The Dealer Says "No Problem Found." Do I Still Have a Lemon Law Case?

Published October 19, 2026 · Updated October 19, 2026 · California lemon law

The Short Answer

Signs a No Problem Found Visit Still Helps Your Case

• Your complaint is written on the repair order in clear words
• The car was under the manufacturer's warranty at the visit
• You have reported the same symptom more than once
• You have video, photos or notes showing the problem happening
• The dealer test drove, scanned or inspected the car
• The symptom affects safety, drivability or value

Why No Problem Found Visits Still Count

When a technician cannot reproduce a problem, the repair order may say no problem found, could not duplicate, or no fault codes. Drivers often think that means the visit does not count. California law says otherwise.

In Oregel v. American Isuzu Motors (2001), a California appeals court held that a buyer does not have to prove the exact technical cause of the defect, and that visits where the dealer could not find or fix the problem can still count. The key is that you gave the manufacturer's dealer the chance to repair the car. Under Civil Code 1793.2(d)(2), that is what the lemon law measures.

This matters most for intermittent problems. Electrical glitches, stalling, hesitation, warning lights and infotainment freezes often come and go. If the car is fine during a 15 minute test drive, that does not mean the defect is not real.

It helps to remember that a test drive is short and your daily driving is long. A problem that shows up once a week may never appear during a single dealer visit. The lemon law does not require you to catch the defect in front of a technician. It requires that you report it and give the dealer a fair chance to fix it.

What the Repair Order Needs to Say

When the dealer cannot find the problem, the description of your complaint is the most important line on the repair order. If it only says customer concern, check vehicle, it does not show what you reported. Ask the advisor to write your words.

Give specifics. When does it happen? At what speed? Is the engine cold or warm? Does a light come on? A good complaint line reads like a short story of the symptom. The technician can use that to try to reproduce it, and an attorney can use it later to connect visits.

Before you leave with the car, read the order. If your complaint is missing or changed, ask for a correction. If the dealer will not change it, send a short email to the service manager the same day describing what you reported.

Be consistent from visit to visit. If you describe the symptom one way the first time and another way the second time, the visits may look unrelated. Keep your own copy of the first complaint line and use the same key words each time, adding new details only when something has changed.

• Car shuts off at stoplights after 20 minutes of driving
• Screen goes black and backup camera fails when reversing
• Shudder from the front end between 40 and 50 mph
• Burning smell from vents after highway driving

How to Help the Dealer Find the Problem

You want the car fixed, and the dealer usually does too. Giving the technician better information makes a real repair more likely and makes your record stronger if the repair never happens.

Video is often the single best tool. Have a passenger record the dashboard, the screen, or the sound when it is safe. Note the date, time and mileage. Show the video to the advisor and ask that it be noted on the repair order.

You can also ask whether the technician can contact the manufacturer's technical help line or check for any technical service bulletin. A TSB is a repair instruction the manufacturer sends dealers for a known issue. It is not a safety recall, but it may help the technician find a fix. Do not rely on anyone online who claims your car has a specific bulletin; ask the dealer to check.

If the problem happens while you are driving and it is not safe to record, pull over when you can and write a quick note on your phone. Include the time, the location, the speed, and what you felt or heard. A note made right away is far more reliable than one written days later.

Example: An Engine That Stalled Only When Hot

This is a made-up example. Ana bought a new hatchback. Several times a month, after about 30 minutes of driving on hot days, the engine would stall at a stoplight and restart only after a few tries. The first two times she took it in, the dealer kept the car overnight, found no fault codes, and wrote no problem found.

Before the third visit, Ana kept a log of each stall with the date, mileage and temperature, and her passenger recorded one stall on video. She showed both to the advisor, who wrote the details on the repair order and noted the video. The technician drove the car longer in warm weather and found a fuel pressure issue, replaced a part, and returned the car. Two weeks later, the stalling came back.

When Ana contacted a lemon law firm, the attorney explained that all three visits likely counted under Oregel, and that stalling in traffic can be a safety defect. The firm prepared a demand to the manufacturer. This example shows the process, not an outcome.

Ana's log and video did two jobs. They helped the technician finally find a likely cause, and they created a record that the stalling was real even when it did not show up at the dealer. That is exactly what good documentation is supposed to do.

When No Problem Found Turns Into Operating as Designed

Sometimes the dealer moves from saying it cannot find the problem to saying the car is operating as designed. That phrase means the dealer thinks what you are experiencing is normal for the model. It can be true for some features, like an engine stop and start system, but it is sometimes used for real defects.

Ask the dealer to put that statement in writing on the repair order. Ask whether the manufacturer has issued any guidance to dealers about the symptom. If other owners of the same model report the same thing, that can be useful context, and NHTSA complaint records are public.

Whether a symptom is a defect is ultimately a question of fact. If a feature makes the car unsafe or much less useful than a reasonable buyer would expect, an attorney can evaluate whether it is a nonconformity even if the dealer calls it normal.

Keep in mind that the manufacturer's own words matter. If the owner's manual or brochure describes a feature working one way and your car behaves differently, note the page. That comparison can help show your car does not match what the manufacturer promised.

