California-based law firm Prestige Legal Solutions to pay $125,000 to settle claims of deceptive advertising

Prestige Legal Solutions, a California-based law firm with offices in Washington, will pay $125,000 to settle claims that the firm sent misleading letters to more than 700,000 Washingtonians deceptively implying that their cars were “lemons” subject to a safety recall or class action settlement. 

Between December 2024 and June 2025, the firm sent advertising letters to thousands of Washington consumers that stated: “Our investigation shows your vehicle may be a lemon, and you may be entitled to a refund, or monetary compensation under Washington’s Lemon Law,” even though the firm had not verified that any of the consumers’ cars were, in fact, defective. Instead, the firm merely reviewed internet forums and websites related to the automotive industry and sent advertisements based on that general information. As a result, thousands of Washingtonians reached out to the firm only to learn that their vehicles were not, in fact, lemons under the law.  The envelopes deceptively suggested that the contents contained “settlement information.” After receiving these advertisements multiple consumers complained to the Attorney General. 

Prestige Legal Solutions also employed Google AdWords and search engine optimization to ensure that if a consumer searched for Washington lemon law information, they would find Prestige Legal Solution’s website, which deceptively claimed a “99% win rate”. 

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) administers the Lemon Law program, which helps consumers who purchase or lease a new vehicle that turns out to have substantial defects. In recent years, as more consumers have sought compensation from car manufacturers for defective new vehicles under Washington’s Lemon Law, private attorneys like Prestige Legal Solutions have tried to capitalize on that demand. 

“Our office prioritizes helping consumers get relief if their new cars have major problems, and we’ve done so successfully, returning more than $18 million to Washington consumers last year alone,” Attorney General Nick Brown said. “People do not need to use a private attorney to access help through the Lemon Law program, but this firm sent misleading advertising to hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians, trying to drum up business by preying on their fears about the safety of their vehicles. Today we’re holding them accountable for their deceptive marketing practices.”

The Lemon Law program helps consumers arbitrate with the vehicle manufacturer without cost to the consumers. If an arbitrator determines the vehicle counts as a “lemon,” the manufacturer must replace or repurchase the vehicle. 

The program is funded with a $3 statutory fee paid when a consumer buys or leases a new vehicle.  Increasing costs and a higher number of requests from consumers have made it more difficult for the program to keep up with demand in recent years, and the fee has not covered the costs of running the program for at least the last six years. A bill to address rising costs failed to pass in the Legislature in the 2026 session.

A copy of the settlement agreement with Prestige Legal Solutions is available here.

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