Under Ohio Lemon Law, owners and lessees who believe they’ve been sold a “lemon” car – a vehicle with an irreparable manufacturer defect that significantly impairs its value and/or safety – are entitled to financial remedies, such as replacement or repurchase.
Like lemon laws of other states, Ohio lemon law includes its own unique set of eligibility requirements related to vehicle type, consumer type, nonconformity, reasonable repair attempts, and claim filing periods.
Lemon law eligibility requirements have a determinative effect on a vehicle owner’s outcome in lemon law claims and their award amount.
As such, working with a qualified and experienced lemon law attorney, like those of the Robison Lemon Law Group, is an integral component of ensuring your claim is filed properly and results in the maximum compensation you’re entitled to under the law.
Additionally, under Ohio lemon law, consumers are entitled to recovery of all (“reasonable”) attorney’s fees and court costs, eliminating the financial concerns that can be associated with retaining an attorney.
If you’re interested in filing a lemon law claim or have questions pertaining to lemon law eligibility, contact our dedicated team of attorneys for your free consultation today.
How Ohio Defines What a Lemon Car Is
A lemon car is generally understood to be a vehicle with a serious and irreparable manufacturer defect that significantly impacts its value, safety or utility.
Explicitly under Ohio Lemon Law it is defined as a new vehicle with any “nonconformity” – a defect or condition – that:
- Substantially impairs the use, value or safety or a motor vehicle to the consumer
- Does not conform to the express written warranty of the manufacturer or distributor
- Is not the result of abuse, neglect, or unauthorized modification or alteration
Vehicles eligible for Ohio lemon law protections are new:
- Passenger cars
- Motorcycles
- ATV’s
- Noncommercial motor vehicles (with a maximum carrying capacity of one ton)
- Motor Homes (excluding parts used for cold storage, cooking, eating and sleeping)
Lemon law protections in Ohio extend exclusively to owners and lessees of new vehicles.
Used cars, scooters, and UTV’s are not covered under Ohio lemon law. However, alternative federal protections, such as the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, do extend to used cars and other non-lemon law eligible vehicles.
Ohio Lemon Law Requirements
As is the case in all states, Ohio lemon law includes a series of strict requirements outlining the types of vehicles covered, eligible problems for lemon law claims, the “reasonable” number of unsuccessful repair attempts a vehicle must undergo, and the time period in which problems must be identified and claims can be filed.
New Car Lemon Law in Ohio
Ohio lemon law requires that all new vehicles:
- Be used primarily for personal (non-business) purposes
- Undergo their first unsuccessful repair within the first year of ownership or 18,000 miles (whichever comes first)
- Be subject to at least 3 unsuccessful repair attempts for the same issue; at least 8 total repair attempts for any issue; or, at least 1 repair attempt for a life-threatening issue
- Be out of service for at least 30 cumulative days
To maintain lemon law eligibility, it is very important to keep all service, repair and warranty records related to the vehicle defect and to immediately notify the manufacturer when a defect has been uncovered.
Breach of Warranty
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act provides federal protections and financial remedies for breach of warranty issues not covered under Ohio lemon law, including those experienced by used vehicle owners and “new” vehicles outside the claim filing period.
Breach of warranty takes place when:
- A vehicle manufacturer or dealer fails to fulfill promises made in the warranty provided at time of purchase.
- A vehicle has undergone at least 3 unsuccessful repair attempts for the same issue.
- A vehicle has been out of service for 30 or more cumulative days (during repair).
- Breach of warranty claims have a claim filing period that extends throughout the entire duration of the manufacturer’s original warranty; which, in Ohio, may exceed that of the five-year time period for filing lemon law claims.
Exceptions to Ohio Lemon Laws
In addition to the eligibility requirements listed above, Ohio vehicle owners will be unable to successfully file a lemon law claim if:
- The claim is filed more than 5 years from the original vehicle delivery date
- The defect is caused by owner abuse, modification or neglect
- The vehicle is used for “business purposes”
Ohio Lemon Law Cases
The Robison Lemon Law Group has successfully litigated lemon law cases related to a litany of vehicle defects, including electrical failures, airbag deployment failures, engine start failures, stop-start malfunctions, brake defects, engine noise, and leaky windows/windshields.
While each lemon law case is unique and past successes are not a guarantee of claim outcomes, hiring an attorney with lemon law litigation experience is the best strategy to ensure the maximum award in your lemon law case.
Talk to an Experienced Lemon Lawyer in Ohio and Get a Free Case Evaluation
Navigating the complex lemon law claims process can be a confusing and unnerving task for many vehicle owners. This is especially true when taking into account the strict eligibility and reporting requirements vehicle owners must adhere to in order to qualify for compensation.
Working with an experienced and qualified lemon law attorney will eliminate much of that stress and maximize a vehicle owners potential claim success and reward amount.
If your new vehicle suffers from a chronic and irreparable manufacturer defect, contact the Robison Lemon Law Group to begin the lemon law claims process with your free consultation today.
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