What Am I Entitled To Under The California Lemon Law?

If you financed or leased your vehicle, you are entitled to get back your down payment (or lease inception fee), government fees, trade­in equity, license fees and all the monthly payments you have made up to the date of settlement. You may also be entitled to towing reimbursement, as well as rental car expenses you personally paid during your warranty repair visits. The manufacturer pays off the existing loan (or lease), you turn the vehicle back in to the car dealership, and you get your Lemon Law refund check. This is known as a vehicle repurchase. In certain circumstances you may also elect to take a replacement vehicle in lieu of a repurchase. This is known as an exchange of collateral. Your loan remains the same, and you simply swap your present vehicle for a new one with the same equipment. Leased vehicles are treated in the same way.

In any Lemon Law action, the manufacturer is entitled to an offset for mileage based on the odometer reading at the first time you had your vehicle repaired for a recurring problem. There is a specific formula for calculating this offset, which you can discuss with your attorney.