Are you covered by the California lemon law?

If you're stuck with a bad news vehicle that you think would be covered by the California lemon law, then Lemon Helpers is an informational website that will help you solve your dilemma.

Lemon Helpers is operated by Macey & Aleman, one of the largest consumer protection law firms in the United States. They operate more than 25 offices across the country and are staffed with aggressive attorneys who devote their practice to fighting for the rights of consumers.

Find out more about the California lemon law

The California lemon law covers vehicles used primarily for personal, family, or household purposes. The California lemon law does not cover motorcycles, portions of motor homes used primarily for habitation, or off-road vehicles. The lemon law, however, does include the chassis, chassis cab and that portion of a motor home devoted to propulsion.

Under the state's lemon law it is presumed that a vehicle is a lemon if, within 18 months after delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever occurs first:

• At least two attempts have been made to repair a defect that may cause death or serious injury

• Four repair attempts have been made to repair a defect that substantially impairs the use, value or safety of the vehicle, or

• Your vehicle has been out of service for at least 30 calendar days.

You should also know that the California laws also have a fee shifting mechanism that provides that if you win your case, the manufacturer or dealer that sold you your lemon is required to pay your attorneys' fees.

If you think you have a lemon, make sure to follow these tips:

Don't panic. The most important thing you can do is to stay calm. You may not have a lemon on your hands, and in many cases, the dealer can correct the problem. If the problem shows up within the first few months after you purchase the vehicle, you have enough time to try to resolve it before filing a law suit.

Document your problem. If the dealer is unable to correct the problem, you'll have to start laying the groundwork for a possible claim. The most important thing to do is to keep good records of all of the dealer's attempts to repair your vehicle. If you happen to lose some of your documents, don't worry-most dealers keep all service records (known as the "warranty repair history") on their computers, so you can get them from your dealer if necessary.

Additionally, take notes on all conversations (both in-person and over the phone) you have with the dealer's service personnel, including dates, times, and what was said, and make sure that they put all promises they make to you in writing.

Another thing you can do is ask the dealer for any Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) applicable to your vehicle. These are alerts or instructions from the manufacturer to the dealership about how to repair defects in certain models. Ask the service personnel to write your TSB request on the repair order.

Remember, the manufacturer may try to string you along until the statutes time period expires; accordingly, seek help from your dealer at the first signs of a problem, but when the problem shows no signs of improving, take charge.

Think you have a lemon?

If you're considering taking on a giant automobile company in a lawsuit, you'll want to make sure that you have your own giant on your legal team. That's where we come in. For a FREE consultation with a lemon laws attorney, you can fill out our confidential form or call 866-536-6601.