The Lemon Law in Bakersfield and Attorneys You Can Trust
Bakersfield, California is surrounded by freeways, allowing residents and visitors to get to and from the city with ease. But when your car spends more time in the shop than on the road, those freeways aren’t much help. Thankfully, the Lemon Law in Bakersfield offers a solution to this kind of problem.
The law allows consumers who’ve purchased or leased a Lemon of a vehicle to seek compensation from the manufacturer. If you win your case, the manufacturer must accept the return of the vehicle. In exchange, the car company must provide you with your choice of a refund or a replacement vehicle.
When you win, the manufacturer is also responsible for your attorneys’ fees. This fee-shifting clause allows consumers to secure representation from experienced Lemon Law attorneys to take on their car company’s expensive legal team.
To make things even easier for consumers, we here at Krohn & Moss, Ltd. don’t get paid unless you do. Thus, you pay nothing upfront, and when you win, the manufacturer pays our fees, so you don’t have to! We’ve helped over 10,000 Californians secure compensation in their Lemon Law cases. Touch base with us today so we can do the same for you!
Schedule a FREE consultation with a skilled Bakersfield Lemon Law attorneys today to find out if your vehicle is a Lemon.
What Does the Lemon Law in Bakersfield, CA Cover?
The Lemon Law in Bakersfield is quite consumer-friendly compared to that of other areas. Officially known as the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, the California Lemon Law applies throughout the State. It covers a variety of vehicles, including cars, trucks, SUVs, and even the vehicle portions of RVs.
To be eligible for Lemon Law protections in Bakersfield, you must provide the auto manufacturer an opportunity to repair the warrantied defect. When a manufacturer fails to fix the defect after a reasonable number of attempts, you’ll likely have a winnable case and should take legal action.
Vehicle Requirements
Lemon Laws are designed to protect consumers against defective vehicles that a manufacturer sells. However, not all vehicles fall under these protections. Vehicles in Bakersfield must meet all of the following conditions before they can even be considered for compensation:
- The vehicle’s gross weight must be less than 10,000 lbs.
- The vehicle must be purchased or elapsed with California (exceptions for active military).
- The vehicle must not be owned by a business or an individual with more than 5 vehicles registered in CA.
If your vehicle meets these conditions, it should be eligible for protection under the law. However, it must also have a warrantied defect that the manufacturer fails to repair before you can seek compensation.
Requirements for Defects
To qualify as a Lemon, a vehicle must have a defect or defects that substantially impair its use, value, or safety. the defect must be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty to qualify. And, lastly, the defect must persist after you’ve given the manufacturer a reasonable opportunity to fix it.
Thus, cosmetic issues are not covered by the Lemon Law in Bakersfield. Likewise, any issues that arise from unauthorized modification to the vehicle will not be covered by the warranty. Therefore, they won’t be covered by the Lemon Law either.
Unsure if your vehicle qualifies as a Lemon? Take our 60-Second Lemon Test to find out.
Required Repair Attempts: The California Lemon Law Presumption
Here in Bakersfield, the Lemon Law defines “reasonable number of repair attempts” in three different ways. In doing so, it grants manufacturers less leeway for dangerous defects and time-consuming repairs. To qualify as a Lemon, you must provide the manufacturer with
- 4 repair attempts for any single defect;
- 2 repair attempts for any significant safety defect; OR
- 30 days where the vehicle is out of service for repairs, regardless of the number of defects or repair attempts.
The California Lemon Law Presumption states that vehicles are presumed to be Lemons if they meet any of these three requirements. The law requires these repair attempts to occur within 18 months of ownership, before the vehicle’s odometer reaches 18,000 miles. That said, we’ve helped secure compensation for numerous clients whose repair attempts occurred outside of this brief window.
Contact our law firm today to schedule a FREE case review.
Lemon Laws after 18 months and 18,000 Miles
Often referred to as the Federal Lemon Law, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act offers protections similar to the State Lemon Law. Both allow consumers to seek compensation for defective vehicles, but the federal law offers consumers fewer restrictions.
In fact, the law holds manufacturers accountable for the full term of their warranty. It also provides consumers with up to four years to file Lemon Law claims after their vehicle’s warranty was breached. So, if you have a vehicle with a warrantied defect that the manufacturer has failed to fix, let us help. Our experienced Bakersfield Lemon Law lawyers will assist you in collecting the compensation you’re owed.
Contact Our Lemon Law Attorneys in Bakersfield, CA
Krohn & Moss, Ltd. Consumer Law Center® has continuously fought for consumer rights since 1995. We’ve helped countless consumers like you in Bakersfield and thousands more throughout Kern County and California as a whole.
Of the thousands of cases we taken, more than 99% settle before going to trial. Given our near-perfect track record, Krohn & Moss, Ltd. should be the clear choice for all of your Lemon Law needs.
Why Choose Us?
- 50,000+ Success Stories Nationwide
- We Respond to All Inquiries within 24 Hours
- We Offer 25+ Years of Experience Turning “Lemons” into “Lemon-Aid”
- We Always Seek Maximum Compensation for Our Clients
- No Upfront Costs & Manufacturers Pay Your Attorneys’ Fees When You Win
We’ve helped over 10,000 Californians collect the compensation they were owed after purchasing or leasing a Lemon. If you have a Lemon, we can do the same for you.
Additional Resources
Want to learn more about the Lemon Law in Bakersfield, CA? Read through some of our other pages on the topic:
You can also get an immediate assessment of your specific case via our 60-Second Lemon Test. Or, for help from one our Bakersfield Lemon Law lawyers, you can reach out to us for a FREE case review.
Don’t let car companies bully you into accepting their defective vehicles. Lemon Laws were created to protect consumers like you. And Krohn & Moss, Ltd. Consumer Law Center® can help you defend your rights and collect the compensation that’s rightfully yours. Touch base with us today to get started.