Lemon law protections in California require manufacturers of defective vehicles to replace or reimburse your vehicle (minus an amount called a fair use fee based on your car's mileage at the start of repairs). When your manufacturer replaces your defective vehicle, the replacement must be a model car that is substantially similar to the vehicle that is considered a lemon and for which you filed your lemon law claim. In addition to a replacement vehicle or a refund, there is the possibility that the manufacturer may pay you a higher rate for something called a civil penalty. The amount of a civil penalty can be up to nearly twice the cost of your damages if you successfully prove that the manufacturer of your defective vehicle knowingly violated the law.

Even if the repairs to your vehicle were free of charge because they were covered by your original warranty, you are still entitled to the protections provided by the California lemon law. This is because whether or not your car is considered a lemon does not depend on how much you spent on repairs. Instead, your vehicle's eligibility as a lemon is based on the fact that your vehicle had to be repaired an unreasonable number of times. It is important to note that you may still have a legal right to file a lemon law claim if your dealer or manufacturer claims your vehicle was repaired, but you believe that is not the case.