Chevrolet Suburban Lemon Law

Under the Song-Beverly Act, a defect that substantially impairs the vehicle's value or use to the consumer qualifies for lemon law protection. A non-functional rear HVAC system in a vehicle marketed and purchased for family use constitutes a substantial impairment of both value and use. California courts evaluate the defect from the consumer's perspective, and a three-row SUV without working rear climate control fails to deliver what was promised. Multiple failed repairs further strengthen your claim.

The vehicle's purchase price does not affect your eligibility for a lemon law claim, but it does impact the recovery amount. Under the Song-Beverly Act, you are entitled to a refund of the full purchase price including taxes, fees, and finance charges, minus a mileage offset. For a $75,000 Suburban with a lifter failure at 15,000 miles, the mileage offset would be relatively small since the formula uses 120,000 miles as the denominator. Additionally, if GM's failure to repurchase is deemed willful, you could receive a civil penalty of up to two times your damages.

Yes, under the Song-Beverly Act, every day your vehicle is out of service for warranty repair counts toward the 30-day cumulative total, including days spent waiting for parts to arrive. The manufacturer's inability to obtain replacement parts is not a valid excuse to deny your lemon law rights. If your Suburban has been unavailable to you for 30 or more days due to this and any other warranty repairs combined, the lemon law presumption applies. Document each day the vehicle is at the dealer, including any loaner or rental arrangements.

You are not obligated to accept an extended warranty in lieu of your lemon law rights under the Song-Beverly Act. An extended warranty does not compensate you for the diminished value, safety concerns, and inconvenience caused by a defective vehicle. Accepting such an offer could potentially complicate a future lemon law claim if GM argues you were satisfied with the resolution. Consult with a lemon law attorney before accepting or rejecting any settlement offer, as you may be entitled to significantly more than just extended warranty coverage.