how much do they owe you? 🤑 California lemon law buyback calculator
your whip is cooked and California law says the manufacturer might have to buy it back. run the numbers. takes 30 seconds. no email, no cap. If your vehicle qualifies under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, the manufacturer may have to repurchase it. This calculator estimates that amount using the formula set by statute.
run your numbers 🧮 Estimate your buyback
grab your purchase contract and your first repair order. that’s all you need. You’ll need your purchase contract and the repair order from the first visit for the defect.
the bag 🏆 Your estimate
and there’s more on top. if the manufacturer knew and stalled anyway, that’s a civil penalty of up to 2× your damages. plus they cover your lawyer. you walk in with $0. 😤 Not included above: a civil penalty of up to two times your actual damages may be available if the manufacturer’s failure to repurchase was willful (Civ. Code § 1794(c)). The manufacturer also pays your attorney’s fees and costs under § 1794(d), which is why qualified cases typically cost you nothing up front.
not sure you even qualify? Not sure whether your vehicle qualifies? run the vibe-check first →Use the lemon checker first →
how the math actually works How California’s buyback formula works
California doesn’t let them freestyle the deduction. there’s one subtraction and the law wrote it down. The manufacturer cannot invent its own deduction. The statute allows exactly one: a mileage offset for the use you got before the defect was first brought in.
120,000 is locked in The denominator is fixed at 120,000
California decided a car’s useful life is 120,000 miles and put it in the statute. the manufacturer doesn’t get to pick a smaller number to shrink your payout. it’s locked. 🔐 California sets 120,000 miles as the statutory assumption of a vehicle’s useful life under Civil Code § 1793.2(d)(2)(C). It is not negotiable and not a figure the manufacturer chooses.
it’s your FIRST visit, not today The numerator is the first repair visit
this is where people fumble the bag. the offset uses the mileage from the first time you brought the defect in. every mile after that? free. drove it 3 more years while they kept “fixing” it? still free. 💀 The offset uses the odometer reading at the first repair attempt for the defect that made the vehicle a lemon — not the mileage at buyback and not your total miles driven. Miles driven after that first visit do not reduce your recovery. This is the most commonly underestimated part of a claim.
7,200 miles, not 31,000 Why the first visit matters
you bought a truck for $42,000. transmission went in at 7,200 miles. it went back 3 more times and now reads 31,000. A truck was purchased for $42,000. The transmission first went in for repair at 7,200 miles. It returned 3 more times and the odometer now reads 31,000.
the offset uses 7,200. so (7,200 ÷ 120,000) × $42,000 = $2,520 off. not a cent based on the other 23,800 miles. add $3,675 tax, $550 fees, $1,900 finance, $850 rentals… The offset is based on 7,200 miles: (7,200 ÷ 120,000) × $42,000 = $2,520. The remaining 23,800 miles are disregarded. Adding $3,675 sales tax, $550 in fees, $1,900 in finance charges and $850 in rental costs gives the figure at right.
estimated restitution 🍋 Estimated restitution
questions, answered 🧠 Frequently asked questions
does it use my mileage right now?Does the offset use my current mileage?
nope. it’s the odometer at your first repair visit for that defect. miles after that don’t count against you. No. It uses the odometer reading at the first repair attempt for the defect. Miles driven after that point do not reduce your recovery.
how many repair tries before it’s a lemon?How many repair attempts before a car is a lemon in California?
California presumes it’s enough at 4 tries for the same problem, or 2 if the defect could kill you (brakes, steering, airbags), or 30 total days in the shop — each within 18 months or 18,000 miles, whichever hits first. and those are floors, not walls: you can still have a case outside them. Civil Code § 1793.22 presumes a reasonable number of attempts at 4 or more repairs for the same problem, 2 or more for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, or 30 or more cumulative days out of service — each measured within 18 months of delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first. These create a rebuttable presumption rather than a hard limit, so a claim may still succeed outside those thresholds.
do the 30 days have to be back-to-back?Do the 30 days in the shop have to be consecutive?
no. they stack across every visit. 6 days here, 11 there, it adds up. No. The days accumulate across separate repair visits, and the count may be extended only where repairs were delayed by conditions outside the manufacturer’s control.
i leased it. still counts?Can I claim if I leased the vehicle?
yes, leases are covered. the math just runs off what you’ve actually paid on the lease instead of a purchase price. Yes. The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act covers leased vehicles as well as purchased ones, with restitution calculated from the amounts paid under the lease rather than a purchase price.
what’s this gonna cost me?Do I pay anything out of pocket?
the manufacturer covers your lawyer if you win. that’s literally written into the law. you walk in with zero dollars. Under Civil Code § 1794(d), a manufacturer that loses must pay the consumer’s reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. That is why lemon law attorneys typically take qualified cases at no up-front cost to the consumer.
is a buyback the only option?Is a buyback the only remedy?
no. they can hand you a replacement instead, and you pick which one you take. lots of cases also settle as cash-and-keep — you keep the car and still get paid. 🤑 No. The manufacturer may replace the vehicle or make restitution, and the buyer chooses which to accept. Many cases also resolve as a cash-and-keep settlement, where the consumer keeps the vehicle and receives a payment.
more reading: Related: California lemon law · buyback vs replacementBuyback vs replacement · what “buyback” meansGlossary: buyback
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Lemon Law Explained is an independent information website. We are not a law firm and we do not provide legal services. We may be compensated when you request a case review or are connected with a participating attorney. That compensation never affects what this page tells you about the law.
This calculator produces an estimate using the statutory formula in California Civil Code § 1793.2(d)(2)(C). It is not a valuation, an offer, or a guarantee of recovery. Your actual result depends on your repair history, the specific defect, your purchase documents, and how the manufacturer responds. Nothing on this page is legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. For advice about your situation, speak with a licensed attorney in your state. Last reviewed July 2026.