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Understanding Connecticut Lemon Law
“Lemon laws” enacted across the United States help protect consumers who purchase defective vehicles and compensate them for their losses.
Additionally, a powerful federal law known as the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act provides protection for consumers who purchase cars that are having problems under the manufacturer’s warranty. Some lemons may eventually be recalled by the manufacturer, if the problems are systemic.
The Connecticut lemon law covers passenger vehicles, passenger/commercial vehicles, and motorcycles sold or leased in the state.
The lemon law defines a “passenger vehicle” as one used for the private transportation of persons and their belongings designed to carry occupants in comfort and safety. A passenger vehicle must have no less than half its total area enclosed by the outermost body contour lines used for seating positions. A passenger vehicle may not have a seating capacity greater than 10 people including the operator.
Connecticut’s lemon law protects consumers who purchase or lease vehicles in the state. It further protects those to whom the vehicle is transferred within the express warranty’s duration, and anyone else entitled to enforce the warranty’s obligations.
The Connecticut lemon law covers “nonconformities,” defined as any defect or condition that substantially impairs the use, safety or value of the vehicle to the consumer. The law does not, however, cover nonconformities as a result of abuse, neglect, or unauthorized modifications by the consumer.
The lemon law states a consumer must report a nonconformity to the manufacturer within two years following the original delivery of the vehicle or the first 24,000 miles of operation, whichever is sooner. The manufacturer must then make necessary repairs to conform the vehicle to its warranty.
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The manufacturer must replace or repurchase the nonconforming vehicle if they are unable fix the problem after a reasonable number of attempts. The Connecticut lemon law defines “reasonable number of attempts” as four or more attempts for the same nonconformity, without success. After that, or if the vehicle is out of service for a cumulative total of 30 calendar days, the manufacturer must repurchase or replace the vehicle. These repairs must be undertaken within two years of the vehicle’s delivery or within the first 24,000 miles of operation.
The Connecticut lemon law compels manufacturers to repay the full contract price of the vehicle when repurchasing. They must also pay all collateral charges, including sales taxes, license and registration fees, and other government charges. The manufacturer must also pay all finance charges incurred by the consumer after the consumer first reports the nonconformity to them. Finally the manufacturer must pay incidental damages directly caused by the vehicle’s nonconformity, including charges for alternate transportation, towing, and lodging.
Connecticut’s lemon law allows manufacturers to withhold a reasonable allowance for the consumer’s use of the vehicle. That allowance is calculated from the number of miles traveled before the manufacturer accepts the returned vehicle.
For more information on arbitration and other frequently asked lemon law questions, click here
The manufacturer must abide by the decision of the arbitrator, while the consumer does not. If dissatisfied with the outcome, a consumer can bring civil action in court. By filing a claim under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, Connecticut consumers can hire lawyers who will represent them without the vehicle owner having to pay any attorneys’ fees directly out of their pocket. This is because the federal Act provides that the vehicle manufacturer shall pay the claimants’ reasonable attorneys’ fees if the claimant prevails against the manufacturer. Lemonlawusa.org encourages vehicle owners with a lemon to obtain a lemon law attorney. You can bet the car manufacturers have legal counsel at the ready to help defend against lemon law claims both in arbitration and in court.
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