Washington Lemon Law

Washington Lemon Law

Take Refuge in the Washington Lemon Law

When you purchase a new vehicle, you certainly expect it to operate at its optimum performance. However, there are times when vehicles exhibit significant failures, which can compromise their reliability, value, and general safety. If after going to your dealer for repairs you are unable to resolve the problem, you deserve fair compensation.

In these cases, there are rules such as the Washington State Lemon Law that will allow you to obtain justice for the relevant problems with your vehicle. If this is your case, you should know the particularities of this Washington State law, and how to achieve a favorable result for you.

What Is The Washington Lemon Law?

This law was enacted to protect owners of new vehicles that have significant and ongoing problems with warranty repairs or defects. This law allows for a (free) arbitration hearing to determine if any relief is available to the consumer. This procedure is conducted through the Lemon Law Administration of the Attorney General's Office. It can be requested by the owner within 30 months after the dealer delivers the vehicle.

Vehicles Covered by the Lemon for Cars in Washington

In general, almost all new vehicles (including "demonstrators") purchased or leased are covered by the rule. If you own a motorhome, there are particular regulations that you should consult in a specific annex to the Law. There are some exceptions including:

  • Motorcycles with torques of less than 750cc.
  • Trucks with a gross weight of 19K pounds or more
  • Vehicles purchased or leased under a single business contract as a fleet of 10 or more units.

Who Can Request Arbitration?

The original purchaser is not the only one entitled to claim substantial damages through the Washington Lemon Law. Secondary owners can also claim damages if they meet certain conditions, such as the claim must be made within 2 years of delivery to the original consumer. In that case, the vehicle must have less than 24K miles on it and meet the other requirements outlined in the law. A top Lemon Lawyer such as Allen Stewart will be able to help you determine whether or not your particular case applies.

When Does the Law Apply in Washington?

For a vehicle to be considered a "Lemon" there is a defined criterion in the rule. It must have one or more significant defects. Also, these defects must have been subjected to a "reasonable number of attempts" to repair. Defects are only considered if they "substantially impair" the use, value, or safety of the vehicle. These are the two categories of defects covered by the Act:

  1. Nonconformity: the defect substantially impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle.
  2. Serious Safety Defect: is a defect that directly threatens the life of the driver, and impairs the control or operation of the vehicle.

How Many Is a "Reasonable Number of Attempts"?

There is no set number of repair attempts but depends on the category in which the defect is classified. These are:

  1. Non-conformity not repaired
  2. Major safety defect not repaired
  3. Multiple serious safety defects
  4. Days out of service

Trust the Top Lemon law attorney

If you want the assistance of the best Lemon law experts, you've come to the right place. At Allen Stewart, we have a group of specialist lawyers with years of combined experience in lemon law, and we are ready to obtain justice on your behalf. If you need the best consumer rights lawyer contact us for a free lemon law consultation.

Washington Lemon Law

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