How to Prove a Car Part Is Defective

Legal Cases Involving Defective Car Parts

When you purchase or lease a new car, you expect it to work as it should and be a reliable method of transportation for you and your family. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. Whether due to shortcuts by the dealer or poor quality control by the manufacturer, there are a surprising number of vehicles on the road today with defective car parts. Proving a car part is defective can be challenging, but it may be an important step in building a legal case against a dealer or qualifying under California’s Lemon Law.

California’s Lemon Law

Before you can start taking legal action under California’s Lemon Law, you need to know what it is. One of the most important things to understand is that the Lemon Law only applies to vehicles that are still under the manufacturer’s new car warranty. Vehicles that have been purchased or leased both qualify.

The Lemon Law requires the manufacturer of the vehicle to either give you your money back or replace the car entirely if there is a qualifying problem that can’t be fixed. To qualify, the repair issue must be something that is covered under the new car warranty and “substantially impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle.” The issue must also not have been caused by any unreasonable or unauthorized use of the vehicle. This means that if the issue is due to after-market parts or modifications that weren’t authorized, it doesn’t qualify under the Lemon Law.

The Lemon Law also states that the requirement to reimburse you for the purchase of the car or replace the vehicle is only applicable if a “reasonable” number of repairs hasn’t fixed the problem. This can get tricky because reasonable is a subjective term. However, there are some general guidelines supplied by the California Attorney General.

• The issue appeared in the first 18,000 miles or 18 months of operating the vehicle
• The manufacturer was notified if required by the warranty
• At least four attempts have been made to repair the issue or the car has been out of service for repairs for at least 30 days

In some cases, the number of attempts can be lowered. For example, the general guideline is that only two attempts need to be made if the issue could cause serious injury or death. If you’re not sure if your car may qualify under the Lemon Law, the first step is talking to an attorney about your situation and what you’ve been through so far.

Proving a Car Part Is Defective

Proving a car part is defective isn’t the same as just proving that it doesn’t work. It’s easy to show that something isn’t working correctly — or at all. But to prove that a car part is defective, you need to be able to show that the problem was inherent and not caused by any abuse or misuse.

Keeping thorough car maintenance records can help with this. If you can show that you got the car serviced according to the manufacturer’s suggested schedule, you’re showing that you were responsible. Any ongoing issues will also be listed in this paperwork, which can help you show a pattern.

A car part breaking once is annoying, but it doesn’t mean it’s defective. This is why the Lemon Law states that only after a reasonable number of repair attempts have been made and failed can the car qualify under the Lemon Law. This means that you will need to be able to show that you reported the issues to the dealer and/or manufacturer and that multiple attempts were made to repair the issue without success.

While the Lemon Law provides vehicle owners or leasers with some recourse against defective cars, it can require legal negotiations and arguments — and that’s why it’s important to work with an attorney.

Car Accidents Involving Defective Parts

Defective car parts aren’t just an inconvenience; they can be a serious danger to you and others. When a part on your car isn’t working as it should, it can create a safety hazard that puts you at greater risk of an accident. If you’ve ever had a tire blowout or your car break down while you’re driving it, you already know how scary something like this can be. But what if the problem is even bigger? For example, if your brake system is defective and you lose the ability to slow down or stop while driving along the highway, the results could be fatal.

Keeping up with proper maintenance and taking care of any suspected defective parts as soon as possible is critical to ensuring your safety, but that’s not always easy if the dealer or manufacturer isn’t being straightforward. If you’ve been involved in an accident that was due to a defective car part, you need to speak with an experienced attorney as soon as possible.

Ibrahim Law Firm, APC, Is Here to Help

Reliable transportation is a must for those in Los Angeles County and the rest of California. Having your car in the shop can be a major inconvenience, and if you’re dealing with defective car parts or a lemon, you could be spending more time in the service department than on the road. Fortunately, you have legal options if you’ve bought or leased a defective vehicle, and the team at Ibrahim Law Firm, APC, is here to help.

Call our office at 626-600-0890 to get in touch with a member of our legal team who can discuss your situation with you and let you know how we can help.