Plain-language reference
California lemon law and warranty glossary
Use these definitions to read repair orders, warranty materials, and official sources more carefully. The controlling statute and the vehicle’s actual documents remain more important than a shorthand label.
- Express warranty
- A written warranty or affirmation from the warrantor. The exact booklet, duration, mileage, covered components, exclusions, and transfer terms matter.
- Nonconformity
- A condition that does not conform to the applicable express warranty. Whether it substantially affects use, value, or safety is fact-specific.
- Repair opportunity
- A documented chance for an authorized repair facility or warrantor to address the reported concern. A visit count alone does not decide a claim.
- Final repair order
- The completed record showing the complaint, dates, mileage, findings, work performed, parts, and warranty treatment for a visit.
- Days out of service
- The actual periods a vehicle was unavailable for covered repair. Use supported open, ready, and return dates and avoid double-counting overlaps.
- Cannot duplicate
- A repair-order finding that the facility did not reproduce the reported condition during its test. The visit and accurate complaint remain part of the chronology.
- Recall
- A safety remedy applying to an identified vehicle population. Verify a specific VIN through NHTSA; a recall does not itself establish a lemon law outcome.
- Technical service bulletin
- Manufacturer communication that may describe a condition, diagnostic path, or procedure. It is context, not proof that an individual vehicle has the condition.
- Restitution or repurchase
- A potential statutory remedy often described as a vehicle buyback. Components and deductions depend on the current law and actual transaction records.
- Mileage offset
- A statutory use calculation that requires the correct transaction figures and mileage associated with the first relevant repair opportunity.
- Incidental damages
- Documented expenses claimed to result from the warranty breach, such as qualifying towing or rental costs. Receipts and causation matter.
- Attorney-client relationship
- A formal professional relationship created only through a written engagement agreement signed by the client and the law office, not by browsing or submitting a form.
Primary-source path: Review current statutes through California Legislative Information, current consumer materials through California DCA and BAR, and VIN-specific safety information through NHTSA.
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Attorney Advertising. General educational information only; not legal advice. No tool on this page decides whether a vehicle qualifies or predicts an outcome. Every matter is fact-specific. Using a tool or submitting a form does not create an attorney-client relationship.