California Lemon Law Eligibility Calculator
Use this calculator to assess whether your vehicle's issues might qualify under the California Lemon Law (Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act). This tool helps you understand the common criteria for eligibility based on repair attempts, time out of service, and warranty coverage.
Non-safety related (e.g., transmission, engine noise)
Safety-related (e.g., brakes, steering, airbags)
Understanding California Lemon Law
The California Lemon Law, officially known as the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, protects consumers who purchase or lease new or used vehicles that turn out to be "lemons." A vehicle is considered a lemon if it has a substantial defect or nonconformity that the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts, and the defect significantly impairs the vehicle's use, value, or safety.
Key Criteria for a Lemon Law Claim:
- Substantial Impairment: The defect must significantly affect the vehicle's use, value, or safety. Minor issues like a squeaky dashboard typically don't qualify.
- Reasonable Repair Attempts: The manufacturer (or its authorized dealer) must be given a "reasonable" opportunity to fix the problem. While there's no strict number, the law provides guidelines:
- Two or more repair attempts for a serious safety defect (e.g., issues with brakes, steering, or airbags).
- Four or more repair attempts for other non-safety defects (e.g., transmission problems, engine issues, persistent electrical glitches).
- The vehicle has been out of service for repairs for a cumulative total of more than 30 calendar days (not necessarily consecutive) for any combination of defects.
- Warranty Coverage: The defect must have occurred and been reported to the manufacturer or dealer while the vehicle was still under the manufacturer's original new vehicle warranty. This includes both time and mileage limits of the warranty.
- Presumption: The law includes a "presumption" that a vehicle is a lemon if certain conditions are met within 18 months of delivery or 18,000 miles on the odometer, whichever comes first. Meeting these presumption criteria can strengthen a consumer's case, but a vehicle can still qualify as a lemon even if it falls outside this specific timeframe, as long as the defect arose during the original warranty period.
What Happens if Your Car is a Lemon?
If your vehicle is determined to be a lemon, you are generally entitled to one of two remedies:
- Repurchase: The manufacturer buys back the vehicle, refunding the purchase price (minus a mileage offset for the use of the vehicle before the first repair attempt for the defect) and reimbursing incidental expenses like registration fees, sales tax, and rental car costs.
- Replacement: The manufacturer replaces your vehicle with a substantially similar new vehicle. You would still be responsible for a mileage offset.
Many cases are also resolved through cash settlements where the consumer keeps the vehicle but receives compensation for its diminished value and inconvenience.
Important Disclaimer:
This calculator provides an estimate of eligibility based on common California Lemon Law criteria and your inputs. It is not legal advice. Lemon Law cases can be complex, and many factors not covered by this calculator may influence the outcome. We strongly recommend consulting with a qualified California Lemon Law attorney to discuss your specific situation and understand your rights.
Input Errors:
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Input Errors:
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Eligibility Assessment:
"; var isLikelyEligible = false; var reasons = []; var nonEligibilityReasons = []; // Calculate months and miles at first report relative to purchase var msPerDay = 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24; var daysElapsed = (firstReportDate.getTime() – purchaseDate.getTime()) / msPerDay; var monthsElapsed = daysElapsed / 30.4375; // Average days in a month var milesAtFirstReportSincePurchase = firstReportOdometer – purchaseOdometer; // Warranty Eligibility Check var isWithinWarrantyByTime = monthsElapsed <= manufacturerWarrantyMonths; var isWithinWarrantyByMileage = firstReportOdometer = requiredAttempts; if (!meetsRepairAttemptThreshold) { nonEligibilityReasons.push("Not enough repair attempts for the reported defect. (" + repairAttempts + " attempts vs. " + requiredAttempts + " required for " + defectNature + " defect)."); } else { reasons.push("Sufficient repair attempts (" + repairAttempts + ") for the reported " + defectNature + " defect."); } // Out of Service Threshold Check var meetsOutOfServiceThreshold = outOfServiceDays >= 30; if (!meetsOutOfServiceThreshold) { nonEligibilityReasons.push("Vehicle was not out of service for a sufficient number of days (" + outOfServiceDays + " days vs. 30 required)."); } else { reasons.push("Vehicle was out of service for a sufficient number of days (" + outOfServiceDays + " days)."); } // Overall Eligibility isLikelyEligible = warrantyCheckPassed && (meetsRepairAttemptThreshold || meetsOutOfServiceThreshold); // Presumption Check (for stronger case) var isWithinPresumptionPeriod = (monthsElapsed <= 18) || (milesAtFirstReportSincePurchase <= 18000); var meetsPresumptionCriteria = isWithinPresumptionPeriod && (meetsRepairAttemptThreshold || meetsOutOfServiceThreshold); if (isLikelyEligible) { resultHTML += "✅ Likely Eligible: Based on your inputs, your vehicle appears to meet the criteria for a California Lemon Law claim."; if (meetsPresumptionCriteria) { resultHTML += "✅ Your case also meets the 'Lemon Law Presumption' criteria, which can strengthen your claim."; } else if (isWithinPresumptionPeriod) { resultHTML += "❌ While your defect was reported within the 18 months/18,000 miles presumption period, it did not meet the repair attempt or out-of-service day thresholds for the presumption to apply. However, it may still qualify under general Lemon Law criteria."; } else { resultHTML += "❌ Your case does not meet the 'Lemon Law Presumption' criteria (defect reported outside 18 months/18,000 miles), but it may still qualify under general Lemon Law criteria."; } resultHTML += "Reasons for Eligibility:- ";
for (var i = 0; i < reasons.length; i++) {
resultHTML += "
- " + reasons[i] + " "; } resultHTML += "
- ";
for (var i = 0; i < nonEligibilityReasons.length; i++) {
resultHTML += "
- " + nonEligibilityReasons[i] + " "; } resultHTML += "