Do I have a lemon? Check your vehicle in 2 minutes
Six questions, the same ones an attorney asks first. You get a plain-English read on your situation and can send your answers for a free case review.
Question 1 of 6
Why these questions matter
How you got the vehicle. California's lemon law covers new vehicles bought or leased in California, including demonstrators sold with a new-car warranty. Since 2024, most used cars no longer qualify for a buyback.
Warranty coverage. The defect has to be one the manufacturer's warranty covers, and it has to show up while that warranty is in effect.
Safety, repair visits, and days in the shop. These match the three paths to the legal presumption: a safety defect repaired twice, the same defect repaired four times, or more than 30 days out of service within 18 months or 18,000 miles. You can still have a claim without meeting them.
Timing. Deadlines vary by manufacturer and warranty. If you are close to the end of your warranty, or past it, don't wait.
Rather talk it through? Call (213) 555-0142. Hablamos español.
About the lemon checker
Is this checker a legal opinion?
No. It is a quick way to see whether your situation has the features California lemon law looks at. Whether you have a claim depends on your repair orders, your warranty, and your manufacturer, and an attorney needs to read those to tell you.
My answers came back weak. Should I still call?
If the problem is still happening and the vehicle is still under warranty, yes. One more documented repair visit can change the picture, and deadlines keep running in the meantime.
What counts as a repair attempt?
Generally, each time you gave the vehicle to an authorized repair facility for the problem. Visits where the dealer could not find or duplicate the problem can still matter. See how repair attempts are counted.
Why does it ask when I bought the car?
Two reasons. The presumption in the law looks at the first 18 months or 18,000 miles, and filing deadlines depend on when things happened. Neither one is a hard cutoff for every claim, but both affect how a case is built. See lemon law time limits.
Has your car been back to the dealer again?
Send us the details for a free case review. If you win, California law requires the manufacturer to pay your reasonable attorney fees and costs.