A written statement from the dealer is far easier to challenge than a comment in the service lane.

Mistakes That Hurt a No Problem Found Case

The most common mistake is giving up after one or two visits where nothing was found. If you stop reporting the problem, the record ends with a dealer saying there was nothing wrong. Keep going back each time it happens.

Another mistake is going to an independent shop that finds the problem and fixes it. Repairs at an independent shop, or done yourself, do not count as repair attempts, and they can give the manufacturer an argument that outside work caused the issue. If an independent shop does find something, take that information to an authorized dealer.

Finally, avoid exaggerating. Describe the symptom honestly, including how often it happens. A clear, accurate record is more convincing than a dramatic one, and it helps the technician too.

Another common mistake is waiting until the problem gets much worse before going back. If a symptom is getting more frequent, go in sooner rather than later. A pattern of visits over time is stronger evidence than one visit after months of silence.

Also avoid clearing warning lights yourself with a code reader before a dealer visit. Stored codes can help the technician find the cause, and erasing them can make it look like nothing was wrong.

How These Visits Fit Into a Lemon Law Claim

No problem found visits are added to the rest of your repair history. Within 18 months or 18,000 miles, the Tanner Act presumption in Civil Code 1793.22(b) can apply after two repairs of a serious safety defect, four repairs of the same defect, or more than 30 total days in the shop. Outside that window, a claim can still succeed if the defect first showed up under warranty and the manufacturer had a reasonable number of chances.

Days the car sat at the dealer for diagnosis count as days out of service, even if nothing was fixed. Overnight and multi-day visits for an intermittent problem can add up quickly.

If the car qualifies, you can choose a buyback or a replacement. The manufacturer must pay a winning buyer's attorney fees under Civil Code 1794(d). If we do not win, you owe our firm nothing.

Many lemon law claims include at least one no problem found visit. These visits are normal in cases about intermittent defects, and they do not make your case weak. What matters is the full picture of what you reported and what the manufacturer did about it.

What to Do After a No Problem Found Visit

1. Ask the advisor to write your exact complaint on the repair order before the car goes back.
2. Record the symptom on video when safe, with the date, speed and any warning lights visible.
3. Offer to ride along with the technician or describe when the problem usually happens.
4. Keep a simple log of each time the problem occurs, with date, mileage and conditions.
5. Go back to an authorized dealer every time it happens again, even if the last visit found nothing.
6. Call 877-536-6620 for a free case review once the problem has been reported more than once.

Key Facts (as of October 2026)

• Oregel v. American Isuzu Motors (2001) held that buyers need not prove the technical cause and that visits where the dealer found nothing can still count.
• A technical service bulletin (TSB) is a manufacturer's repair instruction to dealers for a known issue; it is not a safety recall.
• A presumption of a reasonable number of attempts also arises when, within 18 months or 18,000 miles, the car spent more than 30 total days out of service for repairs (Civil Code 1793.22(b)).

Talk to a Lemon Law Attorney Today

You speak directly with an attorney. Our attorneys, listed in firm order: #1 Jacob Shayesteh (founding attorney), #2 Armig Khodanian and #3 Kamau Edwards, will look at your repair history and tell you honestly whether you have a case. The review is free. You pay $0 out of pocket: the manufacturer pays the attorney fees when you win, and if we lose, you owe us nothing.

What Our Clients Say on Google

“He's extremely knowledgeable when it comes to dealing with service centers and dealerships and making sure they write down the things that are needed for the case.”

Yaira B. · Two Teslas · 5-star Google review

“He explained my rights under California's lemon law, took over all communication with Hyundai, and got my case resolved fast.”

Gil C. · 2024 Hyundai Palisade · 5-star Google review

“Jacob Shayesteh picked up the phone himself, which already blew me away. He knew exactly what was going on with my situation, explained the entire California lemon law process in plain English, and handled absolutely everything on my end.”

Brenda E. · 2024 Jeep Wrangler · 5-star Google review

Read all 78 reviews on Google (5.0 stars, October 2026). Reviews describe past clients' experiences; every case is different.

FAQ

Does a visit count if the dealer did not do any work?

It can. If you reported the problem to an authorized dealer under warranty and it was inspected, that visit can count as a repair attempt.

What if the dealer will not write my complaint down?

Send the service manager a short email the same day describing what you reported, and keep it with your records.

Should I leave the car until they find the problem?

If the problem is a safety risk, ask the dealer to keep the car and provide a loaner. Days at the dealer count as days out of service.

Can I use other owners' complaints as evidence?

NHTSA complaints from other owners can provide context, but your own repair orders are the core evidence.

Sources and Official References

• California Civil Code section 1793.2 (California Legislature)
• California Civil Code section 1793.22 (California Legislature)
• NHTSA, report a safety problem
• California Civil Code section 1794 (California Legislature)

Laws change. This page reflects California law as of October 2026 and was reviewed by Jacob Shayesteh, Esq.

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Attorney advertising. Wynn Law Group, APC, 10850 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1010, Los Angeles, CA 90024. General information, not legal advice. Results vary. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.