What Are Song-Beverly Warranty Rights?When it does happen, it is can be humiliating and frustrating thing. You've just purchased a brand new car and it is already having serious trouble. It could be a mechanical problem or something electrical. You don't know but you're pretty sure that you have a lemon. Now, if you happen to have a vehicle that is defective in the state of California then you may be eligible to take advantage of your Song-Beverly Warranty Rights. What are these rights and what sort of coverage do they provide? These are the questions that this article hopes to answer in brief fashion. First, a definition of Song-Beverly Warranty Rights is in order. These rights are actually outlined under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, which is, in turn, a part of the California civil code. It is what has been commonly referred to by the term "lemon law." Therefore, references to these rights are just part of the conversation about California lemon law. There are a number of specific protections afforded to consumers under the Song-Beverly Act and which have been the framework for similar lemon laws across the country. As is the case with most lemon laws, any product or vehicle that is purchased for the sum of $25 or above that is subsequently found to be defective in some substantial way is covered under the lemon law and constitutes one of the primary Song-Beverly Warranty Rights in California. Naturally, the focus of the law is vehicles like automobiles but other transportation methods like motorcycles, motor homes, and boats are protected as well. New, leased, and used vehicles are all provided with substantial protections under the California lemon law. Specific provisions differentiate between new or leased cars and those that are used. In some instances, the difference is entirely based upon the presence of an express warranty on the new and used vehicle. Naturally, new vehicles will have a warranty and receive automatic coverage for the entire period of the warranty under California lemon law. With that said, Song-Beverly Warranty Rights make a special case when a number of reasonable repair attempts have failed to correct the problem during the warranty period. Among the parameters laid by the law, there are those that have to deal with the specific mileage (18,000 miles) or timeframe (18months) for at most four attempts to be made. Of course, for problems that are serious and potentially life threatening, only two attempts. Another condition that may allow for arbitration to obtain refund or replacement under Song-Beverly Warranty Rights would include be if the vehicle was out of service for more than a month. This is just a summary of Song-Beverly rights. More complete listings of all of the legal provisions are available. |