Lemon law in District of Columbia

At a glance

Who qualifies

Which vehicles

Motorcycles, motor homes, recreational vehicles, and public transit buses are not covered.

“The term "motor vehicle" shall not include buses sold for public transportation, motorcycles, motor homes, or motorized recreational vehicles.”

code.dccouncil.gov

Repair attempts

The car is presumed a lemon if the same defect that is not safety-related has been repaired 4 or more times during that period and still exists.

“The same nonconformity, defect, or condition, if it is not safety-related, has been subject to repair 4 or more times by the manufacturer, its agent, or authorized dealer”

code.dccouncil.gov

Serious safety defects

For a safety-related defect, one repair attempt is enough if the defect still exists afterward.

“The same nonconformity, defect, or condition, if it is safety-related, has been subject to repair 1 or more times by the manufacturer, its agents, or authorized dealers”

code.dccouncil.gov

Days out of service

The car is also presumed a lemon if it is out of service for repair of serious defects a total of 30 days or more during that period.

“on a cumulative total of 30 days or more during either period, whichever is the earlier date.”

code.dccouncil.gov

Used vehicles

No. The Lemon Law does not apply to used cars.

“The Lemon Law does not apply to used cars, motorcycles, motor homes, or recreational vehicles.”

oag.dc.gov

Leased vehicles

Yes. A person who leases the vehicle during the warranty counts as a consumer.

“any person to whom the motor vehicle is leased or otherwise transferred during the duration of a warranty applicable to the motor vehicle”

code.dccouncil.gov

Deadlines

Protection period

The first 18,000 miles or 2 years after delivery to the original buyer, whichever comes first.

“during the first 18,000 miles of operation or during the period of 2 years following the date of delivery of the motor vehicle to the original purchaser, whichever is the earlier date”

code.dccouncil.gov

Time limit to file

A lawsuit under this law must be filed within 4 years of the original delivery of the vehicle.

“Any action brought pursuant to this chapter shall be commenced within 4 years of the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle to the consumer.”

code.dccouncil.gov

Steps

1. Keep every repair order. Each visit to the dealer should give you a work order with the date, the mileage, what you reported and what they did. Ask for one every time, even when they find nothing. These papers are your case.
2. Check the dates. The first 18,000 miles or 2 years after delivery to the original buyer, whichever comes first. A lawsuit under this law must be filed within 4 years of the original delivery of the vehicle.
3. Tell the manufacturer in writing. The law asks for written notice. See written notice below.
4. Use the dispute program if one is required. See arbitration below for whether you must go there before court.
5. Ask for a refund or a replacement, or file. Send the letter, then file before the time limit if the manufacturer will not buy the vehicle back or replace it.

Written notice

You must report the defect to the manufacturer, its agent, or its authorized dealer during the 2-year, 18,000-mile period.

“the consumer shall during that period report the nonconformity, defect, or condition to the manufacturer, its agent, or its authorized dealer.”

code.dccouncil.gov

Arbitration

Yes. To get a refund or replacement, you must first file a claim with the District's Board of Consumer Claims Arbitration. You can go to court if the Board rejects the case or you reject its decision.

“The consumer, in order to seek the refund or replacement provided by this section, shall first submit a claim to the Board of Consumer Claims Arbitration established pursuant to § 50-503 .”

code.dccouncil.gov

What you get

At your choice, the manufacturer must replace the car with a comparable one or take it back and refund the full purchase price.

“the manufacturer, at the option of the consumer, shall replace the motor vehicle with a comparable motor vehicle, or accept return of the motor vehicle from the consumer and refund to the consumer the full purchase price”

code.dccouncil.gov

Do it yourself

You can bring a lemon law claim without a lawyer. It takes letters, records and patience. The usual route:

1. Put your repair orders in date order and count the attempts and the days out of service.
2. Send the manufacturer the letter below, by a tracked method, to the address in your owner's manual or warranty booklet.
3. If it offers a final repair, let it try within the time the law gives it.
4. If it refuses or does not answer, file with the manufacturer's dispute program or the state program (Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, Office of Consumer Protection), then court if you need to.
5. Do not sell or trade in the vehicle while the claim is open.

[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]

[Manufacturer name]
[Address from your owner's manual or warranty booklet]

Re: Lemon law claim, [year make model], VIN [VIN]

I bought (or leased) this vehicle on [date] from [dealer], in District of Columbia. It has a defect that the dealer has not been able to fix: [describe it in one or two sentences].

It has been in for repair of this defect [number] times, on [dates], and out of service for a total of [number] days. Copies of the repair orders are enclosed.

Under Automobile Consumer Protection Act of 1984 (D.C. Code §§ 50-501 to 50-510), I ask you to repurchase or replace the vehicle. Please reply in writing within 15 days. I can bring the vehicle in for a final repair attempt if the law gives you one.

[Your name]
[Phone and email]

What a buyback pays in District of Columbia

The law asks for a reasonable allowance for your use without a fixed formula. Makers and courts often use the one several states write into law: the price times the miles driven before the first repair visit for the defect, divided by 120,000. For a $40,000 car with 6,000 miles at the first repair and 15,000 now, that is about $2,000.

Estimate your buyback

Questions people ask about District of Columbia's lemon law

Find a District of Columbia lemon law lawyer

The arbitrator or arbitration panel may award you reasonable attorney fees along with the law's other relief.

“The arbitrator or arbitration panel may award the claimant the relief provided by this chapter, any relief available under any other law, and reasonable attorneys' fees.”

code.dccouncil.gov

Because the manufacturer usually pays the lawyer's fees when you win, most lemon law lawyers charge you nothing up front. A lawyer also knows what the manufacturer offers in cases like yours and what the use deduction should be.

Send the free case check below and we find a lemon law firm that takes District of Columbia cases like yours. The firm contacts you, and you decide whether to hire them.

Sources

• D.C. Code §§ 50-501 to 50-510, Automobile Consumer Protection Act of 1984
• Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, Office of Consumer Protection
• Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2310, the federal warranty law that also lets owners recover attorney fees.

Each quote above is copied from the page it links to, checked 2026-10-26. If a page has moved, the citation still finds the law.