California Lemon Law Alert: Wirtz Law APC Warns Against Signing Away Your Lemon Law Rights

San Diego, California – Automakers can be quick to offer cash or other deals to owners of defective vehicles. To access benefits, however, vehicle owners may be expected to sign their lemon law rights away.

This often spells bad news for car owners, warn the attorneys at Wirtz Law APC, a California law firm with extensive knowledge and experience in handling lemon law claims.

One recent example appeared on Reddit, where the owner of a Rivian R1S experienced issues with the vehicle’s air conditioning system. Rivian eventually offered the vehicle’s owner $2,000 as compensation for the owner’s time and frustration. In exchange, however, the vehicle owner had to agree to waive their lemon law rights regarding the air conditioning issue.

Opinions on Reddit ranged from commenters who thought $2,000 for the AC was a good deal to those warning never to sign away lemon law rights. The attorneys at Wirtz Law APC say that, as a rule, it’s wisest to side with the latter.

California lemon law protections are among the broadest in the nation for consumers. Signing away any part of these rights impairs a vehicle owner’s ability to recover full, fair compensation for a defective vehicle. The benefits of a “cash and keep” deal, arbitration agreement, or other rights limitation can far exceed the costs of a lemon vehicle over time, warn Wirtz Law attorneys.

Automakers’ attempts to encourage vehicle owners to waive lemon law rights come in several forms. “Cash and keep” deals offer a cash settlement; the vehicle owner keeps the defective vehicle. The Reddit Rivian owner with the air conditioning issues experienced an example of a cash-and-keep deal.

Other tactics include forcing vehicle owners into arbitration agreements, often at the point of purchase. These agreements may be buried in the purchase paperwork, escaping a vehicle buyer’s notice. Yet they can cost vehicle owners significant opportunities to protect their rights, say experienced California lemon law attorneys.

To protect their legal rights, California vehicle owners should read all paperwork carefully, say Wirtz Law attorneys. Never sign anything until you fully understand its impact, and speak to a lawyer if you need help.