Lemon Law / Ohio Lemon Law


Last updated: September 21, 2024

Ohio Lemon Law - Free Legal Help for OH Drivers from 1-800-LEMON-LAW

Driving a lemon car in Ohio? Call 1-800-536-6652

How does the Ohio Lemon Law protect consumers?

The Ohio Lemon Law provides relief to distressed drivers whose vehicle are out of service repetitively or for an extended period of time. Potential remedies could include a full repurchase, a replacement vehicle, or significant compensation to reflect diminished value. The law also provides 100% cost-free legal representation, so there is no cost and no risk in filing a claim.

When is your vehicle legally a "lemon" in Ohio?

The Ohio Lemon Law applies to new cars, SUVS, motorcycles, and non-commercial motor vehicles, that suffer a defect that cannot be repaired after three or more attempts, or an extended period of time by an authorized manufacturer’s dealership. The first repair must occur within the first 12 months or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Consumers are also covered if their vehicle has been in the shop for eight (8) total repair attempts, regardless if they are for the same or different problems, or one attempt to repair a condition that is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury.

In addition, these laws also apply to vehicles that are in the shop for repair thirty (30) or more calendar days during the first year, and those days do not need to be consecutive.

Michael Sacks of 1-800-LEMON-LAW discusses how you can receive legal help if your new car continues to experience problems

1-800-LEMON-LAW

What happens if your vehicle has repetitive issues, or is out an extended period of time under manufacturer’s warranty, but it falls outside Ohio Lemon Law parameters?

If your vehicle has been out of service extensively under warranty but falls outside the 12 month/18,000 mile parameters of the OH Lemon Law, recourse is still available under a federal law called the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act.

When your vehicle has a warranty, it is supposed to be fixed efficiently and effectively. But what if it is not? As a consequence, you may be eligible to receive compensation that reflects the decreased value of the car due to any issues it has. That troublesome window motor which was ultimately fixed, the air conditioner not producing cool air anymore, water leakage in your trunk finally sealed after numerous attempts as well as several upgrades on your navigation system - all these could amount up to thousands of dollars for you!

Other benefits of this federal law include:

  • Your vehicle remains yours to keep!
  • Your warranty remains valid and they must still repair your vehicle.
  • Your vehicle will not be branded or labeled as a lemon in any way.
  • When trading or selling your car, there is no obligation to reveal that you obtained this money.

The Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, like the Lemon Law, provides consumers with access to no-cost legal aid so they can invoke their rights on a level playing field against manufacturers. But unlike the lemon law, this statute applies to used cars as well!

How does 1-800-LEMON-LAW offer cost-free representation?

Both the Ohio Lemon Law and Federal Magnuson Moss Warranty Act contain a fee-shifting provision. This means that if the consumer prevails, the manufacturer must pay all attorney fees and legal costs on top of what you receive, or as mandatory part of any settlement. If you submit a claim to Kimmel & Silverman, and we accept your case, you will not pay anything out of pocket, win or lose. The fee-shifting provision gives you equal footing when battling against a multi-billion dollar automobile manufacturer.

Are leased cars, SUVs, and trucks covered under this Lemon Law?

Yes, vehicles that are purchased and leased are both covered.

Are motorcycles and RVs covered under the OH Lemon Law?

Yes. Non-commercial motor vehicles, motor homes (except cooking and sleeping facilities), and recreational vehicles are covered under the Ohio Lemon Law Statute.

I have had my car for only a few days and already I am having problems with it. Can I just return it to the dealership?

No. Problems can occur immediately, but if you are interested in opening a claim, you must follow proper procedures. That means making an appointment to have your car examined and repaired, and securing a repair invoice when you pick up your car. Make sure the invoice properly outlines mileage in, mileage out, days out of service, and all of the problems you disclosed to the service manager, as well as how these problems were fixed. These invoices are worth a lot of money to you in any claim, so make sure you keep them in a safe place.

Are used cars covered under Ohio Lemon Law?

While used cars are not covered under Lemon Law, you could still be looking at compensation and cost-free legal help under the Federal Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, provided your vehicle is under a manufacturer’s warranty and back to the shop repeatedly for the same issue, or extensively for a number of issues.

Also, if a dealer misrepresents a car at the time of sale, lying about accident history or not disclosing lemon or salvage history, you may have rights under the Unfair Trade Practices Act. If this has happened to you, email us as soon as possible and we will be happy to assist you.

How can I file an Ohio Lemon Law claim?

Feel free to contact our firm. Give us a call at 1-800-LEMON-LAW (1-800-536-6652) 24 hours a day or fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

Helping Drivers in All Counties Throughout Ohio—We Come To You!

For more than 20 years, Kimmel and Silverman has been providing cost-free Lemon Law representation to consumers throughout Ohio, in every county throughout the state. Our efforts have earned us numerous accolades and we have been featured in hundreds of national and local newscasts and talk shows for our efforts.

Locally, we have been featured on:

  • Action News 13 (Toledo, OH) - Link
  • Cleveland 19 News - Link
  • NBC4 (Columbus, OH) - Link

And don’t miss Michael Sacks with his 1 800 LEMON LAW Lemon-Aid minute every Saturday morning on AutoSmarts Radio on 610 WTVN in Columbus.

DRIVING A LEMON IN OHIO? Make the call to 1-800-LEMON-LAW!

Helping Drivers in All Counties Throughout Ohio—We Come To You!

Kimmel & Silverman, Ohio Lemon Law Attorneys

4031 Colonel Glenn Highway Suite 450 Beavercreek, OH 45431 Phone: (937) 306-7220

Get rid of your lemon! Call 1-800-LEMON-LAW (1-800-536-6652 ) for your FREE case review.