Failed safety systems, three shop visits, and a $93,000 vehicle that couldn’t be repaired. That’s what one driver faced when their new 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E experienced a cascade of system failures.
Right from the start, the electric vehicle displayed constant dashboard alerts, blocked the driver visibility tools, and caused screen blackouts. First, the advanced driver-assistance features shut down, causing a complete adaptive cruise failure during highway use. Next, a persistent front camera fault message disabled the pre-collision warning systems.
By the time the central interface began freezing up and blacking out, the car had been in the shop multiple times.
Technicians tried everything to fix the problems. They replaced the hardware linked to the safety sensors, installed a new forward-facing windshield camera, and performed hard system resets to restore cabin controls. Yet, the underlying electrical malfunction kept returning.
California’s EV lemon law exists for situations exactly like this. Under the Song-Beverly Act, a manufacturer is required to offer a warranty repurchase if they fail to fix a vehicle under warranty. When your Ford Mach-E defects leave you stuck in a loop of failed repairs, the law entitles you to a refund or replacement.
What counts as a recurring defect under California law?
Not every rattle or blown fuse turns an electric vehicle into a lemon. To meet the lemon law threshold, the issue must be a warranty nonconformity, or a defect that significantly impairs the vehicle’s use, value, or safety.
Additionally, the manufacturer is allowed a number of reasonable repair attempts to resolve the issue. If the same defect returns after they’ve had a fair chance to fix it, a car qualifies as a lemon.
When it comes to electric vehicle reliability, software and electrical issues can be incredibly difficult to fix. To build a successful lemon law claim, you need:
- Repair order documentation (exact shop dates, diagnostic codes pulled, and what parts were replaced)
- A cumulative out-of-service log
- Incidental expense receipts (towing fees, rental cars, or rideshares)
- Communication records (emails, texts, call recordings with the shop and manufacturer)
- The original contract or lease agreement
These records form a case timeline that can prove a clear pattern of failure, giving you the leverage to hold your manufacturer accountable.
What a Ford repurchase demand includes
When a manufacturer refuses to fix a defective vehicle, the first step is to send a formal lemon law demand letter. This legal document officially outlines your vehicle’s history, states the manufacturer failed to repair the defect under warranty, and lists the exact restitution required to settle your claim.
Under Song-Beverly § 1793.2, a standard payout includes:
- A full purchase price reimbursement including the vehicle’s base price, initial registration fees, and any finance charges or interest you paid.
- A mileage offset (or usage fee) for the “good miles” you drove before the first signs of the defect.
If the manufacturer acted willfully by ignoring clear warning signs, stalling, or denying your request, the courts can order a civil penalty up to two times the actual damages, plus attorneys fees. This is designed to punish them for bad faith conduct and prevent them from violating the law.
Repeated repair visits can make a new vehicle feel unreliable, unsafe, and impossible to trust. But California lemon law gives drivers a path out of the repair loop. Take action today and make sure you leave the dealership garage behind for good.