California Lemon Law by Manufacturer: Notice Addresses and Arbitration Programs

Last reviewed September 10, 2026.

Two separate things determine how your claim proceeds, and they’re easy to confuse:

1. Whether your manufacturer has opted in to the AB 1755/SB 26 procedure (Code of Civil Procedure §§871.20–871.30) — this affects your filing deadline and requires a 30-day written notice before you can seek civil penalties.
2. Whether your manufacturer participates in a DCA-certified arbitration program — a free, optional step you can try before or instead of a lawsuit. This is a separate system that predates AB 1755 and doesn’t depend on opt-in status.

We verify both directly from manufacturer and Department of Consumer Affairs sources, not from third-party summaries. The Department of Consumer Affairs is required by SB 26 to publish the opt-in list by December 15 each year — we cross-check this page against that list annually and whenever we find a manufacturer’s own legal notice.

§871.24 written notice — where to send it, by manufacturer

Regardless of opt-in status, if you intend to seek civil penalties under Civil Code §1794(c), current guidance from manufacturers is that you must send a written notice at least 30 days before filing suit, while you still have possession of the vehicle. It must include your name, VIN, a brief repair history, and a demand to repurchase or replace. Below is where each manufacturer has told its own customers to send that notice, sourced directly from their consumer-facing pages.

We could not independently confirm a current notice address for every manufacturer. If yours isn’t listed, check your owner’s portal for a page titled “California Consumer Notice” or “Lemon Law Concerns,” or use the case evaluation form and we’ll help you find it.

A manufacturer’s own customer-service page describing the §871.24 process is not, by itself, proof it has opted into the full AB 1755/SB 26 track — some of these requirements apply more broadly. Only Genesis’s notice explicitly cites its §871.29 election in the language above.

State-certified arbitration programs

These are separate, free, optional dispute programs certified by the DCA. Participating doesn’t require going through court first, and you can generally still sue if you reject the arbitrator’s decision or the manufacturer doesn’t participate.

Note the overlap: Hyundai/Genesis appears in BBB Auto Line for arbitration, while Genesis separately confirmed its own §871.29 opt-in for the court-track procedure. These aren’t contradictory — a manufacturer can offer arbitration and have opted into the new litigation procedure; they’re different remedies you can choose between.

What this means for your timeline

If your manufacturer has opted in (or you can’t confirm either way and want to be safe), send your §871.24 notice using the address above before doing anything else — missing this step can bar you from civil penalties even if your underlying claim is strong. See deadlines and time limits for how the filing window itself works.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my manufacturer opted into AB 1755? Check the table above for the manufacturers we’ve confirmed directly from their own consumer-notice pages. For any brand not listed, the Department of Consumer Affairs publishes an official list by December 15 each year at dca.ca.gov/acp — we recommend checking there directly if your brand isn’t shown here yet.

What if my manufacturer isn’t in either table? It likely means we haven’t yet found or confirmed a public notice page or arbitration-program listing for that brand. Use the case evaluation form and we’ll help track down the current process for your specific manufacturer.

Does arbitration replace going to court? No. DCA-certified arbitration (BBB Auto Line, CDSP, CAP-Motors) is optional and free. You generally keep the right to sue afterward if you reject the arbitrator’s decision.

Sources

Manufacturer consumer-notice pages (Genesis, Kia, Subaru, Infiniti, Ford, Polaris) accessed September 2026. California Department of Consumer Affairs, Arbitration Certification Program, consumer and manufacturer pages (dca.ca.gov/acp). Code of Civil Procedure §§871.20–871.30; Civil Code §1794(c) — leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

This page is attorney advertising and general information, not legal advice. Manufacturer notice addresses change; verify directly with the manufacturer before relying on any address here. See our terms and privacy policy.