espanol
https://www.lemonlaw123.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/mobile-phone-icon.png

The Ultimate California Lemon Law Report

-2023 Edition-

Looking to make a new auto purchase in California?

It’s critical you make an informed decision.

This report shows the lemon law data for each auto manufacturer in California.

Section Summary

Cars Sold Per Lemon Case

The More The Better

General Motors leads the list, with around 78 vehicles sold per lemon law case in California alone. This means that if you happen to be the buyer 79 you’ll likely be sold a lemon (A defective/irreparable vehicle).

The other way around, it’d take for Toyota to sell 2029 vehicles first to find yourself buying a defective one.

General Motors 78
General Motors

78 units

Jaguar Land Rover North America 83
Jaguar Land Rover North America

83 units

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles 107
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

107 units

Nissan North America 115
Nissan North America

115 units

Ford Motor Company 148
Ford Motor Company

148 units

Maserati North America* 237
Maserati North America*

237 units

Kia Motors America 242
Kia Motors America

242 units

Volkswagen Group of America 304
Volkswagen Group of America

304 units

Porsche Cars North America* 321
Porsche Cars North America*

321 units

Mercedes-Benz 324
Mercedes-Benz

324 units

Hyundai Motor America 361
Hyundai Motor America

361 units

BMW of North America 369
BMW of North America

369 units

American Honda Motor Company 476
American Honda Motor Company

476 units

Volvo Cars of America 575
Volvo Cars of America

575 units

Subaru of America 880
Subaru of America

880 units

Mitsubishi Motors North America 982
Mitsubishi Motors North America

982 units

Tesla* 1553
Tesla*

1553 units

Mazda Motor of America 1571
Mazda Motor of America

1571 units

Toyota Motor Sales 2029
Toyota Motor Sales

2029 units

  1. 0
  2. 500
  3. 1000
  4. 1500
  5. 2000
  6. 2500

% of lemon cases filed by cars sold

The Less The Better

The percentage represents the number of lemon law cases field by the number of cars sold within 2018-2021. Of the 100% of cars sold by GM in this period, 1.28% were lemons. And only 0.05% and 0.06% out of the 100% of vehicles sold by Toyota, Tesla & Mazda (consecutively) were defective.

Toyota Motor Sales

0.05% units

Subaru of America

0.11% units

American Honda Motor Company

0.21% units

Tesla*

0.06% units

Volkswagen Group of America

0.33% units

Mitsubishi Motors North America

0.10% units

Hyundai Motor America

0.28% units

Volvo Cars of America

0.17% units

Kia Motors America

0.41% units

Mazda Motor of America

0.06% units

Mercedes-Benz

0.31% units

Porsche Cars North America*

0.31% units

Jaguar Land Rover North America

1.20% units

Maserati North America*

0.42% units

BMW of North America

0.27% units

Ford Motor Company

0.67% units

Nissan North America

0.87% units

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles*

0.94% units

General Motors

1.28% units

  • 10.00%
  • 20.00%
  • 30.00%
  • Toyota Motor Sales

    0.05.00%
  • Subaru of America

    0.11.00%
  • American Honda Motor Company

    0.21.00%
  • Tesla*

    0.06.00%
  • Volkswagen Group of America

    0.33.00%
  • Mitsubishi Motors North America

    0.10.00%
  • Hyundai Motor America

    0.28.00%
  • Volvo Cars of America

    0.17.00%
  • Kia Motors America

    0.41.00%
  • Mazda Motor of America

    0.06.00%
  • Mercedes-Benz

    0.31.00%
  • Porsche Cars North America*

    0.31.00%
  • Jaguar Land Rover North America

    1.20.00%
  • Maserati North America*

    0.42.00%
  • BMW of North America

    0.27.00%
  • Ford Motor Company

    0.67.00%
  • Nissan North America

    0.87.00%
  • Fiat Chrysler Automobiles*

    0.94.00%
  • General Motors

    1.28.00%
General Motors 1.28%
Jaguar Land Rover North America 1.20%
Nissan North America 0.87%
Ford Motor Company 0.67%
Maserati North America* 0.42%
Kia Motors America 0.41%
Volkswagen Group of America 0.33%
Porsche Cars North America* 0.31%
Mercedes-Benz 0.31%
Hyundai Motor America 0.28%
BMW of North America 0.27%
American Honda Motor Company 0.21%
Volvo Cars of America 0.17%
Subaru of America 0.11%
Mitsubishi Motors North America 0.10%
Tesla* 0.06%
Mazda Motor of America 0.06%
Toyota Motor Sales 0.05%
  1. 0.00%
  2. 10.00%

The Worst

The most sued top-selling auto manufacturers over defective cars
1

General Motors

2

Jaguar Land Rover

3

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Tweet this

The Best

The Least sued top-selling auto manufacturers over defective cars
1

Toyota Motor Sales

2

Tesla

3

Mazda Motor of America

Tweet this

A Closer Look At The Data

The following table presents a detailed comparison.
Rank Parent
Company
Cars sold per
lemon case
Total vehicle
registrations, 2018-2021
Total lemon
cases filed
% of lemon cases
filed per car sold
1 General Motors 78 771,809 9,892 1.28%
2 Jaguar Land Rover North America 83 85,087 1,021 1.20%
3 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles* 107 618,355 5,798 0.94%
4 Nissan North America 115 493,957 4,308 0.87%
5 Ford Motor Company 148 686,045 4,621 0.67%
6 Maserati North America* 237 6,860 29 0.42%
7 Kia Motors America 242 276,403 1,144 0.41%
8 Volkswagen Group of America 304 331,614 1,091 0.33%
9 Porsche Cars North America* 321 58,814 183 0.31%
10 Mercedes-Benz 324 300,175 927 0.31%
11 Hyundai Motor America 361 274,144 760 0.28%
12 BMW of North America 369 295,953 803 0.27%
13 American Honda Motor Company 476 963,390 2,026 0.21%
14 Volvo Cars of America 575 51,758 90 0.17%
15 Subaru of America 880 290,557 330 0.11%
16 Mitsubishi Motors North America 982 30,435 31 0.10%
17 Tesla* 1553 337,077 217 0.06%
18 Mazda Motor of America 1571 175,930 112 0.06%
19 Toyota Motor Sales 2029 1,527,887 753 0.05%

THE CONCLUSIONS

Data correspond to the 2018-2021 period and it’s based on the records of Lemon Law litigation cases filed in California state courts and new vehicle registrations, including the biggest cities/counties such as Los Angeles, Anaheim, Orange, and San Diego. Even though this is the closest we can get to deciphering which vehicles represent the worst a bad financial decision, it’s important to notice that not all the lemons sold actually go to court.

“Each year, the number of Lemon Law cases filed in California courts represents a small fraction of the state’s total car sales. From 2018 through 2021, for example, Californians registered nearly 7.6 million new passenger cars, SUVs and light trucks, but they filed only 34,397 lemon cases in state courts. That is less than half a percent (0.45%) of new vehicles registered during the same period” – CALPIRG Education Fund and CARS Foundation

Valerie Campbell Quote

 

SOURCES/DATA BANKS