Pennsylvania Lemon Law
The Pennsylvania Automobile Lemon Law applies to any new vehicle purchased and registered in
Pennsylvania for personal or family use and designed to transport up to 15 persons. Motorcycles,
motor-homes and off-road vehicles are not included.
Under the law, the manufacturer must, at no cost to the purchaser, repair or correct any defect
which substantially impairs the use, value or safety of the vehicle and which occurs within one year
after delivery, or 12,000 miles of use, or the term of the manufacturers express warranty, whichever
comes first.
If the defect cannot be repaired after 3 attempts, or if the vehicle is out of service for a
total of 30 calendar days for repair, you may be eligible for a replacement vehicle or the refund of
the purchase price, less a limited allowance for use.
First, contact the manufacturer's zone representative at the telephone number listed in your
owner's manual. If the zone representative is not successful in having the defect corrected, you may
request an arbitration of your case through the manufacturer's dispute settlement program if one
exists.
The arbitration decision is binding on the manufacturer, but not on the consumer, who may proceed
further by bringing a private lawsuit.
If the manufacturer has not established an appropriate dispute resolution procedure, you may
initiate a legal action at the outset.
Some important requirements of the law are:
You are responsible for delivering the vehicle to the manufacturer's authorized repair facility
unless it would be unreasonably difficult to do so. In that case, you must give written notice to
the manufacturer so that arrangements can be made for transporting the vehicle, at no expense to
you, to a repair site.
Each time your vehicle is repaired, the repair facility must give you a detailed statement
itemizing all repairs made, and the cost of parts and labor.
Your rights under this law will not apply if the defect is the result of your abuse, neglect or
alteration of the vehicle.
If a vehicle has been returned to the manufacturer for defects, it may not be resold in
Pennsylvania unless the manufacturer provides the consumer with:
A written statement that the vehicle was returned because of a defect which was not cured within
a reasonable time, and
The same express warranty provided originally, except that it may last only for 12,000 miles or
12 months after the resale date.
Vehicles with defective braking or steering systems likely to cause death or serious bodily
injury if driven may not be resold in Pennsylvania.
For complete advice concerning your legal rights, click here to consult a Pennsylvania Lemon Law attorney.
Most of the information on this page is provided by the state of Pennsylvania, which this website is not affiliated with.
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