California lemon law
California's Song-Beverly Act is widely considered the strongest lemon law in the United States. It covers new and most used vehicles still under any portion of the original manufacturer warranty, and uniquely shifts the buyer's attorney fees and costs onto the manufacturer when the consumer prevails — making representation effectively free.
Pricing
Free: VIN decoding and NHTSA safety recall lookups, unlimited, no signup and no credit card. Paid: a full vehicle history report is $9.99 for one VIN, $14.99 for a 3-report pack and $24.99 for a 10-report pack. One-time payment, no subscription and no auto-renewal.
Frequently asked questions
How many repair attempts does California require?
California generally requires 2 attempts (safety) or 4 (other) for the same substantial defect, or a cumulative 30 days out of service, within first 18 months / 18,000 mi.
Does the California lemon law cover used cars?
Yes. Song-Beverly covers used cars sold with any remaining portion of the original manufacturer warranty, including most certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles.
What is the deadline to file a California lemon law claim?
Claims must generally be brought within the California coverage window (First 18 months / 18,000 mi) or shortly after it expires. Document every repair order, because the repair-attempt count is what proves the claim.
Data sources
- NHTSA vPIC VIN decoding API
- NHTSA safety recall database
- NHTSA complaints database
- NMVTIS (U.S. DOJ) title-brand records
CleanVins is not affiliated with Carfax, AutoCheck, NHTSA or NMVTIS.