Kennewick Lemon Law

Washington's Lemon Law is administered through the Attorney General's Lemon Law Administration, not the local superior court. Kennewick residents submit a Request for Arbitration directly to the AG's office; the nearest regional AG office serving Eastern Washington is in Spokane at 1116 West Riverside Avenue. Before filing, you must first send the manufacturer a written request to repurchase or replace and give them 40 days to respond. If the arbitration award is appealed, the appeal is filed in Benton County Superior Court at 7122 West Okanogan Place, Kennewick. The Request for Arbitration must be received by the AG within 30 months of original retail delivery.

Quite possibly. Air-conditioning system failure is recognized under Washington's Lemon Law when it substantially impairs use, market value, or safety, and in a Kennewick summer where cab temperatures can reach 140-plus degrees, an inoperative A/C is more than a comfort issue – heat exposure can become a safety defect for elderly drivers or those transporting children. If the same A/C nonconformity has been the subject of four or more repair attempts within 24 months/24,000 miles (or the vehicle has been out of service 30-plus days cumulatively), the four-attempt presumption under RCW 19.118.041 applies. Keep every dealer invoice including refrigerant recharges, compressor replacements, and blend-door actuator work.

Heat-related defects often present seasonally, which can complicate the four-attempt presumption if the dealer can't reproduce the issue in cooler months. Under RCW 19.118.041, each documented diagnostic visit for the same nonconformity counts, even if the dealer marks it 'no problem found.' Bring the vehicle in during the actual failure conditions, photograph dashboard warning lights with timestamps, and request a written work order for every visit – even when no parts are replaced. If the same overheating, A/C, or battery issue has been documented four or more times, you have hit the statutory presumption regardless of whether the dealer thinks it's a 'climate issue.'

No. Washington's Lemon Law applies to any new passenger car, light truck, or motorcycle of 750 cc or more originally purchased or leased at retail anywhere in Washington. The dealer's location is irrelevant for jurisdiction – what matters is that the original retail sale occurred in Washington and the vehicle is within 24 months/24,000 miles of original retail delivery (with subsequent-owner protection up to that same window). Kennewick buyers regularly purchase across the river in Pasco or up in Spokane, and the AG Lemon Law Administration accepts the Request for Arbitration based on your residence, not the dealership's.

Diesel light-duty and medium-duty trucks are covered if their gross vehicle weight rating is 19,000 pounds or less. That includes virtually every popular diesel pickup sold to Tri-Cities buyers – F-250, F-350 single rear wheel, RAM 2500, RAM 3500 SRW, Silverado/Sierra 2500HD and 3500HD SRW. Dual-rear-wheel one-tons over 19,000 GVWR and Class 4-7 commercial trucks are excluded. Fleet purchases of 10 or more vehicles to a single buyer are also excluded, which can affect agricultural operations around Benton County – individual farm pickups bought one or two at a time remain covered. Common diesel defects include DEF system faults, EGR cooler failures, and turbocharger surging.

Dealer blame-shifting to 'environmental conditions' is common in the Tri-Cities and is not a valid defense under Washington's Lemon Law if the defect itself is a manufacturing or design nonconformity. A correctly engineered air filter, HVAC seal, paint system, or wheel bearing should withstand normal Columbia Basin conditions for the duration of the factory warranty. If the dealer documents the failure but refuses to repair it under warranty by citing 'dust' or 'rough roads,' that refusal itself can become evidence – save the work order, request the technician's written diagnosis, and document the failure photographically. The AG arbitrator decides whether the cause is a defect or genuine abuse.

The Washington Attorney General's Lemon Law Administration must receive your Request for Arbitration within 30 months of the original retail delivery date – this is one of the more generous filing windows in the country. The underlying defect and repair attempts must occur within the 24-month/24,000-mile coverage period, but you have an additional six months to assemble records and submit the arbitration request. If you also intend to pursue parallel claims under the Washington Consumer Protection Act (treble damages up to $25,000 plus fees) or federal Magnuson-Moss, those follow separate four-year statutes of limitations and would be filed in Benton County Superior Court rather than through arbitration.