Ohio Lemon Law Attorney: Your Partner in Seeking Justice

There are a few requirements that determine whether your new vehicle is covered by Ohio Lemon Law:

• The vehicle must be a car, SUV, truck, passenger van, motorcycle, motor home (but NOT the parts designed for sleeping, dining, cooking or storage), or other non-commercial vehicle.
• The vehicle cannot be registered in Ohio as a commercial vehicle.
• The vehicle must be purchased or leased from a licensed dealer in Ohio, or registered in Ohio at the time the Lemon Law claim is made.

No, boats do NOT qualify as vehicles under Ohio’s Lemon Law but there are other laws that can help boat owners if they buy or lease one that’s defective.

Not every vehicle defect or problem qualifies you for a Lemon Law claim (although there may be other laws available to make a claim and get compensation).

Ohio’s Lemon Law requires:

• One or more defects or problems that substantially impair the use, value, or safety of the vehicle.
• The defects or problems are covered by the vehicle’s written warranty.
• At least one of the defects or problems has not been repaired or corrected by the car dealer after three attempts (in other words, you need to give the car dealership at least three chances to repair or correct the defect before you file a Lemon Law claim), BUT if one of the defects or problems is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury if the vehicle is driven, the dealer has only one chance to correct that defect.
• If various defects and problems have arisen with the vehicle, the dealer has not repaired or corrected all of them after eight attempts.
• BUT if the vehicle has been out-of-service because of one or more defects–or any other problems or malfunctions–for a cumulative total of 30 or more days, you can file a Lemon Law claim EVEN IF the dealer hasn’t had three chances to fix a single defect or eight chances to fix multiple defects.
• A dealer must give you a fully itemized statement of the work each time you take the vehicle in for repair or service, including information about any parts installed and labor performed.

Ohio’s Lemon Law provides for two remedies – you choose the one you want:

• A refund of the purchase price: If the owner or lessee chooses to receive a refund, the vehicle’s manufacturer is required to pay back:
  • The vehicle’s purchase price (not the market price, or its current value, but the purchase price you paid according to the original invoice or lease contract, including any credit your received for the trade-in of your old vehicle).
  • The sales tax, license/registration fees, and finance charges you paid.
  • The down payment, loan, and lease payments you’ve made.
  • The cost of any options or other modifications installed in the vehicle by the manufacturer or dealer.
  • The cost of any rental car you needed while the vehicle was being repaired.
  • Towing and repair costs, attorneys’ fees, expert fees and court costs.

• A replacement vehicle: If you’d rather get a brand-new vehicle that operates correctly, you have the option of receiving a comparable vehicle (same make, model, and trim level) with credit for all of your payments as if you still owned the original vehicle. In other words:
  • Your loan or lease continues at its current unpaid balance and will still run for the original term (it is not extended).
  • Your prior payments are counted toward the loan or lease as if you still owned the defective vehicle.
  • In other words, if you were in month six of a four-year car loan or lease when the defective vehicle was replaced, your next payment with the new car counts as payment number seven under your loan or lease.
  • If you choose the replacement vehicle remedy, the manufacturer also pays your rental car expenses, towing and repair costs, attorneys’ fees, expert fees, and court costs.

If the problems with your new car started after the first year or 18,000 miles, you may still be protected under other consumer protection laws. For example, if the vehicle is still covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, you may have a Breach of Warranty claim or a Fraud Claim.

If you purchase or lease a used vehicle in Ohio that is still covered by its written warranty from the manufacturer, you can make a claim under the Lemon Law until one year after its sale to the original owner, or the vehicle has been driven a total of 18,000 miles, whichever comes first.

The Lemon Law is designed so that the owner of a defective vehicle is fully reimbursed and not stuck paying additional expenses or costs. The law includes a fee-shifting provision that requires the vehicle manufacturer to pay all attorneys’ fees and other legal costs if the consumer wins the case, IN ADDITION TO reimbursement for all repairs and service visits at the dealer.

All your expenses are paid whether you choose the refund remedy or replacement vehicle remedy.

Yes, we file Lemon Law claims for vehicle owners throughout Ohio, no matter where they live in the state. If we need to have an expert inspect your vehicle and write a report, we will send that person to you. If you have moved outside of Ohio and are looking for a Michigan Lemon Law lawyer, we can help.

We work tirelessly to get our clients back on the road and with money back in their pockets as soon as possible, with a goal of settling each case within the first 30 to 90 days. We’re also not afraid to file suit against the manufacturer if they refuse to give our clients everything they’re legally entitled to.

Even if the repairs and issues with your vehicle don’t fit within the parameters of Lemon Law, they may qualify as unreasonable under other state or federal consumer protection laws. As the Lemon Law lawyer Ohio residents have come to rely on, we’ll pursue all available legal recourse, adapting strategies to meet federal or Ohio laws. Call Timothy Abeel & Associates at 888.830.1474 or contact us online to find out if you have a breach of warranty or loss in value claim.

If you suspect that you have a defective car, a Lemon Law claim may be your course of action. You wouldn’t be the first person saddled with a nonconforming motor vehicle. However, understanding your rights is the first step toward a resolution.

Timothy Abeel & Associates, P.C. works to get the owners of defective or malfunctioning vehicles the settlement they deserve as fast as possible. Give our firm a call at 888-830-1474 to find out what you are entitled to as a consumer.

Yes. Ohio state law allows consumers five years from the vehicle’s original delivery date to file a claim. You can also extend this limit if an arbitration board is reviewing your claim.

However, your Ohio Lemon Law attorney must file a claim to the arbitration board within the five-year window. Otherwise, no extension will apply to your case.

If your claim is outside the five-year limit, you may still be able to make a claim. Lemon Law lawyers in Ohio can file your case via the Magnuson-Moss Act, which provides a longer window to file your claim.

The Magnuson-Moss Act covers cars for the entirety of their warranties, so if you have an extended warranty, you may be able to file your claim up to a decade after the delivery date.

Yes. All vehicles sold through Ohio auctions are protected under Lemon Laws and the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. 

However, most auctioned vehicles would not qualify under Lemon Laws because they are typically older than one year. Likewise, Magnuson-Moss claims must be made for defects while the vehicle was still under warranty.

If you’ve recently purchased a defective vehicle from auction, contacting a lawyer is still a wise course for obtaining advice on the best way forward.