The lemon law originated in 1984, when the United States government created a means to protect consumer rights against auto manufacturer and dealer fraud, via the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, commonly known as the “lemon law.” Now governed by the state, lemon law refers to the individual state laws instituted to protect the rights of consumers everywhere regarding automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, RVs, boats, and other products, that continue to have significantly impairing malfunctions after multiple attempts to repair the problem.

The goal of the lemon law is to guard the interests of small businesses or individuals who have bought or leased vehicles (new & used) under the warranty of a manufacturer. If the manufacturer is unable to sufficiently repair the malfunction of the vehicle, than the owner or lessee would be entitled to a comparable new vessel, or a refund. The lemon law process helps determine the number of reasonable repair attempts to solve a vehicle’s defect and provide due compensation to the owner or lessee.