Handling California Lemon Law Cases

More than 20 Years of Experience Serving Southern California

If you buy a new car, there should not be any problems. When you buy a used car, you expect the dealer to be straight with you about any potential problems. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. If you have questions about whether you purchased a lemon, call The Law Office of Robert Starr, APC to talk to a Los Angeles lemon law attorney about your case.

Is Your Car Covered?

Nothing is worse than seeing a check engine light flash on shortly after purchasing a car. If your car is covered under lemon laws, you are entitled to receive a cash settlement or have the manufacturer replace/repurchase the problem car, motorcycle, RV, or boat. Our firm can help you identify if you purchased a lemon and show you what to do next.

Here in California, lemon law covers:

• New cars under warranty
• Leased cars under warranty
• Certified preowned cars under warranty

How to Know if You Bought a Lemon

Not every car problem means you have a lemon on your hands. However, if you recently purchased a car that is still under warranty, you should not have to repeatedly take your car back to the dealer for repairs on the same problem.

Be on the lookout for warning signs, such as problems with:

• Airbags
• Steering and alignment
• Transmission, such as a sudden lack of acceleration, slipping, over-revving,
  or grinding and clunking noises
• Stalling or shutting off
• Headlights
• Brakes
• Electrical problems with the radio, locks, windows, or air conditioning
• Cosmetic issues such as defects in car molding
• Leaks

Under California Lemon Law, you must give a dealership a “reasonable” number of chances to repair a problem. This amount is not the same for every problem. You should reach out to us quickly if there is a problem that affects your immediate safety.

There are three possible remedies available to you in a lemon law claim:

• The manufacturer repurchases the car from you
• The manufacturer replaces your car
• You can receive a cash settlement, which may include a repair supervised
  by the manufacturer’s representative

Under California Lemon Law, the defense must pay all of your legal fees if you prevail. Attorney fees will not come out of your final settlement. Additionally, if we cannot recover compensation for you, we will not request payment of any legal fees.

Vehicle Fraud

If you bought a used car that is not covered by lemon law, you should still talk to an experienced lawyer like Robert Starr about your options. No matter what, dealers are required to inform you about the car’s problems and whether it was in any accidents. Some dealers hope you will handle any car problems on your own once you’ve left their lot. The good news is that your car trouble could make for a vehicle fraud lawsuit in which we could represent you.

What to Do Next

Our firm has helped thousands of car buyers who unknowingly purchased lemons, and we know what makes a successful lemon law claim in California.

Below are three of the most important things you can do to put yourself
in the best position for a successful outcome:

• Do not submit to arbitration: No matter what a dealer or manufacturer may tell you, you do not have
  to submit to third-party arbitration before taking legal action under
  state or federal lemon laws. They count on you not being aware of your
  legal rights and using the arbitration process to their advantage. Do
  not give them the upper hand.
• Keep good records of all your trips to the dealer: From the moment you purchase your vehicle through every phone call or
  trip to the dealer to have your car worked on, keep a record of everything
  in writing. Make sure the service representative working on your car writes
  out a full explanation of what they looked at and the work they did. Having
  clear records will benefit your lemon law claim because it will show the
  hoops you jumped through to have a working car.
• Hire an experienced lemon law attorney: You do not have to let dealers and manufacturers push you around. We
  know the law and we know what your rights are. We can stand up for you
  and guide you through the entire process to work towards a suitable settlement
  or fight for you in court, if that is what is necessary.

Why You Should Hire an Attorney

Attorney Robert Starr has been handling lemon law claims for more than 20 years. We know every argument and trick that manufacturers and dealers will use to try and limit their damages. Let us help you file a successful claim and get you the respect you deserve as a consumer.