Does My Car Qualify? California Lemon Law Requirements

California's Lemon Law — the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act — protects you when a vehicle sold with a manufacturer's warranty has a substantial defect the manufacturer can't repair after a reasonable number of attempts. Whether your car qualifies comes down to three questions: is there a substantial defect, was it covered by warranty, and did the manufacturer get a reasonable chance to fix it?

1. A substantial defect

The defect must substantially impair the vehicle's use, value, or safety. Cosmetic quirks usually don't count; problems like engine or transmission failure, stalling, electrical faults, fire risk, brake or steering issues, and persistent EV charging or software problems typically do. The defect must be covered by the manufacturer's warranty and generally must not have been caused by abuse or unauthorized modification.

2. A reasonable number of repair attempts

This is where most websites get it wrong. California law gives you a legal presumption that a reasonable number of attempts was made if, within the first 18 months or 18,000 miles (whichever comes first), any of these occurred:

• The manufacturer made two or more repair attempts for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury; or
• The manufacturer made four or more repair attempts for the same substantial defect; or
• The vehicle was out of service for repair of covered defects for a cumulative total of 30 or more days.

Important: that 18-month/18,000-mile window is not a filing deadline — it's the window for the presumption, which simply makes your case easier to prove. Vehicles can and do qualify outside it; you just may need to show the repairs were unreasonable rather than relying on the presumption. Your actual deadline to file (the statute of limitations) depends on whether the manufacturer has opted into California's AB 1755 framework: if it has, you generally must file within one year of the express warranty's expiration and no later than six years from the vehicle's original delivery date; if it has not, the traditional four-year statute of limitations applies, running from when the defect was first discovered.

3. Which vehicles are covered

The Lemon Law covers new vehicles, and used or certified pre-owned vehicles still under the manufacturer's original new-car warranty. Leased vehicles are covered. Cars, trucks, SUVs, and most vehicles bought or leased primarily for personal use qualify, and many business vehicles do too — generally when the business has five or fewer vehicles registered in California and the vehicle's gross weight is under 10,000 pounds.

Which manufacturers have opted into AB 1755?

Which deadline applies to you depends on whether your vehicle's manufacturer has opted into the AB 1755 procedures. As of July 2026, the passenger-vehicle manufacturers that have opted in include:

• Buick
• Cadillac
• Chevrolet
• Chrysler
• Dodge
• Fiat
• Ford
• Genesis
• GMC
• Hyundai
• Ineos
• Infiniti
• Isuzu
• Jaguar
• Jeep
• Kia
• Land Rover
• Lincoln
• Lotus
• Maserati
• Mercedes-Benz
• Mitsubishi
• Nissan
• Ram
• Subaru
• VinFast

If your manufacturer is on this list, the shorter AB 1755 deadline applies to your claim. If it is not — for example Tesla, Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, BMW, Mini, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Volvo, Mazda, Rivian, or Lucid — the traditional four-year statute of limitations applies instead. This list can change as more manufacturers opt in, so it's worth confirming your manufacturer's current status. Either way, these deadlines are strict — don't wait to have your claim reviewed.

Still not sure?

Qualification is fact-specific, and you don't have to figure it out alone. If your vehicle has been back to the dealer repeatedly for the same problem, or spent weeks in the shop, it's worth a free review. Keep every repair order — that paperwork is what a claim is built on.