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Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Lemon Law in Los Angeles

Reviewed by Jacob Shayesteh, Esq., founding attorney · Updated October 2026

Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are part of daily life in Los Angeles, with chargers in apartment garages, workplaces, and shopping centers across the county. These vehicles bring new kinds of defects: high-voltage batteries, onboard chargers, power electronics, and software that controls nearly everything. California’s Song-Beverly Act covers them the same way it covers gas cars. The difference is in how the problems show up and how you document them.

EV and hybrid problems that can qualify

A defect qualifies if it is covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, substantially impairs the vehicle’s use, value, or safety, and is not fixed after a reasonable number of attempts. Common EV and hybrid categories include:

High-voltage battery faults: warnings, sudden loss of capacity, cells or modules replaced more than once, or fire-risk recalls.
Charging failures: the car will not accept a charge at home or at DC fast chargers, charging stops partway, or the charge port or onboard charger fails.
12-volt system failures tied to the high-voltage system: the car goes dead in a parking structure even with a full main battery.
Loss of drive power: reduced power mode, “stop safely now” messages, or drive unit or inverter failures.
Thermal management: coolant leaks, pump failures, or overheating warnings, which can matter on hot days in the San Fernando Valley or on long climbs like the Sepulveda Pass.
Software: screen blackouts, camera failures, driver-assist faults, or features that disappear after an update.
Plug-in hybrid issues: the engine and electric systems failing to hand off properly, or the car stuck in one mode.

Range loss vs. a real defect

All lithium-ion batteries lose some capacity over time, and range also changes with speed, heat, air conditioning use, and tire pressure. Normal, gradual loss is usually not a lemon law claim. Signs that something more is going on include:

A sudden, large drop in range rather than a slow decline.
Warning messages about the battery or charging system.
The dealer confirming low capacity or replacing modules.
Range limits imposed by a recall or software update that never get lifted.

Most EV makers give a separate, longer warranty on the high-voltage battery, and many state a specific capacity level that triggers coverage. Read yours. Track your full-charge range with screenshots over time so you can show a change, not just describe it.

Software updates count

EV makers fix many problems with software, sometimes at the dealer and sometimes over the air. In our experience, a software update can count as a repair attempt, and we have seen the same update repeated 5 or 6 times without a fix. Make sure each update connected to your complaint appears on a repair order or service record, and save any message from the manufacturer explaining what the update was meant to fix.

Brand notes for LA drivers

Every manufacturer selling in California is covered. A few examples, with recall information drawn from NHTSA:

Rivian

Rivian services vehicles at its own service centers and through mobile service. Keep the service records from the app. NHTSA lists a 2025 R1S high-voltage recall (25V537) involving an improperly grounded connection in the high-voltage distribution box.

Lucid

Lucid Air owners should note the Air inverter recall (26V309), which NHTSA says involves possible internal damage that can cause loss of drive power.

Hyundai and Kia EVs

The Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, EV6, and EV9 share technology. NHTSA has listed Integrated Charging Control Unit recalls, such as Ioniq 5 (24V868) and EV6 (24V867), where the ICCU may stop charging the 12-volt battery, and battery cell recalls such as Ioniq 5 (26V432) and EV6 (26V431).

Ford Mustang Mach-E

NHTSA lists a Mach-E battery energy control software recall (26V582) involving an incorrect state of charge display.

GM EVs

Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac EVs have had battery recalls, including the Lyriq high-voltage battery recall (23V367), where NHTSA says certain connections in the pack may be out of position or incorrectly welded, the Hummer EV Pickup battery enclosure recall (22V771), and the Escalade IQ battery recall (26V494).

Tesla owners can read our dedicated Tesla lemon law guide.

Recalls with no fix available: the Jeep 4xe example

Sometimes a manufacturer announces a safety recall before it has a remedy ready. Owners are told to wait, and sometimes to park outside or stop charging. In our experience, a recall with no available fix can support a buyback on its own. Some Jeep Wrangler 4xe high-voltage battery fire recalls are an example. For the Wrangler high-voltage battery recall (25V741), NHTSA records state owners were advised to park outside and away from structures and not to charge their vehicles until the remedy is completed.

For an Angeleno in a condo with only a shared underground garage, that kind of instruction can make the vehicle hard to use at all. In our experience, days waiting at the dealer for recall parts also count toward the 30-day out-of-service presumption in Civil Code section 1793.22(b).

Run your VIN through our VIN recall check. In our experience, you should call an attorney as soon as you get a recall notice.

What to say at the service visit

EV symptoms can be intermittent, so be specific when you drop the car off:

“The car showed a battery warning and dropped from 80 percent to 40 percent in 15 miles on the 405.”
“Charging stops after a few minutes at home and at public fast chargers.”
“The car would not start in my building’s garage and needed a tow.”

Ask the service advisor to write your words on the repair order, and show your screenshots or videos. If they keep the car for diagnosis, ask for the date in and date out on paper.

Documenting an EV problem

Screenshot every warning message, with the date and odometer visible if possible.
Save charging session records from the vehicle app and from charging networks.
Note the charger type and location when charging fails.
Get a repair order for every visit, including “no fault found” and recall visits.
Keep tow and rental receipts. A dead EV often needs a flatbed.

If the dealer says it could not duplicate the issue or that the car is operating as designed, read what to do when your LA dealer will not fix your car.

Leased EVs

If you lease your EV, you have the same lemon law rights as a buyer. See our Los Angeles leased car lemon law guide before you turn in a problem EV.

What a buyback can include

A repurchase under Civil Code section 1793.2(d)(2)(B) generally includes the price paid or payable, collateral charges like sales tax and registration, and incidental costs such as towing and rentals, less a mileage offset based on miles driven before your first repair visit for the problem. Get a rough estimate with our California lemon law calculator.

Cost

You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Learn more on our Los Angeles lemon law attorney page or our California lemon law attorney home page.

More Los Angeles lemon law guides

Get a free case review

If your car, truck, or SUV keeps going back to the dealer, call us for a free case review at 877-536-6620. Our office is at 10850 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1010, in Westwood, and we help drivers across Los Angeles County in English and Spanish. You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does California lemon law cover electric cars?

Yes. EVs and plug-in hybrids are covered the same way as gas vehicles if a warranty defect substantially impairs use, value, or safety and is not fixed after a reasonable number of attempts.

Is battery range loss a lemon law claim?

Normal, gradual range loss usually is not. A sudden drop, battery warnings, module replacements, or a capacity loss covered by your battery warranty can support a claim.

Do over-the-air or dealer software updates count as repairs?

In our experience, a software update can count as a repair attempt. Make sure each update tied to your complaint is on a repair order or service record.

What if my EV recall has no fix yet?

In our experience, a recall with no available fix can support a buyback on its own, as with some Jeep Wrangler 4xe battery fire recalls. Call an attorney as soon as you get the notice.

Do days waiting for recall parts count toward 30 days out of service?

In our experience, yes. Days your vehicle sits at the dealer waiting for recall parts count toward the 30-day out-of-service presumption.

Are Rivian and Lucid covered even without traditional dealers?

Yes. The law applies to manufacturers, and service center and mobile service records serve the same purpose as dealer repair orders.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.