Does the California Lemon Law Apply to Business Vehicles in LA?

California lemon law covers business vehicles purchased or leased by either LA residents or Los Angeles businesses. 

The lemon law may apply to a Los Angeles business vehicle if: 

• The vehicle has a gross vehicle weight (total weight when empty) under 10,000 pounds, and
• The business only owns up to five vehicles in total. 

Many small businesses, such as landscaping companies and some delivery services, may meet these criteria. To qualify for compensation, a business covered by lemon law must also meet all lemon law requirements. For example: 

• The vehicle must be covered by the manufacturer’s original warranty or CPO warranty; and
• The business must notify the manufacturer of the problem and give the manufacturer a “reasonable” number of attempts to fix it. A reasonable number of attempts may be as few as only two repair attempts.
• The defect or defects not being fixed must substantially impair the use, value, or safety of the vehicle.

Just as with personal vehicles, business vehicles that are no longer covered by an original or CPO warranty are not covered by the lemon law. Likewise, a business vehicle purchased and used from a private sale is not protected under the lemon law. 

A vehicle’s gross vehicle weight (GVW) is often lower than its gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). For example, a light-duty truck with a GVWR of 9,000 pounds may have a GVW of only 4,000 or 5,000 pounds. The GVWR represents the total safe weight of the truck when fully loaded. On the other hand, the GVW is the actual weight of the truck when it’s empty. GVW is also known as “base curb weight.” 

The California lemon law may apply if your business has a suspected lemon vehicle with a GVW of less than 10,000 pounds. Contact Wirtz Law APC today to speak with an experienced Los Angeles auto defect attorney to learn about the next steps.