What Is California’s Right to Repair Act?
You’ve been back to the dealership three times for the same problem. They keep saying it’s “fixed.” It never is. At some point you start asking: doesn’t the manufacturer have to actually repair my car? That’s exactly what California’s right to repair act addresses — and it’s one of the most misunderstood standards in lemon […]
Recalled Vehicles and California Lemon Law: Does Your Recall Qualify for a Buyback?
You got the notice in the mail. Your vehicle has been recalled. The manufacturer acknowledges there’s a defect, they put it in writing and sent it to your home address. So why is the dealership acting like everything is fine? A recall doesn’t automatically hand you a lemon law case. But it can be one […]
Manufacturer Repair Delays: When Can You File a Lemon Law Claim in California?
Your car has been sitting at the dealership for weeks. Every time you call, you get a version of the same answer: “We’re still waiting on the part.” “The technician hasn’t looked at it yet.” “We’ll have an update for you soon.” At some point, “soon” stops being an answer and starts being a problem. […]
Why Manufacturers Prefer a Lemon Law Buyback: Getting Your Settlement Quietly
You bought a car. It broke. It came back from the shop and broke again. Now you’re stuck in a loop, repair appointment after repair appointment, while your manufacturer plays dumb. Here’s something they don’t want you to know: they want this resolved quietly, too. A lemon law buyback, where the manufacturer repurchases your defective […]
Should You Accept the Manufacturer’s First Lemon Law Offer?
The manufacturer sends you a check. It looks like a lot of money. And after months of dealership runaround, part of you just wants this to be over. That feeling is exactly what they’re counting on. Here’s the truth: in most California lemon law cases, the first lemon law offer is not the right offer. […]
What Counts as a Lemon Law “Buyback” in California?
The word “buyback” gets used loosely in the car industry, and that looseness costs California consumers money. A manufacturer might offer to “take the car back” or settle your complaint with a check, and frame the whole thing as doing you a favor. But there is a meaningful legal difference between a manufacturer voluntarily offering […]
Is the 3-Day Cancellation Rule the Same as Lemon Law?
One of the most common calls a California lemon law attorney receives goes something like this: “I bought a used car two weeks ago, and the transmission is slipping. Can I just return it under that new three-day rule?” The short answer is no, and by the time most people are asking that question, the […]
How the CARS Act Affects Lemon Law and Vehicle Returns in 2026
California enters October 2026 with a new consumer protection law on the books that is already generating confusion among car buyers: the California Combating Auto Retail Scams Act, better known as the CARS Act. Signed by Governor Newsom on October 6, 2025, and operative as of October 1, 2026, the CARS Act brings sweeping changes […]
Used Car Lemon Law After Rodriguez v. FCA: What Changed?
If you bought a used car in California assuming lemon law had your back, the legal landscape shifted significantly on October 31, 2024. That is when the California Supreme Court issued its unanimous decision in Rodriguez v. FCA US, LLC, a ruling that overturned decades of broader consumer protections and fundamentally changed what used-car buyers […]
Why California Lemon Law Rules Changed in 2026 (And Who They Help)
California has some of the strongest consumer protection laws in the country, and its lemon law has long been a model for holding manufacturers accountable for defective vehicles. But in 2024 and 2025, the state made sweeping changes to how lemon law claims are handled: changes that are now fully shaping how disputes are resolved […]