How Do Lemon Laws Impact Electric Vehicles (EVs) in 2025

Electric vehicles are more popular than ever in California – and that’s having a big impact on lemon law cases. With so many new EVs on the road, lemon law claims are on the rise. In fact, California saw lemon cases surge from about 15,000 in 2022 to over 22,000 in 2023, and that trend has continued into 2024 and 2025. One reason is the boom in EV sales. California leads the nation in electric car ownership (Tesla’s Model Y alone had 132,000 new registrations in the state in 2023, so more defective vehicles are inevitably turning up and more EV owners are turning to the Lemon Law for relief.

Lemon Law Changes in 2025

To address the spike in claims, California updated its lemon law rules for 2025. These changes affect all drivers, including EV owners:

• Stricter Filing Deadlines: New claims must be filed within one year after the warranty expires, and no later than six years from the original purchase date. Waiting too long could forfeit your rights.

• Mandatory Manufacturer Notice: You now have to give the automaker a heads-up and demand a buyback or fix at least 30 days before filing a lawsuit. This pre-filing notice gives manufacturers a final chance to make it right.

• Mediation & Faster Resolution: The law now requires mandatory mediation and other streamlined pretrial steps to resolve cases more efficiently. There are also new guidelines to speed up evidence sharing and standardized settlement procedures.

These updates aim to streamline the lemon law process in the face of rising claims. However, consumer advocates worry that some of the new rules might make it tougher for buyers to exercise their rights – potentially weakening protections. That said, electric lemon law protections remain in place – California still covers EVs under its lemon law just like any gasoline vehicle. If your EV in Los Angeles or anywhere in California has serious, unfixable defects, you should pursue your Lemon Law remedies – just be mindful of the new timelines and steps in 2025.