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Lemon law in Ohio
Ohio Lemon Law (Nonconforming New Motor Vehicle Law), Ohio Rev. Code §§ 1345.71 to 1345.78. A new vehicle is presumed a lemon in Ohio when, during the protection period, the same defect was repaired 3 or more times without a fix, or a defect that could cause death or serious injury was repaired 1 or more times, or it was out of service for repairs 30 or more days in total. The protection period is 12 months or 18,000 miles after delivery, whichever comes first. Leased vehicles are covered. Used vehicles are not covered.
At a glance
| Protection period | 12 months or 18,000 miles |
|---|---|
| Repair attempts, same defect | 3 |
| Attempts, serious safety defect | 1 |
| Days out of service | 30 |
| Used vehicles | Not covered |
| Leased vehicles | Covered |
| State arbitration program | No |
| Time limit to file | 5 years from the original delivery of the vehicle |
Who qualifies
Which vehicles
New passenger cars, motorcycles and other noncommercial vehicles built to carry no more than a one-ton load and used only for personal purposes. For motor homes, only the vehicle parts are covered, not the living quarters, and recreational vehicles and mobile homes are excluded.
“The Lemon Law applies to passenger cars, motorcycles and other noncommercial motor vehicles, which are designed to carry no more than a one-ton load and are used exclusively for personal use.”
ohioattorneygeneral.gov
Repair attempts
The same problem has been repaired three or more times and still exists or comes back. Eight or more repair attempts for any problems combined also count.
“Substantially the same nonconformity has been subject to repair three or more times and either continues to exist or recurs”
codes.ohio.gov
Serious safety defects
One failed repair attempt is enough for a problem likely to cause death or serious injury if the vehicle is driven.
“There has been at least one attempt to repair a nonconformity that results in a condition that is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury if the vehicle is driven, and the nonconformity either continues to exist or recurs.”
codes.ohio.gov
Days out of service
The vehicle is out of service for repairs a total of 30 or more calendar days in the first year or 18,000 miles.
“The vehicle is out of service by reason of repair for a cumulative total of thirty or more calendar days”
codes.ohio.gov
Used vehicles
No. The law does not cover vehicles more than one year old or driven more than 18,000 miles. A resold lemon buyback must come with a branded title, a warning notice and a manufacturer warranty.
“Ohio's Lemon Law does not apply to vehicles more than one-year-old or driven more than 18,000 miles.”
ohioattorneygeneral.gov
Leased vehicles
Yes. People who lease a vehicle for 30 days or more are covered.
“Any lessee of a motor vehicle in a contractual arrangement under which a charge is made for the use of the vehicle at a periodic rate for a term of thirty days or more”
codes.ohio.gov
Deadlines
Protection period
One year from original delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first. The problem must be reported in that time, but repairs can continue after it ends.
“during the period of one year following the date of original delivery or during the first eighteen thousand miles of operation, whichever is earlier”
codes.ohio.gov
Time limit to file
A lawsuit must be filed within five years of the original delivery of the vehicle. The time spent in an approved arbitration program does not count against that limit.
“Any action brought under division (A) of this section shall be commenced within five years of the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle.”
codes.ohio.gov
Steps
- 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.
- Check the dates. One year from original delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first. The problem must be reported in that time, but repairs can continue after it ends. A lawsuit must be filed within five years of the original delivery of the vehicle. The time spent in an approved arbitration program does not count against that limit.
- Tell the manufacturer in writing. The law asks for written notice. See written notice below.
- Use the dispute program if one is required. See arbitration below for whether you must go there before court.
- 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
The statute only requires reporting the problem to the manufacturer, its agent or a dealer, and it does not require a final repair attempt. To ask for a refund or replacement, the Attorney General advises sending the manufacturer a certified letter.
“To request a replacement or refund, send a certified letter to the manufacturer.”
ohioattorneygeneral.gov
Arbitration
If the manufacturer has an arbitration program approved by the Attorney General and tells you about it in writing, you must use it before suing. The decision does not bind you unless you accept it. Ohio does not run its own program. The Attorney General approves and supervises manufacturer programs.
“the cause of action under section 1345.75 of the Revised Code may not be asserted by the consumer until after the consumer has initially resorted to the informal dispute resolution mechanism”
codes.ohio.gov
What you get
Your choice of a new replacement vehicle or a refund of the full purchase price, including taxes, fees and finance charges, plus incidental costs such as towing, rental cars, meals and lodging. The statute does not provide a deduction for your use of the vehicle.
