Shasta County Lemon Law Attorneys

Experienced Lemon Lawyers in Shasta County Help Vehicle Owners Obtain Compensation

Shasta County is one of California’s original counties, with a history as old as the state itself. The breathtaking presence of Mt. Shasta and the county’s vast acres of forest make Shasta County a popular place to live and visit. 

Today, Redding, Burney, Anderson, and other Shasta County locales are home to over 180,000 Californians. About one-third of Shasta County households have one or more children, and more than three-quarters are working households. 

Whether you’re raising a family in Shasta County, living on your own, or simply coming for work, you need a reliable vehicle. If you recently bought or leased a vehicle only to face ongoing issues with it, talk to an experienced Redding-area lemon lawyer today. The team at Wirtz Law APC is here to help. 

California Lemon Vehicle Statistics

In 2022, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) registered 107,792 automobiles in Shasta County. The DMV also registered 51,424 trucks, over 48,000 trailers, and over 7,500 motorcycles. 

These numbers included both new and renewed registrations. They also include both reliable vehicles and lemon vehicles. 

How many lemon vehicles are on California roads? Available data can help answer that question. 

In its Auto Lemon Index, the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) found that between 2018 and 2021, the California DMV received about 7.6 million registrations for new vehicles throughout the state. In the same time frame, vehicle owners filed 34,397 lawsuits under California lemon law in state courts. Put another way, about 0.45 percent of all new vehicle registrations became the subject of a lemon law court case.

Most lemon vehicles don’t wind up in court. Instead, the cases are settled between the automaker and the vehicle’s owner. The Auto Lemon Index doesn’t track out-of-court settlements.

Second, California may have many drivers who have a lemon law claim yet aren’t seeking compensation. The Auto Lemon Index estimates that about 6.3 million vehicles on California roads in 2021 had at least one major unrepaired defect – yet only 10,707 lawsuits were filed that year. 

Types of Defects Covered by Lemon Law

Nearly any vehicle defect can become the subject of a lemon law case. The Auto Lemon Index lists defective parts that became the subject of lemon lawsuits in 2021. They include:

• Air conditioning and heating systems
• All-wheel drive
• Backup cameras
• Batteries
• Brake parts and systems, including emergency brakes
• Fuel system parts, including filters and injector
• Lane change assist systems
• Power steering systems
• Odometers
• Seat belts
• Sensors in multiple systems, including collision, tire pressure, and engine functions

Other issues also came up in lemon lawsuits – and many more were covered by vehicle recalls issued in 2021 and earlier years. 

When your car has an issue, the first step is to take it to a dealership for repair. If the dealership cannot repair the problem after multiple attempts or an extended period of time, however, it may be time to consider pursuing compensation under the lemon law. 

Basics of California Lemon Law

California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act protects consumers in the state. Its provisions regarding vehicles are better known as the state’s “lemon law.” California’s lemon law is one of the strongest in the US when it comes to protecting vehicle owners’ rights. 

California lemon law applies to vehicles that are:

• Bought or leased “at retail” in California (unless you are in the military). Most at-retail purchases are made at dealerships, though some are made straight from the manufacturer. 
• Still under the original manufacturer’s warranty or a certified pre-owned (CPO) warranty. 
• Repaired in California.

A vehicle becomes a “lemon” when it has a problem that “substantially impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle to the consumer,” and the issue arises under normal vehicle use. 

Vehicle owners must give the automaker a “reasonable number of repair attempts,” in which the automaker can try to fix the problem. What counts as a “reasonable” number varies, depending on the severity of the problem. However, the more tries your dealership has taken without success, or the longer your vehicle has been in the shop, the more likely it is that a court will consider the “reasonable repair attempt” to have been made. 

Small Business Protections

California lemon law protects those who buy or lease vehicles for personal, family, and household use. It also protects certain small businesses. If the business has five or fewer vehicles total and if the lemon vehicle’s curb weight is under 10,000 pounds, the small business may bring a case under lemon law. This is good news for the many small businesses that support communities in Redding and throughout Shasta County.

