If you have a persistent issue or defect with your GMC vehicle, you may be entitled to a replacement vehicle, refund, or cash settlement through the California Lemon Law. At Young & Young APC, we exclusively handle Lemon Law cases. Our GMC Lemon Law attorneys represent clients throughout California who have purchased or leased a vehicle that is defective. Find out how we can help you in more detail during a free case consultation.
If you have purchased or leased a new or used GMC car, truck, SUV, or van and discovered a defect that affects the use, value, or safety of the vehicle, you may have a “lemon.” Under the California Lemon Law (also known as the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act), auto manufacturers are obligated to repair a vehicle that is defective within a reasonable amount of time or a reasonable number of repair attempts. If the defect still cannot be fixed, the vehicle is referred to as a lemon.
In California, a “reasonable” number of repair attempts is not a specific number. It is determined on a case-by-case basis. However, under the Lemon Law Presumption, it is presumed that a vehicle is a lemon if the defect occurred within 18,000 miles or 18 months of delivery and receives two or more repair attempts for a defect that could cause serious bodily injury; four or more repair attempts for a defect that affects the use, value or safety of the vehicle; or has been out of use due to repairs for more than 30 cumulative days.
Any vehicle that meets the above requirements for “repeated failed repair attempts,” or has spent 30 or more consecutive or non-consecutive days in a dealership for repairs qualifies as a Lemon. However, a successful lemon law claim in California also depends on other qualifying factors including the following:
Used cars also apply for a Lemon Law refund, buyback, or replacement vehicle as long as they were sold with a written warranty issued at the time of sale and the repair attempts were still covered under factory warranty.
The lessee of a leased Lemon may file a Lemon Law claim and recover compensation for the amount of money they’ve paid toward the lease agreement, compensation for related expenses like rental car fees or rideshare costs. Alternatively, the lessee may recover significant cash compensation.
California has a statute of limitations or time limit in place for Lemon Law Claims. Once a vehicle qualifies as a Lemon, the owner of a Lemon vehicle has up to four years to file a claim.
It’s best to speak to a Lemon Law Lawyer from Young & Young APC as soon as your vehicle meets the qualifications for a claim.
A Lemon Law Lawyer from Young & Young APC will diligently file all paperwork related to your claim to ensure prompt action. The Lemon Law process in California is as follows:
The manufacturer must also pay for your legal fees for the Lemon Law process in California.
If your GMC is a lemon, you are entitled to one of the following remedies:
In California, the defect does not have to have occurred within the first 18 months of delivery or 18,000 miles for the consumer to qualify for a remedy under the Lemon Law.
GMC is a division of General Motors that was founded in 1911. GMC’s primary focus is pickup trucks, work trucks, light-duty trucks, and vans. In the last 100-plus years, GMC has produced hundreds of millions of vehicles. Unfortunately, many of these vehicles have contained defects. From 2020 to 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received 2,138 consumer complaints regarding GMC vehicles:
make | model | ▾n |
GMC | SIERRA 1500 | 598 |
GMC | ACADIA | 398 |
GMC | TERRAIN | 366 |
GMC | YUKON | 261 |
GMC | YUKON XL | 167 |
GMC | CANYON | 141 |
GMC | SIERRA 2500 | 91 |
GMC | SIERRA DENALI | 39 |
GMC | ENVOY | 30 |
GMC | SIERRA 3500 | 28 |
GMC | SIERRA | 14 |
GMC | DENALI | 5 |
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Common Lemon Law vehicle defects with GMC involve the engine, brakes, suspension, transmission, steering system, fuel pump, pressure valve, tires, cooling system, and airbags. Many of these defects have resulted in global recalls of affected vehicles. The latest GMC recalls have involved 2013+ GMC Terrain, Yukon, Sierra, Canyon, and Acadia vehicles.
If you own or lease a GMC vehicle that has a chronic, persistent or irreparable defect, you have rights under the California Lemon Law. Discuss your case with the GMC Lemon Law attorneys at Young & Young APC for more information. Our lawyers will review your case at no cost, explain your legal options under the Lemon Law, and help you seek a just remedy.
No one should have to live with a Lemon. Faulty vehicles are unsafe and unreliable. Also, no Lemon car owner should have to take on a claim alone. All too often, powerful vehicle manufacturers dispute the claim, attempt to send the vehicle owner to arbitration that only benefits the manufacturer, or assert that the car requires further repair attempts. You have nothing to lose by hiring a Lemon Law lawyer from Young & Young APC. The state’s Lemon Law requires manufacturers to pay your legal fees. Please call (833) 536-6600 or contact us online today to schedule an initial case consultation.
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