Four Tips to Help Get You a Buyback of Your Lemon

Four Tips to Help Get You a Buyback of Your Lemon

Under California’s Lemon Law (Song-Beverly Act), the car manufacturer has to repurchase (or buyback) your car after a reasonable number of repair attempts. (Civil Code section 1793.2(d)). The car must be taken to an authorized repair facility. This normally means that you should take the car to a dealership and have that dealership’s technicians work on the car. Below are four tips to help you get the manufacturer to repurchase your car.

1. Take The Car In Every Time You Have A Problem

After going through the same problem over and over without getting the problem fixed is frustrating. However, if the same problem happens again, the car should be brought back to the dealership immediately. The more frequent trips to the dealership will help show that there is a defect with the vehicle that cannot be fixed because it is a lemon. Dealerships and car manufacturers do not always communicate so it is important to have a written record of each and every time the car is brought to the dealership for a repair under the warranty. Along these lines, the car should be brought to the dealership for the required service dates even when there is not a problem with the car that needs to be repaired.

2. Take Pictures or Videos of the Problem

Just like you are frustrated with the fact that a dealership cannot fix your car with the same problem, the technicians get frustrated when they can’t fix the problem. Unfortunately, that means they will sometimes say that the problem “could not be duplicated” and claim that there is nothing wrong with the car. This practice makes it important to document the problem before the car goes back to the dealership for the same problem. The easiest way to do that is to take pictures of the warning lights on the dashboard or take a video that shows the problem. That is evidence that shows that there is still a problem that has not been fixed.

3. Read The Work Order/Repair Estimates That The Dealership Gives To You Before The Dealer Works on Your Car

It is very important to make sure that the service advisor includes all complaints on the work order or repair estimate. If you have brought the car in for the same problem before and it is one of the issues raised in your visit, make sure that is included in the work order. Otherwise, the manufacturer might claim that the car was not brought back for the same defect. Dealerships will sometimes look at a problem on a “goodwill” basis and try to fix it. You want the dealership to document the problem so it is clear that you have a lemon.

4. Get All Repair Orders From the Dealership After Work is Performed

Under California law, you must receive a copy of every repair order that shows the work performed on your car. (California Code of Regulations section 3356). These repair orders are critical when requesting a manufacturer to repurchase your car. They show that the car was worked on for the same problem but it could never be fixed. It is important to keep these records since each repair attempt matters and could make the difference in the manufacturer’s decision to repurchase your car or reject your request for a repurchase.

If you have leased or own a vehicle that is still under the manufacturer’s warranty and has had a number of repair attempts by the dealer but the problem still exists, you need a Pasadena Lemon Lawyer to help you. Don’t let the manufacturer take advantage of you and allow you to continue to drive the defective and unsafe vehicle you are driving.

Mark Charles Law, APC is located in Los Angeles County and Pasadena. Call us at (626) 844-7710 or contact us online to speak with a California lemon law lawyer today.