- If the defect poses a significant danger, two or more attempts to fix the problem may be allowed.
- For less severe problems, the manufacturer may be entitled to more than two attempts.
- Your vehicle may automatically qualify as a lemon in certain circumstances if it is out of service for an inordinate amount of time.
In most cases, the consumer must have purchased or leased their defective Fiat in California to seek a Lemon Law buyback under the state’s law. But members of the U.S. armed services who are stationed or residing in California enjoy the consumer protections of the California Lemon Law regardless of where they bought or leased their faulty vehicle.
What Is a Fiat Lemon Law Buyback?
California’s Lemon Law allows a consumer to ask the court to order the manufacturer to repurchase a Fiat vehicle that is a lemon for its full price plus additional costs and losses. A Lemon Law buyback of your faulty Fiat may include a refund of your:
- Purchase or lease price, including the down payment, monthly loan or lease payments already made, and any remaining balance of the car loan
- Collateral charges, which are payments for sales or use taxes, license and registration fees, and other official costs and fees
- Incidental costs, such as costs of repairs, towing, and rental cars or other alternative transportation while your Fiat was under repair
- All legal fees, including attorneys’ fees and costs
California’s Lemon Law specifically states that vehicle manufacturers must pay the car owner’s attorneys’ fees and costs after a successful claim. That’s why you’ll never be billed for legal services provided by your Fiat Lemon Law attorney from The Barry Law Firm, no matter the outcome.
Under California law, a manufacturer is allowed to withhold a “usage fee” or “mileage offset” from the amount they reimburse a consumer for a lemon car’s purchase or lease price. The amount is based on the miles driven before the first attempt to fix the initial problem that led to the Lemon Law claim.
Contact an attorney to find out what your Fiat Lemon Law claim may be worth.
What Fiat Models Could Be Lemons?
The current model of Fiat sold in the U.S. is the electric Fiat 500e. A special luxe version of that vehicle is known as the Fiat 500e Giorgio Armani Collector’s Edition.
Discontinued Fiat models that might still qualify as lemons include:
- Fiat 124, a two-seat sports car
- Fiat 500, a gasoline-powered compact
- Fiat 500L, a small hatchback sedan
- Fiat 500X, a subcompact SUV
What Types of Defects Could Warrant a Fiat Lemon Law Claim?
Any unresolved issue covered by the manufacturer’s original warranty that impairs your Fiat’s safety, use, or value could lead to a Lemon Law claim. Typical defects our Fiat Lemon Law attorneys work with to obtain California Lemon Law buybacks include:
- Engine problems, including stalling, rough idling, poor performance, overheating, and excessive oil consumption
- Transmission problems, including slipping gears, rough shifting between gears, slow shifting, or failing to shift smoothly
- Battery issues, including inconsistent and slow charging times, rapid draining, reduced range, inability to start (particularly in cold weather), and charging port malfunctions
- Airbags deploying with too much force in minor collisions or failing to deploy
- Brake system issues, including soft brake pedals, frequent squealing, and premature wear
- Steering system vibrations and loose steering
- Suspension noises, such as clunking or rattling
- Various infotainment system failures
- Body panel misalignment, leading to leaks around windows and doors
- Excessive paint chipping and peeling
How Do You Prove Your Fiat Is a Lemon?
Proving that a Fiat is a lemon under California’s Lemon Law requires demonstrating that:
- The vehicle has a defect that substantially impairs its safety, usability, or resale value.
- The vehicle’s defect is covered by the manufacturer’s original written warranty as issued at the time of purchase or lease.
- The defect has not been resolved, despite giving the manufacturer a reasonable number of attempts to repair it.
A successful Lemon Law claim requires documentation of the car’s defects, your repeated attempts to obtain repairs, and your costs. To prepare for a claim, you’ll need to gather records such as these:
- Vehicle purchase or lease agreement
- Loan or financing contract
- Vehicle registration
- Fiat original warranty
- Repair orders
- Receipts, bank statements, and credit card records of collateral and incidental costs
- Correspondence with the authorized dealership, service center, or manufacturer
- Any other records available to document your vehicle’s defects and your multiple repair attempts
Even with this documentation, it takes work and skills to compile it all into a compelling Lemon Law case. Your experienced Lemon Law lawyer can help you obtain the needed documentation and assemble it to establish your Fiat’s defects and your losses.
What Should You Do If Your Fiat Is a Lemon?
If you think your Fiat’s defects make it a lemon under the California Lemon Law, you should consider seeking a buyback. Instead of continuing to butt heads with Fiat, contact The Barry Law Firm for help from a knowledgeable Fiat Lemon Law buyback attorney.
There are multiple steps required when seeking a Lemon Law buyback. A Fiat Lemon Law attorney from our firm can guide you through the complicated process, help you fully document your claim, and press Fiat to provide full restitution to you.
The Barry Law Firm will negotiate aggressively with Fiat to make things right for you. Often, we can negotiate a proper settlement, before even going to trial. But if it is necessary, we will be prepared to take a solid case to court for you.
Talk to a Fiat Lemon Law Attorney at The Barry Law Firm
Speak to a Fiat Lemon Law attorney from The Barry Law Firm about handling your Lemon Law buyback claim against Fiat at no charge to you! We don’t charge our clients because when a consumer wins a Lemon Law claim in California, the manufacturer is required to pay their attorneys’ fees.
Thousands of California consumers who had the bad luck of buying or leasing a lemon are happy they asked us to help them seek a Lemon Law buyback and full restitution of their costs. We can work to make things better for you, too. Contact The Barry Law Firm in Los Angeles, CA, at 877-LEMON-03 or reach out online today for your FAST and FREE case evaluation.
