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Lemon Law Demand Letter — California

In California, a new vehicle is presumed a lemon if, within the first 18 months after delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first, it has had two or more repair attempts for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury, four or more attempts for the same defect, or the vehicle out of service for repairs more than 30 cumulative days. Below is a ready-to-edit lemon law demand letter with California's statute — the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Tanner Consumer Protection Act) — already cited; add your vehicle and repair history, then send it to the manufacturer.

California at a glance

  • Coverage window: the first 18 months after delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first.
  • The tests: two or more repair attempts for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury, four or more attempts for the same defect, or the vehicle out of service for repairs more than 30 cumulative days.
  • What this letter does: under California’s new lemon-law procedures (AB 1755, streamlined by SB 26, in effect since 2025), a written demand that the manufacturer repurchase or replace the vehicle, sent at least 30 days before filing suit — the manufacturer that has opted into these procedures must offer restitution or replacement within 30 days of receiving it and complete the remedy within 60 days.
  • Where it escalates: the manufacturer’s state-certified arbitration program (overseen by the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Arbitration Certification Program), or court.
  • Most people send it by USPS Certified Mail with return receipt so there is dated proof of when the manufacturer received the demand — the 30- and 60-day clocks run from receipt.
  • California’s pre-suit written-demand procedure is new — AB 1755 (2024) and SB 26 (2025). Older guides don’t mention it.

Lemon Law Demand Letter

Copy the letter below into the editor, replace the text in [brackets] with your details, and PostPal will print and mail it for you.

Subject: Lemon Law Notice — Demand for Repurchase or Replacement
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, California ZIP Code]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email]

[Date]

[Manufacturer Name] — Customer Relations / Owner Relations
[Manufacturer Address — listed in your warranty booklet or owner's manual]

RE: Lemon law demand for repurchase or replacement
Vehicle: [Year] [Make] [Model], VIN [VIN]

Dear [Manufacturer Name] Owner Relations,

I am the [owner / lessee] of a [Year] [Make] [Model], VIN [VIN], purchased [or leased] new on [Purchase Date] from [Dealer Name] in [City], California.

Since delivery, the vehicle has exhibited the following defect: [describe the defect and how it impairs the vehicle's use, value, or safety]. The vehicle has been presented to your authorized dealer for repair of this defect on the following occasions:

• [Date] — [Repair order #] — [What was done]
• [Date] — [Repair order #] — [What was done]
• [Date] — [Repair order #] — [What was done]

In total, the defect has been subject to [number] repair attempts, and the vehicle has been out of service for [number] days. The defect remains uncorrected.

Under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1790–1795.8), a manufacturer that cannot repair a new motor vehicle to conform to its express warranty after a reasonable number of attempts must promptly repurchase or replace it. Under the Tanner Consumer Protection Act (Civ. Code § 1793.22), a reasonable number of attempts is presumed within the first 18 months or 18,000 miles where the same defect has been repaired two or more times (if it is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury), four or more times, or the vehicle has been out of service more than 30 cumulative days.

This letter is my written demand that you repurchase or replace the vehicle as required by the Act. Please treat it as the pre-litigation notice contemplated by California’s lemon-law procedures: if I do not receive an offer of restitution or a replacement vehicle within 30 days of your receipt of this demand, I intend to pursue every remedy available to me, including civil penalties, without further notice.

Copies of my repair orders are available on request. Please respond in writing to the address above.

Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]

What your lemon law demand letter must include

  • Your full name, address, and contact details
  • The vehicle’s year, make, model, and VIN, plus the purchase/lease date and selling dealer
  • A clear description of the defect and how it impairs the vehicle’s use, value, or safety
  • The full repair history: dates, repair-order numbers, and days out of service (California looks for two or more repair attempts for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury, four or more attempts for the same defect, or the vehicle out of service for repairs more than 30 cumulative days)
  • What you are demanding — a repurchase (refund) or a comparable replacement vehicle
  • A deadline for the manufacturer to respond, and where to send its response

Frequently asked questions

When does a car qualify as a lemon in California?

The defect must substantially impair the vehicle's use, value, or safety, and the manufacturer must have had a reasonable chance to fix it — in California that is presumed within the first 18 months after delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first, after two or more repair attempts for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury, four or more attempts for the same defect, or the vehicle out of service for repairs more than 30 cumulative days. Keep every repair order; the paper trail is the claim.

Do I need to use an official form?

No. California does not require an official form — a written demand letter to the manufacturer is exactly what the law contemplates. Since 2025, sending a written repurchase/replacement demand at least 30 days before suing is a required step for the new streamlined procedures introduced by AB 1755 and SB 26.

Who do I send the letter to — the dealer or the manufacturer?

The manufacturer. Lemon law obligations run against the vehicle manufacturer, not the selling dealer — send it to the manufacturer’s customer/owner relations address listed in your warranty booklet or owner’s manual (PostPal’s where-to-mail directory also lists head-office addresses for major automakers like Ford, General Motors, and Tesla). Keep dealing with the dealer for the repairs themselves.

What happens after I send it?

A manufacturer that has opted into California’s new procedures must acknowledge your demand, offer restitution or a replacement within 30 days of receiving it, and complete the remedy within 60 days. If it doesn’t, you can go through the manufacturer’s state-certified arbitration program (free to you) or take the claim to court — the § 1793.22 presumption does the heavy lifting for you there.

More lemon law demand letter templates for other states

Facts verified against official sources on September 2, 2026: dca.ca.gov, dca.ca.gov, leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

This template is provided for convenience only. It is not legal advice and does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Court limits and rules change — confirm anything time-sensitive on the official page, and consult a qualified legal professional for advice specific to your situation.