If a vehicle manufacturer fails to repair a warrantied defect after a reasonable number of attempts, the California Lemon Law entitles the consumer to a refund or replacement vehicle. In most cases, the first step in filing a claim is to notify the manufacturer of your intention to do so. If you have a strong case, the manufacturer may offer a settlement at this point.
Otherwise, the next step is generally to present the case to an arbitration board, which can be done remotely by submitting the relevant documents. The board will review the case and issue its opinion. If the consumer is not satisfied with the arbitrators’ decision, they may then file a lawsuit.
At Krohn & Moss, Ltd. Consumer Law Center®, more than 99% of our cases settle before going to trial. So even if we do file suit, manufacturers almost always offer acceptable settlements before we need to take it further. Regardless of when the offer arrives, only the consumer can decide whether or not to accept it. We’ll advise you, but the decision is yours to make.