Pasadena Lemon Law Attorneys

Located just eleven miles outside downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena, California is the San Gabriel Valley’s most populous city and a major cultural center. Pasadena is California’s 44th largest city and the ninth largest in Los Angeles County – but its location makes it a major hub for business, a haven for its residents, and a popular source of entertainment, culture, and the arts.

Pasadena’s 140,000 residents rely heavily on their vehicles for travel in and around their home city. Every day, thousands more people drive to Pasadena for work, school, and leisure. Vehicles also travel through the Pasadena area as part of a commute, to deliver goods, and for other reasons – including the annual Rose Bowl tournament and its nationally-viewed counterpart, the Tournament of Roses Parade.

Every one of these drivers shares a common interest: They want and need their vehicles to be safe and reliable. If you’ve purchased a car that has persistent problems, speak to an experienced Pasadena lemon lawyer. You may have legal rights that can protect you. 

Pasadena Lemon Law Statistics

Los Angeles County leads the state of California in the number of vehicles registered, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). In 2021, Los Angeles County recorded over 7.9 million total vehicle registrations, including registrations for nearly 6.4 million passenger vehicles. Registrations for large trucks, trailers, and motorcycles rounded out the list. 

These numbers include both personal and business vehicles. They also include both new registrations and renewed registrations. 

Between 2018 and 2021, about 7.6 million new vehicle registrations were recorded in the state of California, according to the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG). About 34,397 of these new registrations later appeared in lemon law claims filed in the state’s courts. 

Many lemon law claims never go to court. Instead, they’re settled between a vehicle owner and the automaker. The help of an experienced California lemon law attorney can increase the chances of a vehicle owner receiving all the compensation they are due under California lemon law. 

Is My Vehicle Covered by California’s Lemon Law?

California lemon law doesn’t cover all vehicles. In order to be covered by the state’s lemon law:

• Your vehicle must be purchased at retail. Private sales don’t qualify for lemon law protection. Purchases made from a dealership or directly from the manufacturer typically do fall under the lemon law.
• The problems must arise during an original manufacturer’s warranty or certified pre-owned (CPO) warranty. To be covered under the lemon law, your vehicle’s defects must arise during a current manufacturer or CPO warranty. An extended warranty, also known as an extended service contract, is not enough to trigger the lemon law. 
• The problem must be related to the ordinary use of the vehicle. If the problem arises during ordinary or expected vehicle use, it is likely covered under the lemon law. Problems caused by unreasonable or unauthorized use, however, aren’t covered.
• Your vehicle must be used primarily for family, household, or personal tasks, or it must fall under the state’s business exception for lemon vehicles. California lemon law applies to personal vehicles. It also applies to business vehicles, but only in certain circumstances.

A business’s vehicles may be covered by California lemon law if the business has five or fewer vehicles total, including the suspected lemon. In addition, the suspected lemon vehicle must have a gross vehicle weight (GVW) under 10,000 pounds. Gross vehicle weight is the weight of the vehicle when empty. It is also known as the “curb weight.” It’s often lower than the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which measures the total weight the frame can carry when the vehicle is fully loaded.

If your vehicle doesn’t meet these criteria, California lemon law may not apply. Other legal remedies may still be available, however. An experienced lemon lawyer can help you determine which legal options are available to you or your business. 

Determining if a Vehicle is Covered Under CA Lemon Law

Before you are entitled to a repurchase or replacement, you must permit the automaker a reasonable number of attempts to repair your vehicle to be without defects.  But how many attempts are “reasonable”? In California, the courts have held that as few as two attempts may be enough.  If you have presented your vehicle at least twice for defects that substantially impair your use, value, or safety of your vehicle, you may have a lemon.

An experienced Pasadena lemon law attorney can help you prepare a claim and present evidence that the law does apply to your leased or purchased EV, SUV, hybrid, car, or pickup truck.

Compensation in California Lemon Law Claims

Many California residents are familiar with the “refund or replacement” requirement of California’s lemon law. This requirement states that if a vehicle owner has a lemon vehicle, the automaker must compensate the vehicle owner either by providing a “substantially similar” replacement vehicle or a refund of the purchase price – whichever the vehicle owner chooses.

Often, a refund or replacement is the most prominent part of a lemon law claim settlement or verdict. After all, getting a vehicle you can rely on is often the primary goal of a lemon law claim. Yet a refund or replacement is not the only form of compensation available in a California lemon law case.

California lemon law also allows vehicle owners to recover “incidental and consequential damages” from automakers responsible for selling a lemon. These damages compensate you for losses you wouldn’t have if you had a reliable vehicle. For instance, if you’ve racked up thousands in towing fees because of repeated vehicle breakdowns, you can submit evidence of these as incidental and consequential damages. 

California lemon law also allows vehicle owners to seek attorney’s fees and costs from the automaker. If you win your case, the automaker is responsible for paying your Pasadena lemon law attorney. You won’t have to pay your lawyer out of pocket – the automaker will do that instead.

Additionally, you may also be able to get paid civil penalties if you prove the automaker willfully failed to buy back or replace your vehicle that had qualified as a lemon. This civil penalty is additional damages that can be as much as two times your actual damages.

What if you can’t succeed at your claim? Many California lemon lawyers work on “contingency.” This means that if they can’t help you win your case against an automaker, you won’t have to pay attorney’s fees. When you speak to a lemon law attorney, ask them how they handle fees and costs.  

Choosing a Pasadena Lemon Law Attorney

Having an experienced lawyer on your side during a lemon law claim offers several benefits.

• Automakers have attorneys in-house. Automakers often have entire legal departments, staffed with attorneys who specialize in fighting lemon law claims. They also use armies of private big law firms to handle litigation, trials, and arbitrations.  Hiring an experienced attorney of your own helps level the playing field, increasing your chances of receiving the full compensation you’re entitled to under lemon law.
• You’ll receive legal advice tailored to your situation. Information about lemon law claims that you find online or learn from friends may help you understand lemon law claims, but it won’t be tailored to your specific situation or needs. It could also be wrong.  A lemon lawyer will ensure that they address the specific facts and details of your unique case. 
• You can receive guidance even if you don’t have a lemon law claim. You may suspect that lemon law doesn’t apply to your vehicle or you may not be sure you should bring a lemon law claim. By speaking to a lawyer, you’ll gain important clarity. You’ll also learn which legal options you have if a lemon law case isn’t on the table for you. 

A safe and reliable vehicle is a must for anyone living, working, or visiting the Pasadena area. If your newly purchased or leased vehicle is posing problems, talk to an experienced Pasadena lemon law attorney today. 

Contact Wirtz Law APC Today to Discuss the Next Steps For Filing a Pasadena Lemon Law Claim

The team at Wirtz Law APC can help you understand your legal rights and choose your course of action. Contact us today to schedule a free, confidential consultation with one of our licensed attorneys who are experts in lemon law.

If you are fed up, have had enough, and think your car is a lemon, call us at (858) 259-5009 for a free evaluation. If your vehicle is determined as a lemon, we will take your case at no charge on a contingency fee basis. At Wirtz Law APC, our Pasadena Lemon Law attorneys have a success rate of more than 97 percent and have recovered more than $50 million for our clients.

Wirtz Law APC provides one of the best Pasadena Lemon Law attorney services in Southern California, including other parts of Riverside County such as Murrieta, Moreno Valley, Corona, Palm Springs, and Palm Desert. We also provide services for Northern California, Central California, and Eastern California lemon law claims. To learn more and to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Pasadena Lemon Law attorney at Wirtz Law APC, you can reach us through our secure online contact form.