Washington Lemon Law

Washington's Lemon Law (RCW 19.118) covers new passenger cars and trucks, motorcycles of 750 cc or more, and demonstrators originally purchased or leased at retail in Washington that have a serious defect or nonconformity. Coverage extends to a subsequent owner who acquired the vehicle within two years of the original retail delivery and within the first 24,000 miles. The defect must continue to substantially impair use, market value, or safety after a reasonable number of repair attempts. Motorcycles under 750 cc, trucks over 19,000 lbs gross weight, and fleet purchases of 10 or more vehicles are excluded.

RCW 19.118.041 deems a manufacturer to have made a reasonable number of repair attempts when any one of the following occurs: the same serious safety defect has been the subject of two or more repair attempts; the same nonconformity has been the subject of four or more repair attempts; the vehicle has been out of service for diagnosis or repair for a cumulative 30 or more calendar days (with at least 15 days during the warranty period); or two or more different serious safety defects each subject to at least one repair attempt occur within 12 months. At least one repair attempt must occur during the manufacturer's warranty period.

Used vehicles can qualify if they were originally sold or leased at retail in Washington and the subsequent owner acquired the vehicle within two years of the original retail delivery and within the first 24,000 miles, while still covered by the original manufacturer's written warranty. Vehicles sold 'as-is' or outside the original warranty period generally do not qualify. There is no separate Washington used-car lemon law, although the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and Washington's Consumer Protection Act may still provide remedies for misrepresented or defective used vehicles.

Yes. Leased vehicles are covered on the same terms as purchased vehicles, and lessees can file a Request for Arbitration with the Washington Attorney General's Lemon Law Administration. If the case results in a repurchase, the refund is calculated under RCW 19.118.041 and apportioned among the lessee, the lessor, and any lienholder. Like all Washington Lemon Law claimants, lessees must continue making lease payments while the claim is pending — the law does not authorize a payment holiday during arbitration. The 30-month filing window from original retail delivery applies.

A Request for Arbitration must be received by the Washington Attorney General's Lemon Law Administration within 30 months of the original retail delivery date of the vehicle. Before requesting arbitration, you must first send the manufacturer a written request to repurchase or replace the vehicle and give the manufacturer 40 days to respond. Independent civil claims under the Washington Consumer Protection Act follow a four-year statute of limitations, and federal Magnuson-Moss claims generally follow a four-year period from delivery.

Washington's Lemon Law is built around the state-run arbitration program. The Attorney General's Lemon Law Administration screens claims, and if a claim is accepted, the manufacturer is required by RCW 19.118.090 to submit to arbitration. The arbitration is free to the consumer. Either side may appeal the arbitration decision to superior court within 20 days. Independent court claims under the Washington Consumer Protection Act or the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act may be filed directly without arbitration, but the AG-administered program is the central Lemon Law remedy.

If you prevail in arbitration or court, the manufacturer must replace the vehicle with a comparable new vehicle or repurchase it for the full purchase price plus collateral charges (sales tax, license, registration, dealer prep, options), less a reasonable offset for use tied to mileage before the first repair request. Willful violations of the Lemon Law are per se violations of the Washington Consumer Protection Act (RCW 19.86), which authorizes treble damages up to $25,000 and reasonable attorneys' fees in court. Manufacturers that fail to comply with arbitration awards face additional fines under RCW 19.118.095.