San Mateo Lemon Law

Song-Beverly cases for San Mateo residents are filed in the Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, most commonly at the Hall of Justice at 400 County Center in Redwood City. Civil unlimited cases (over $35,000) are heard there. Venue is proper in San Mateo County if you purchased or leased the vehicle in the county, if the manufacturer does business there, or if the defect manifested there. Most lemon-law claims against major automakers can also be filed in any California county where the manufacturer has dealers, so plaintiffs sometimes choose a different venue for scheduling reasons.

It can shape the defects you experience but does not change your legal rights. Song-Beverly covers any nonconformity that substantially impairs use, value, or safety, regardless of cause, as long as the defect arises during the express warranty period and the manufacturer cannot repair it after a reasonable number of attempts. Salt-air corrosion that produces a covered defect, like a corroded sensor causing repeated check-engine lights or a failing electronic module, is repairable under warranty and counts toward your repair attempts. Document every visit, including symptoms the dealer dismisses as 'environmental.'

Yes. California venue rules let you file in the county where the sale or lease occurred, where the contract was signed, where the vehicle was delivered, or where the defendant manufacturer does business. Burlingame, Redwood City, San Mateo, San Carlos, and Belmont are all in San Mateo County, so any purchase along the Peninsula's El Camino Real corridor keeps you in the same Superior Court. If your dealer is across the line in Santa Clara or San Francisco County, you may have a choice of venues.

Yes. Song-Beverly applies to any new or used motor vehicle sold or leased in California with a written manufacturer's express warranty, including battery electric vehicles. High-voltage battery degradation beyond the manufacturer's warranted state-of-health, persistent infotainment crashes, phantom braking from ADAS, charge-port failures, and drive-unit replacements are all covered nonconformities if they substantially impair use, value, or safety and cannot be repaired after a reasonable number of attempts. Tesla service center work orders, mobile-ranger visits, and over-the-air update logs all count as repair attempts.

Timing varies. Pre-litigation demands sometimes resolve in 60-120 days if the manufacturer agrees to a repurchase or replacement. If suit is filed in San Mateo Superior Court, civil unlimited cases typically reach trial within 12-24 months, though most lemon claims settle before trial. AB 1755 (effective 2025) added new statutory deadlines for vehicle restitution after a settlement, which has shortened some payout timelines. Complex claims involving willful-violation civil penalties under Cal. Civ. Code 1794(c) can take longer because they often require depositions of manufacturer engineers.

Keep every repair order from every dealer visit, including loaner-car paperwork and any 'no problem found' invoices, since those still count as repair attempts under the Tanner Act. Keep your purchase or lease contract, the warranty booklet, financing statements, any correspondence with the manufacturer's customer assistance line, and a written log of dates the car was out of service. Bay Area dealers often email PDF repair orders the same day — save them. Photos and videos of the defect (warning lights, smoke, leaks) are especially useful for intermittent problems that disappear when the car reaches the service bay.