Before you calculate: what this tool is and is not
This calculator applies the mileage offset formula from Civil Code section 1793.2(d)(2)(C) to numbers you enter. It assumes your vehicle qualifies as a lemon, which this tool cannot determine. It excludes civil penalties, incidental damages, and the specifics of your contract, so an actual recovery can be higher or lower. For manufacturers that opted in to AB 1755, Code of Civil Procedure section 871.27 further adjusts the restitution math (third-party add-on products, negative equity, manufacturer rebates, and lease-specific rules), so this tool estimates the base statutory offset only. It is an educational estimate, not legal advice, not a case valuation, and not a prediction of any outcome, and using it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Estimate Your Buyback
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Your estimate, if the vehicle qualifies
Reminder: this is arithmetic, not an assessment of your claim. Whether the vehicle qualifies, and what a manufacturer will actually agree to or a court will actually award, depends on facts this tool does not see. Recoveries can be higher (civil penalties of up to two times damages under Civil Code section 1794(c) for willful violations, plus incidental damages) or lower (offsets, disputes about qualification). No outcome is guaranteed.
How is a California lemon law refund calculated?
A lemon law refund starts with everything you have paid (down payment, monthly payments, and official fees), adds payoff of your remaining loan balance to the lender, and subtracts one statutory deduction: the mileage offset for your use of the vehicle before the problem appeared. The offset formula in Civil Code section 1793.2(d)(2)(C) is: miles at the first repair attempt for the defect, divided by 120,000, multiplied by the purchase price. Incidental costs like towing and rental cars are recoverable on top.
Why does only the first repair attempt mileage matter?
The statute measures your "use" of the vehicle only up to the first time you delivered it for repair of the problem, so every mile you drive after that first visit adds nothing to the offset. This is why the repair order from that first visit is one of the most valuable documents in your case, and why you can keep driving the car while a claim proceeds without shrinking your refund. Our lemon law guide covers what else those repair orders need to show.
What does this calculator leave out?
It leaves out everything that requires judgment or facts beyond the formula: whether your vehicle qualifies at all, official fees (sales tax, registration, license) that are refundable but vary by contract and county, incidental and consequential damages, civil penalties for willful violations, and, for opted-in manufacturers, the AB 1755 restitution adjustments in Code of Civil Procedure section 871.27 (third-party add-on products, negative equity from a trade-in, manufacturer rebates, and lease residual and extension rules), as well as negotiated outcomes like cash-and-keep settlements. It also cannot check the manufacturer's AB 1755 opt-in status, which controls your deadlines and process. Treat the output as a starting point for a conversation, not an answer.
Want these numbers checked against your actual paperwork?
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