Is Your Car a Lemon?
When Life Gives You Lemons, Get a Lawyer
No matter where you are in California, we can help you get properly compensated for your “lemon.”
Sick and tired of spending time at the shop trying to get your new or used Toyota repaired? Have you wasted time and money and the car still has the same problem(s)? California’s Lemon Law covers Toyota vehicles, and could be the path to either getting your money back or receiving a new vehicle!
In 1970, California enacted the Lemon Law to provide drivers with relief from persistent problems with their vehicles. What does the Lemon Law do? The simple answer: if you purchased or leased a new or used vehicle in California that is under a warranty and has had an ongoing problem or problems that a dealer has unsuccessfully attempted to fix over multiple repair visits, you may qualify for compensation. The California Lemon Law applies to cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, RVs, motorcycles, some business-owned vehicles, and boats. It applies to purchased or leased new vehicles. It also pertains to used vehicles that are certified pre-owned and/or still under a manufacturer’s warranty.
The manufacturer pays the Gayle Law Group PC when your case is resolved. You are never responsible for any legal fees.
Does My Toyota Qualify As A Lemon?
There is no single or easy answer. The Lemon Law requires both a substantial defect and either that the vehicle is not repaired after multiple attempts to get it fixed or it has been at the dealership for many days cumulatively. Substantial defects impair the vehicle’s “use, value, and/or safety.”
- A defect that affects a vehicle’s use is one that prevents you from driving the vehicle as it was intended to be driven.
- A vehicle’s value is diminished when the defect means the vehicle won’t sell for the price it normally would bring – if the defect weren’t there.
- Safety defects are defects that put the driver, passengers, and other drivers in danger.
The problem does not have to be safety related to qualify. If your Toyota has been ‘in the shop’ repeatedly and still has the same issue, it may be a lemon. If a defect involves a safety issue, such as faulty airbags, it may only require two repair attempts. If your Toyota has been in ‘the shop’ for more than thirty days, cumulative, regardless of the defect(s), it may also qualify as a lemon. Some examples of problems in a Toyota vehicle that could be considered substantial are problems involving:
- Brakes
- Engines
- Steering
- Electrical systems
- Suspension
- Air conditioning/heating systems
- Windows
- Transmissions
- Doors
- Back up cameras
- Water leaks
It is important to remember that your Toyota does not have to be brand new or have incredibly low mileage to be protected. Even if your Toyota has over 50,000 miles on it, if you took it in for repair while it was still under warranty it could still potentially be considered a lemon.
About Toyota
Toyota Motor Corporation was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937. Today it is a multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in the city of Toyota in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture. Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 million vehicles per year. Lexus is Toyota’s luxury brand.
Common Toyota Vehicle Defects
Even though Toyota has been manufacturing cars for over 80 years, there is the possibility of defects. Manufacturing mistakes or design issues can cause a Toyota lemon car to end up in someone’s possession. There are numerous possible defects that could cause a Toyota car to be a lemon. Some of the common defects that people have complained about with regard to their Toyota cars include:
- Defective airbags
- Power window switch overheats
- Deformed ignition
- Power steering hose issues
- Automatic transmission problems
- Sudden loss of power
Toyota is known to produce vehicles with high safety ratings, but they have still had to issue numerous recalls over the years for safety-related and other reasons. Toyota’s most recent recall is for some Lexus and Toyota vehicles produced between July 2017 through December 2019 because of fuel pump issues. The fuel pump may stop operating. If this occurs, warning lights and messages may be displayed on the instrument panel, and the engine may run rough. This can result in a vehicle stall, and the vehicle may be unable to be restarted. If a vehicle stall occurs while driving at higher speeds, this could increase the risk of a crash.
FAQs
The California Lemon Law Buyback for Toyota vehicles is a progToyota that allows consumers to receive compensation for a vehicle that is found to be a lemon. The compensation can include a refund of the purchase price, a replacement vehicle, or cash compensation.
Under the California Lemon Law for Toyota vehicles, a vehicle is considered a lemon if it has a substantial defect that impairs its use, value, or safety and the defect cannot be repaired after a reasonable number of attempts.
Under the California Lemon Law for Toyota vehicles, a vehicle may be considered a lemon if it has been taken in for repairs four or more times for the same issue, or if it has been out of service for a cumulative total of 30 days or more. If it is a newer vehicle and has a life-threatening problem, fewer repair attempts may be required.
The deadline for making a Lemon Law Buyback claim on your Toyota vehicle in California runs with the warranties on your vehicle. You may even be able to submit a claim after the warranties expire if you have given the manufacturer attempts to repair your vehicle before the warranties expired.
To pursue a Lemon Law Buyback claim for your Toyota vehicle in California, you will need to provide documentation of the repairs made to your vehicle, including repair orders, invoices, and receipts.
Through a Lemon Law Buyback for your Toyota vehicle in California, you may be eligible for a refund of the purchase price, a replacement vehicle, or cash compensation.
Yes, you may still pursue a Lemon Law Buyback claim for your Toyota vehicle in California even if the warranty has expired, as long as the issue occurred while the vehicle was still under lemon law warranty and you took it into a dealership for repair.
Yes, if you pursue a Lemon Law Buyback claim for your Toyota vehicle in California, you will need to return the vehicle to the manufacturer or their authorized representative.
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, GET A LAWYER.
Is your car a lemon?No matter where you are in California, we can help you get properly compensated for your “lemon”.
Always Free RepresentationThe Gayle Law Group PC is paid by the manufacturer when your case is resolved. You are never responsible for any legal fees.
About California Lemon Car Lawyer "Liz" Gayle
Liz Gayle is considered a top California Lemon Car Lawyer. For more than 20 years, she has been helping consumers get their lemon cars in California bought back by manufacturers. Also, as a former counsel to a major auto manufacturer and highly experienced California lemon law attorney, Ms. Gayle has extensive knowledge of California’s Lemon Law.
As a result, Liz Gayle is one of the most sought after Lemon Law Lawyers in California. A client-focused lawyer, Ms. Gayle has successfully handled cases for many clients – both owners of cars and those leasing vehicles.
Additionally, Ms. Gayle works directly with consumers to dispute cases with auto manufacturers and dealerships, concerning vehicles ranging from moderately priced domestic models to very exotic and expensive import autos or recreational vehicles. To learn more about lemon law attorney Liz Gayle, click here
CONTACT
Proven Experience You Can Trust
Other lawyers may ask you to pay a retainer fee or tell you that they work on a contingency fee. Conversely, with Gayle Law Group, PC, the manufacturer pays your legal fees if your case is resolved. And if your case is not resolved, you are NOT responsible for any legal fees. So let California lemon car lawyer Liz Gayle fight for you!
If you have had several repair attempts and are still having issues with your Toyota, there is no reason to suffer the stress any longer. Keep documentation of all repairs done – or attempted – to your Toyota as well as every call and appointment you made. If you think your Toyota may be a lemon, contact the Gayle Law Group, PC today for a FREE consultation. You will be treated with respect and your case will be taken seriously, no matter what the issue.
