On the heels of their largest ever recall involving two different problems regarding unexpected acceleration, Toyota Motor Company has just acknowledged that its next-generation Prius, which only went on sale in May of last year, has braking problems. The company is still deciding whether or not to issue a recall on the vehicle, which would continue to worsen confidence in the company and affect some 100,000 vehicles in the U.S. alone.

Such an enormous media spotlight brings pressure on the manufacturer and makes it more possible for consumers to obtain their rights under the Lemon Law. Unfortunately, however, manufacturers usually tend to cover up such problems and “deflect” the customer—showing that California lemon law is still very much needed.

If you ever have the unfortunate experience of purchasing a lemon, you will rapidly discover the necessity of such law. The variety of “tricks” dealers and manufacturers can pull include repairing items that do not actually fix the problem, attempting to convince you that there is actually nothing wrong, “explaining” that the issue is actually part of how the vehicle runs, and more. This “gauntlet” of distractions can actually extend over years and leave you with a non-working vehicle—unless you retain the services of an experienced lemon law attorney.

Faced with the “gauntlet” of deflective tactics in trying to deal with vehicle defects, some consumers simply fold. Or, perhaps having heard stories from others in trying to get such issues resolved, they do not even try. “For every consumer who tries to reject his or her vehicle, there are probably fifteen more who are trying to drive to work, get the children to school, and do all the other driving that a family does in a year,” said leading California lemon law attorney and consumer advocate Norman Taylor. “This is all being done in a vehicle that has substantially impaired use, value and safety—that is, a lemon.”

Taylor has seen and heard many stories of defective vehicles. He has been a California lemon law specialist since 1987, and he and his firm, Norman Taylor and Associates, have handled over 8,000 cases for consumers with a 98 percent success rate.

Instead of giving up, the best thing a consumer can do is not to give up, but to contact a qualified lemon law attorney. “With the many diversionary tactics dealers and manufacturers can use—and we are very familiar with them—it is essential that consumers find protection in the law,” said Taylor.