If you are not sure your small business meets the lemon law requirements, consult with an attorney about your case. The lemon law is complicated.  You may also have other avenues of protection available. 

Protections for Servicemembers

For most vehicle owners, California lemon law applies only to vehicles purchased in California. If you are an active-duty military servicemember stationed in California, however, you may be able to bring a claim even if you bought your vehicle in another state. 

The purpose of servicemember protection is to allow active-duty members of the armed forces to protect themselves through a lemon law claim. At the same time, they’re stationed in California, even if they bought their vehicle before entering the state. 

Should I Go to Arbitration?

Many automakers attempt to include arbitration clauses in their vehicle agreements. Arbitration is an alternative to court. In arbitration, an arbitrator hears both sides of the case, then makes a decision. 

Statistically, arbitration produces worse outcomes for vehicle owners than lemon law claims. An experienced lemon law attorney can tell you whether arbitration is an appropriate option in your case. Your lawyer will work to build a strong case on your behalf. 

Speak to an experienced lemon law attorney to learn more about how lemon law applies in your situation. You may have other legal options even if lemon law is not available to you. 

Compensation in a Shasta County Lemon Law Case

California’s lemon law also specifies the compensation that an automaker must pay a vehicle owner for a lemon vehicle. This compensation covers not only the vehicle but also costs related to the vehicle’s problems. It even provides payment for attorney’s fees, which can make it easier for families to hire the best and most experienced attorney to fight for them. 

Many Californians are familiar with the state’s “refund or replacement” requirement. The automaker must refund the purchase price or supply a replacement vehicle if the vehicle is a lemon. The vehicle owner can choose whether they want a refund or replacement.  The manufacturer does not get to make that decision for you.

In addition, lemon law also provides compensation for “incidental and consequential damages.” These are costs you may have paid out of pocket due to issues with your vehicle. For example, if you’ve racked up hundreds of dollars in towing bills or had to pay for daily rideshare rides to work, you may recover these costs in a lemon law claim. 

Finally, lemon law requires the automaker to pay the reasonable attorney’s fees, litigation costs, and expenses of a vehicle owner who wins a lemon law claim. 

The attorney’s fees provision is essential for vehicle owners who seek full and fair compensation. Automakers have in-house attorneys who specialize in fighting lemon law claims and hire armies of private attorneys to bolster their defense. They use tactics like delay, denial, misdirection, and even arbitration to avoid fully compensating vehicle owners for their damages when they can. Having the best experienced lemon law attorney on your side helps level the playing field – and increases your chances of receiving the maximum compensation you are owed. 

Many lemon law attorneys also work “on contingency,” which means they do not get paid if they don’t recover compensation for their clients. A contingency agreement can help make the costs of hiring a dedicated lawyer manageable for your family or small business. 

Don’t let your household budget deter you from speaking to a lawyer. An experienced Redding lemon lawyer can advise you on the strength of your case – and if you win, the automaker covers the cost of your attorney’s services. 

Talk to an Experienced Shasta County Lemon Lawyer Today

Shasta County residents who buy or lease a new vehicle expect their car to be reliable. Many people are willing to pay extra for new or certified pre-owned vehicles in exchange for the reassurance that the vehicle will run reliably and receive prompt attention for issues. 

Lemon vehicles dash these expectations. When they do, they upend your life. Instead of having a reliable vehicle, you have a constant source of stress, uncertainty, and frustration. You may rack up towing costs, scramble to find alternate transportation or risk missing classes or losing your job because your car can’t be trusted to transport you safely.

If this sounds family, you’re not alone. Talk to the experienced Shasta County lemon law attorneys at Wirtz Law APC today. Contact us online or by phone to schedule a free, no obligation, confidential case evaluation.