Honda Civic Lemon Law

Even if Honda considers the oil consumption within its internal guidelines, you may still have a valid lemon law claim under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act if the defect substantially impairs the use, value, or safety of your Civic. Excessive oil consumption that requires frequent monitoring and top-offs between scheduled services can constitute a substantial impairment. Document every oil top-off and complaint visit, and request that the dealer perform Honda's official oil consumption test.

Yes, a safety-related defect like intermittent power steering loss receives special treatment under California lemon law. Under the Song-Beverly Act, if a defect is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, only one repair attempt may be required before the lemon law presumption applies. Report the issue to Honda and also file a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to create an additional record of the safety hazard.

A Technical Service Bulletin acknowledges that Honda is aware of the defect, which can strengthen your lemon law claim under the Song-Beverly Act. You should present the TSB number to the dealer and insist on the prescribed repair. If the dealer still fails to resolve the issue after a reasonable number of attempts, the existence of the TSB serves as evidence that the manufacturer knew of the defect and had a remedy available but could not successfully implement it.

Yes, the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act extends protection to subsequent owners as long as the vehicle is still covered under the manufacturer's express warranty. Your private-party purchase does not affect your lemon law rights against Honda as the manufacturer. Make sure to bring the vehicle to an authorized Honda dealership for all warranty repairs and retain copies of all repair orders and correspondence.