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If something about your car purchase doesn’t add up, you’re probably right. California consumer protection law gives you strong rights against dishonest dealers, and more buyers have been defrauded than realize it.
Auto dealer fraud can happen at any stage of the purchase, from the advertising that got you to the lot to the financing call you received a week after driving the car home. Most buyers don’t realize they were defrauded until well after the sale, when a defect surfaces, a hidden history report appears, or a financing detail doesn’t match what was promised at signing.
The dealer counts on you not catching it, or on you giving up when you do. California law makes that calculation a lot more expensive when you have an attorney who knows the statutes and can document the case.
Each links to a dedicated page. Other patterns include hidden frame damage, undisclosed accident or commercial use, improper “Certified Pre-Owned” certification, and bait-and-switch advertising.
The dealer calls days later claiming financing fell through, demanding new terms or the car back. Learn more →
Branded titles get scrubbed across state lines so the car sells as if it had a clean history. Learn more →
The dealer puts the loan in a third party’s name for a car someone else will actually own. Learn more →
False statements about the car’s condition, history, or features that you relied on. Learn more →
The dealer didn’t tell you the car had been declared a total loss and rebuilt. Learn more →
You’re not just dealing with a salesperson who stretched the truth. You’re dealing with a business that does this every day, with finance managers, in-house attorneys, and a paper trail designed to make the deal look airtight. Going at it alone means going up against all of that by yourself. We do it for you.
These cases benefit from an attorney who knows the specific California statutes that apply (the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, the Automobile Sales Finance Act, the Vehicle Code, common law fraud), the deadlines for each, and how to document a case so the dealer can’t talk their way out of it. Some statutes also make the dealer pay your attorney fees on a successful outcome.
What’s available depends on what the dealer did and the statutes that apply. Most claims must be brought within a specific time period, so don’t wait.
Unwinding the sale entirely. You return the car, they refund what you paid.
The difference between what you paid and the car’s actual value, plus consequential costs.
Available in cases involving intentional fraud.
Where the applicable statute requires the dealer to pay them.
Focused exclusively on automotive law. Lemon law, dealer fraud, and automotive class actions are all we do. Our focus is evident in our results.
20 years against California dealers. Dealerships have strong legal teams, but we’ve been outmatching them for two decades, and they know it.
$400M+ recovered across 6,000+ cases. Dealers don’t write fair settlement checks without a fight, and we know how to make them.
In-house inspection capability. The Margarian Garage lets us physically inspect and document concealed damage, giving us evidence most firms simply don’t have.
Any deceptive or unlawful practice during the advertising, sale, or financing of a vehicle. Common examples: rolling back the odometer, hiding accident or salvage history, bait-and-switch advertising, calling you back after the sale to change financing terms, and misrepresenting vehicle features or “Certified Pre-Owned” status.
Lemon law applies when your car has a manufacturer defect that can’t be repaired. Dealer fraud applies when the dealer was dishonest during the sale, whether or not the car has a defect. The two can overlap in a single case.
Every case is reviewed individually before a retainer is signed. Several California consumer protection statutes require the dealer to pay your attorney fees on a successful case, so on a qualifying claim you may not pay out of pocket.
Most California consumer fraud claims must be filed within a specific time period from either the date of the transaction or the date you discovered the fraud. The specific deadline depends on which statute applies. Waiting can bar a valid claim, so reach out as soon as you can.
Possibly. “As is” sales are only valid if the dealer followed all the legal requirements. If they hid material defects, didn’t disclose a salvage or lemon law buyback title, or misrepresented the car’s history, the “as is” defense may not apply.
You’ve already dealt with enough. If something about your car purchase doesn’t add up, our attorneys are here to help. A free case review is easy, and it could change everything. Call (818) 553-1000.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is evaluated on its individual merits. Outcomes vary based on the dealer, the conduct involved, the documentation available, and the case posture. Attorney fee recovery in California consumer protection cases depends on the specific statute violated and the outcome of the case.
