Spokane Lemon Law

Washington's Lemon Law (RCW 19.118) is administered by the Washington Attorney General's Lemon Law Administration, which operates a free state-run arbitration program. Spokane buyers send a Request for Arbitration to the Attorney General; the AG also maintains a regional office at 1116 W Riverside Avenue in Spokane. If the claim is accepted, the manufacturer is required by RCW 19.118.090 to participate in arbitration. Either party can appeal an arbitration decision to Spokane County Superior Court within 20 days. Independent statutory claims under the Washington Consumer Protection Act or the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act can be filed directly in Spokane County Superior Court without arbitration.

Under RCW 19.118.041, your vehicle qualifies once any of these is met during the warranty period: the same serious safety defect has had two or more repair attempts; the same nonconformity has had 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 separate serious safety defects each had at least one repair attempt within 12 months. At least one repair attempt must occur during the manufacturer's warranty period. Before requesting arbitration, you must send the manufacturer a written request to repurchase or replace the vehicle and give it 40 days to respond.

Inland Northwest winters routinely drop into the teens with significant snowfall, and Washington DOT applies magnesium chloride brine and salt on I-90 and major Spokane arterials. Common defects that surface include weak 12V batteries, faulty start-stop systems, EV thermal-management software faults that crater range, HVAC and heater-core failures, and corrosion-related ABS, wheel-speed sensor, and brake-line problems. Defrost failures and brake malfunctions that impair safe driving can qualify as 'serious safety defects' under RCW 19.118.041, which means the two-attempt safety threshold applies instead of the standard four-attempt rule.

No. The Washington Attorney General's Lemon Law Administration handles arbitration statewide and can accommodate hearings in Eastern Washington. The AG maintains a Spokane office at 1116 W Riverside Avenue and the program is designed to be accessible without requiring travel across the state. Hearings can be held in person, by phone, or by video conference, and the consumer pays no filing fee. If you appeal an arbitration decision under RCW 19.118.090, the appeal is filed in superior court in the county where the consumer resides or where the dealership is located, which for most Spokane buyers means Spokane County Superior Court.

Washington's Lemon Law can apply to a used truck if it was originally sold or leased at retail in Washington and you acquired it 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. Many Spokane used pickup sales — especially 'as-is' or outside the original factory warranty — fall outside the Lemon Law. In those cases, the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (for any remaining written warranty or CPO coverage) and Washington's Consumer Protection Act (RCW 19.86) are the usual paths, particularly for misrepresented mileage, undisclosed prior damage, or deceptive sales practices.

Yes, when they arise on a covered new diesel pickup or SUV. Spokane and the surrounding rural counties have a higher share of diesel pickups used for towing, snow plowing, and ranch work, and recurring DEF system faults, DPF regeneration failures, EGR cooler defects, and limp-mode events are common warranty issues. Each documented repair attempt during the warranty period counts toward the four-attempt threshold under RCW 19.118.041, and days the truck sits at the dealer for emissions-related repairs count toward the 30-day out-of-service threshold. Emissions-related drivability defects can also support parallel Magnuson-Moss claims.

A Request for Arbitration must be received by the Washington Attorney General's Lemon Law Administration within 30 months (2.5 years) of the original retail delivery date of the vehicle. The Lemon Law itself has no separate statute of limitations, but the 30-month arbitration deadline is firm. Parallel Washington Consumer Protection Act claims have a four-year statute of limitations, and federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act claims generally run four years from delivery. Because the AG program is free, most Spokane consumers begin with arbitration and reserve a Spokane County Superior Court filing for appeal of the arbitration decision or for separate CPA and Magnuson-Moss claims.