“either shall replace the motor vehicle with a new motor vehicle acceptable to the consumer or shall accept return of the vehicle from the consumer and refund each of the following”
codes.ohio.gov
Do it yourself
You can bring a lemon law claim without a lawyer. It takes letters, records and patience. The usual route:
- Put your repair orders in date order and count the attempts and the days out of service.
- Send the manufacturer the letter below, by a tracked method, to the address in your owner's manual or warranty booklet.
- If it offers a final repair, let it try within the time the law gives it.
- If it refuses or does not answer, file with the manufacturer's dispute program or the state program (Ohio Attorney General, Consumer Protection Section), then court if you need to.
- Do not sell or trade in the vehicle while the claim is open.
Letter template for Ohio
[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 Ohio. 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 Ohio Lemon Law (Nonconforming New Motor Vehicle Law) (Ohio Rev. Code §§ 1345.71 to 1345.78), 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 Ohio
The law sets no deduction for the miles you drove: the refund is the full price and the other costs it lists.
Questions people ask about Ohio's lemon law
How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Ohio?
The same problem has been repaired three or more times and still exists or comes back. Eight or more repair attempts for any problems combined also count.
What if the defect could cause a crash or an injury?
One failed repair attempt is enough for a problem likely to cause death or serious injury if the vehicle is driven.
How many days in the shop make a car a lemon in Ohio?
The vehicle is out of service for repairs a total of 30 or more calendar days in the first year or 18,000 miles.
How long does Ohio's lemon law cover a car?
One year from original delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first. The problem must be reported in that time, but repairs can continue after it ends.
Which vehicles does Ohio's lemon law cover?
New passenger cars, motorcycles and other noncommercial vehicles built to carry no more than a one-ton load and used only for personal purposes. For motor homes, only the vehicle parts are covered, not the living quarters, and recreational vehicles and mobile homes are excluded.
Does Ohio's lemon law cover used cars?
No. The law does not cover vehicles more than one year old or driven more than 18,000 miles. A resold lemon buyback must come with a branded title, a warning notice and a manufacturer warranty.
Does Ohio's lemon law cover leased cars?
Yes. People who lease a vehicle for 30 days or more are covered.
Do I have to tell the manufacturer in writing?
The statute only requires reporting the problem to the manufacturer, its agent or a dealer, and it does not require a final repair attempt. To ask for a refund or replacement, the Attorney General advises sending the manufacturer a certified letter.
Do I have to go to arbitration before court?
If the manufacturer has an arbitration program approved by the Attorney General and tells you about it in writing, you must use it before suing. The decision does not bind you unless you accept it. Ohio does not run its own program. The Attorney General approves and supervises manufacturer programs.
How long do I have to file a lemon law claim in Ohio?
A lawsuit must be filed within five years of the original delivery of the vehicle. The time spent in an approved arbitration program does not count against that limit.
What do I get if my car is a lemon in Ohio?
Your choice of a new replacement vehicle or a refund of the full purchase price, including taxes, fees and finance charges, plus incidental costs such as towing, rental cars, meals and lodging. The statute does not provide a deduction for your use of the vehicle.
How much is taken off a buyback for the miles I drove?
The law sets no deduction for the miles you drove: the refund is the full price and the other costs it lists.
Who pays the lawyer in a Ohio lemon law case?
Yes. An owner who wins a lawsuit recovers reasonable attorney fees and all court costs. In Ohio, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.
Can I keep driving my car during a lemon law claim?
Usually, yes. Keep it maintained and insured, and do not sell or trade it in while the claim is open: a buyback needs the car. If the defect makes it unsafe, stop driving it and tell the dealer and the maker in writing.
Do I need a lawyer for a lemon law claim?
No. You can bring a claim yourself. The steps and a letter template are on this page. A lawyer knows what makers offer in cases like yours and what the use deduction should be. In Ohio, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.
Find a Ohio lemon law lawyer
Yes. An owner who wins a lawsuit recovers reasonable attorney fees and all court costs.
“shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney's fees and all court costs”
codes.ohio.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 Ohio cases like yours. The firm contacts you, and you decide whether to hire them.
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Who pays the lawyer? In Ohio, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.* * So most lemon law lawyers ask nothing up front. Some charge costs, or a share of a settlement: ask before you sign. You never pay us. More
Sources
- Ohio Rev. Code §§ 1345.71 to 1345.78, Ohio Lemon Law (Nonconforming New Motor Vehicle Law)
- Ohio Attorney General, Consumer Protection Section
- 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.