Washington Lemon Law

Washington Lemon Law RCW 19.118.005

Washington Lemon Law protects a person with a new vehicle, including a new motorcycle, designed for the transportation of people or property over the public highways. This law includes the chassis of motor homes, but not trucks with more than 19,000 pounds of gross weight.

Terms: 4 repair attempts or 30 calendar days out of service. 2 attempts for a serious safety defect within 2 years or 24,000 miles of purchase.

What is the Lemon Law?

The Washington State Motor Vehicle “Lemon Law” was enacted to help new vehicle owners who have substantial continuing problems with warranty repairs. The law allows the owner to request an arbitration hearing through the Lemon Law Administration of Attorney General’s Office. An owner can request arbitration under Lemon Law at any time within 30 months of the vehicle’s original retail delivery date. There will be no charge for the arbitration process. After an arbitration hearing, an arbitrator will decide whether a consumer’s claim meets the requirements under the law.

Note: The Lemon Law does not allow a consumer to stop making loan or lease payments while pursuing a Lemon Law claim.

Is Your Vehicle a Motor Home?

There are additional requirements and limitations if your vehicle is a motor home. The motor home requirements are described in the Motor Home Lemon Law booklet available from the Lemon Law Administration. It is also downloadable from the Lemon Law website.

Which Vehicles Are Eligible?

The Lemon Law covers most classes of new motor vehicles including “demonstrators” originally purchased or leased at retail in Washington.

Note – Armed Forces Provision: If you are a member of the armed forces stationed or residing in Washington, a new vehicle brought with you from another state is also covered by Washington’s Lemon Law if it was purchased or leased with a manufacturer written warranty within the last 30 months and the vehicle otherwise meets the definition of a ‘new motor vehicle’.

The following vehicles are not covered by the Lemon Law:

Motorcycles with engine displacements of less than 750 cubic centimeters;

Trucks over 19,000 lbs. gross weight rating;

Vehicles purchased or leased (as a group or under a single contract) by a business as part of a fleet of 10 or more.

You do not have to be the original owner to request arbitration. Later owners of a vehicle may request arbitration if the vehicle was purchased or leased:
within two years of delivery to the original retail consumer and within the first 24,000 miles of operation the vehicle meets the other eligibility requirements and

A Request For Arbitration is received by the Lemon Law Administration within 30 months of the original retail delivery date.

What is a “Lemon”?

Your vehicle may qualify as a “lemon” if it has one or more significant defects that have been subject to a “reasonable number of attempts” to diagnose or repair the problem(s) covered under the manufacturer’s warranty. The law covers only defects that “substantially impair” the use, value, or safety of the motor vehicle.

A manufacturer is required to repurchase or replace a vehicle with a ‘nonconformity’ or ’serious safety defect’ after a “reasonable number of attempts” have occurred. A “reasonable number of attempts” are different for each claim category.

At the arbitration hearing, the arbitrator will ask you to identify the basis for your claim under the Lemon Law including the type of each defect that occurred in your vehicle and the claim categories.

Washington Lemon Law RCW 19.118.005