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Last Modified
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Jul 31, 2026
People go to car dealerships to purchase vehicles because they expect these professionals to sell them quality cars that run reliably. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. If you ended up purchasing a car with persistent defects that impact its use, safety, or value, you might be wondering, “Can you sue a dealership for selling you a lemon in California?”
Lemon Law Pro can provide the answer to this and any other question you have about your case.
When Can You Take Legal Action Against a Car Dealership?
If you purchased a new car from a dealership and it has a serious defect that can’t be repaired, California’s lemon laws should apply to your situation. They’re codified in the Song-Beverly Act, Civ. Code 1793.2. Under these laws, if you buy a new vehicle in California that is under a manufacturer’s warranty, the manufacturer may have to buy it back or replace it if it cannot repair a problem that:
- Is covered by the warranty.
- Substantially impairs the car’s use, value, or safety.
- Did not occur due to unauthorized or unreasonable use.
The manufacturer must be given a reasonable number of repair attempts before you can file a claim under the Song-Beverly Act. That number varies with the situation. You can file a claim if:
- Four or more repair attempts have been made to fix the same problem, and it’s still not fixed.
- Two or more repair attempts have been made to fix the same serious problem that is significant enough to cause death or serious injury, and it’s still not fixed.
- Your vehicle has been out of service for repairs for over 30 days. They do not need to be consecutive.
If any of these situations apply, the dealership or manufacturer must replace your vehicle or refund your money. If they don’t, you may need to file a civil claim with the help of a California lemon lawyer.
How Many Lemons Are Sold in California?
If you’ve got a lemon law case, you’re not alone. There were over 22,000 cases filed in 2023. In Los Angeles County, nearly 10% of all civil filings were for lemons as of 2025.
Recent Changes in California’s Lemon Laws
To reduce the number of lemon law claims filed in the Golden State, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1755 into law on September 29, 2024. The bill mandates arbitration prior to filing a claim. Manufacturers must opt into this system. Otherwise, they remain beholden to the state’s existing lemon laws.
Just weeks after AB 1755 was signed into law, the California Supreme Court ruled that the state’s lemon law only applies to new cars, not to cars resold as used vehicles, even if they are still under warranty.
Hire a Lemon Law Attorney
If you’re dealing with a lemon vehicle, don’t waste time. Hire a lemon law attorney right away. The team at Lemon Law Pro deals only with lemon law cases, and we’ve handled many of them. We work closely with clients to provide them with exceptional representation at no cost. We handle every aspect of our clients’ claims, from start to finish. Let us do the same for yours. Contact us today to schedule an initial consultation.
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