A Detailed Look Into Jaguar Lemon Law Violations

Meta Description: California’s lemon law covers refunds or replacements of defective cars. Read this article to learn more about about Jaguar Lemon Law Violations.

The Land Rover, Range Rover, and Jaguar are luxury vehicles manufactured by Jaguar Land Rover, a subsidiary of Tata Motors. Although they are marketed as high-end, many California consumers have ongoing problems with these vehicles.

When a dealer or automaker can't repair one of these luxury vehicles, consumers get frustrated. Thankfully, under California’s lemon law, consumers are entitled to a new vehicle or refund if they can prove a violation by the manufacturer. This post discusses California’s lemon law and some of the recent Jaguar violations.

California’s Lemon Law, Summarized

The purpose of California's lemon law is to ensure that manufacturers honor their warranties. Provisions of this law require motor vehicle manufacturers to issue “lemon law buybacks” for any defective cars they sold.

For California's lemon law to apply, the vehicle must be leased or purchased via warranty. Additionally, extended warranties purchased by the consumer do not qualify for coverage by the lemon law.

The consumer will need to either show that they have tried four or more repairs on the defect or that the defects significantly impair the vehicle’s use, value, or safety and they have tried two or more repairs. Furthermore, consumers may be eligible for California’s lemon law buyback if they could not use their vehicle for at least 30 days during the factory warranty period.

Common Jaguar Land Rover Defects

Many recent cases show Jaguar Land Rover vehicles falling short of the manufacturer’s promises. Land Rover models, including the Freelander, LR2, LR3, Discover I and II, Range Rover, and Range Rover Sport, have been deemed lemons. Below are some defects that Jaguar Land Rover lemons commonly have:

Failure to start
Engine malfunctions (e.g., shutting off, vibration, stalling)
Electrical problems (e.g., navigation systems failure, heating/air conditioning issues)
Parking brake failure
Defective fuel gauges or fuel injectors
Sunroof water leak
Airbag malfunction
Steering shaft problem

For any defects, vehicle owners should talk to a lemon law attorney for an expert case valuation.

Lawsuits Against Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover has faced many lawsuits for knowingly leasing or selling lemons.

Flynn-Murphy et al. V. Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

On October 14, 2020, plaintiffs brought a class action against Jaguar Land Rover, individually and on behalf of all consumers in the US who had leased or purchased a 2012 through 2017 Land Rover Range Evoque, 2013 through 2015 Land Rover LR2, or a 2015 through 2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport.

The plaintiffs alleged that the defendant intentionally concealed a turbocharger defect. The turbocharger design was insufficient to serve its lifespan and would expose vehicle owners to decreased engine performance and unsafe conditions.

Simgel Co., Inc., et al., V. Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

On January 4, 2017, Simgel Co., Inc. filed a lawsuit against Jaguar Land Rover for violations of the lemon law. The first cause of action was based on the defendant’s failure to conform a car the plaintiffs had leased to express warranties or to offer a refund or replacement. The second cause of action alleged there was a breach of the warranty of merchantability, stating the vehicle's defect substantially reduced the vehicle’s performance and safety.

The plaintiffs alleged that under the lemon law, they were entitled to restitution of the money they paid to lease the vehicle.

TH Chiro, PLLC V. Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

On May 7, 2020, TH Chiro, PLLC filed a lawsuit against Jaguar Land Rover for selling a Land Rover Discovery with a windshield defect. The plaintiff alleged that the windshield defect in the Discovery they had bought and in other Discovery vehicles was a safety hazard. They also alleged that Jaguar Land Rover was aware of the windshield defect when they sold the Discovery to TH Chiro.

Think You Bought a Jaguar Land Rover Lemon?

Consumers who buy or lease from Jaguar Land Rover expect a high-end vehicle with excellent performance. However, a vehicle with ongoing problems or that has been out of service for quite some time may entitle the buyer to a car replacement or refund.

Consumers should always talk to a lemon law attorney first to discuss their legal options, even if they are not sure that they have a lemon. An experienced attorney will conduct a thorough investigation to determine whether they have a case.