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Lemon law in Oklahoma
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Oklahoma Lemon Law (Motor vehicles - Repairing under warranty), Okla. Stat. tit. 15, § 901. A new vehicle is presumed a lemon in Oklahoma when, during the protection period, the same defect was repaired 4 or more times without a fix, or it was out of service for repairs 30 or more days in total. The protection period is 12 months after delivery, whichever comes first. Used vehicles are not covered.
At a glance
| Protection period | 12 months |
|---|---|
| Repair attempts, same defect | 4 |
| Attempts, serious safety defect | Not set |
| Days out of service | 30 |
| Used vehicles | Not covered |
| Leased vehicles | See below |
| State arbitration program | No |
| Time limit to file | See below |
Who qualifies
Which vehicles
New vehicles that must be registered in Oklahoma, except vehicles over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. Recreational vehicles are covered regardless of weight.
“"Motor vehicle" means any motor-driven vehicle required to be registered under the Oklahoma Motor Vehicle License and Registration Act, excluding vehicles above ten thousand (10,000) pounds gross vehicle weight.”
oklegislature.gov
Repair attempts
The car is presumed a lemon if the same defect has been repaired four or more times within the warranty term or first year and still exists.
“The same nonconformity has been subject to repair four or more times by the manufacturer or its agents or authorized dealers”
oklegislature.gov
Serious safety defects
The law does not say.
Days out of service
The car is presumed a lemon if it is out of service for repair a total of 30 business days during the warranty term or first year, whichever ends first.
“The vehicle is out of service by reason of repair for a cumulative total of thirty (30) business days during such term or during such period, whichever is the earlier date.”
oklegislature.gov
Used vehicles
No. The law applies to new motor vehicles, and Oklahoma has no separate used car lemon law.
“if a new motor vehicle does not conform to all applicable express warranties”
oklegislature.gov
Leased vehicles
The law does not clearly say. It defines a consumer as a purchaser, though its use allowance formula refers to the purchase or lease price.
“A reasonable allowance for use shall be the purchase or lease price of the new motor vehicle multiplied by a fraction”
oklegislature.gov
Deadlines
Protection period
The defect must be reported during the express warranty term or within one year after delivery, whichever ends first.
“during the term of such express warranties or during the period of one (1) year following the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle to a consumer, whichever is the earlier date”
oklegislature.gov
Time limit to file
The law does not say.
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. The defect must be reported during the express warranty term or within one year after delivery, whichever ends first.
- 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
Yes. The owner must report the defect directly and in writing, and the presumption only applies after the manufacturer gets prior direct written notice and a chance to fix it.
“the manufacturer has received prior direct written notification from or on behalf of the consumer and has had an opportunity to cure the defect alleged.”
oklegislature.gov
Arbitration
If the manufacturer has an informal dispute program that meets federal rules, the owner must use it before getting a refund or replacement. Oklahoma does not run its own state arbitration program.
“the provisions of subsection C of this section concerning refunds or replacement shall not apply to any consumer who has not first resorted to such procedure.”
oklegislature.gov
What you get
The manufacturer must refund the full price including taxes and registration fees (not interest), minus a use allowance, or replace the car with a comparable new model the owner accepts. The allowance counts only miles driven beyond 15,000, divided by 120,000, times the price.
“refund to the consumer the full purchase price including all taxes, license, registration fees and all similar governmental fees, excluding interest, less a reasonable allowance for the consumer's use of the vehicle”
oklegislature.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 (Oklahoma Attorney General, Consumer Protection Unit), then court if you need to.
- Do not sell or trade in the vehicle while the claim is open.
Letter template for Oklahoma
[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 Oklahoma. 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 Oklahoma Lemon Law (Motor vehicles - Repairing under warranty) (Okla. Stat. tit. 15, § 901), 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 Oklahoma
The refund is reduced for your use of the car: the price times the miles driven, counting only those over 15,000, divided by 120,000. For a $40,000 car with 6,000 miles at the first repair and 15,000 now, that is about $0.
Questions people ask about Oklahoma's lemon law
How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Oklahoma?
The car is presumed a lemon if the same defect has been repaired four or more times within the warranty term or first year and still exists.
How many days in the shop make a car a lemon in Oklahoma?
The car is presumed a lemon if it is out of service for repair a total of 30 business days during the warranty term or first year, whichever ends first.
How long does Oklahoma's lemon law cover a car?
The defect must be reported during the express warranty term or within one year after delivery, whichever ends first.
Which vehicles does Oklahoma's lemon law cover?
New vehicles that must be registered in Oklahoma, except vehicles over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. Recreational vehicles are covered regardless of weight.
Does Oklahoma's lemon law cover used cars?
No. The law applies to new motor vehicles, and Oklahoma has no separate used car lemon law.
Does Oklahoma's lemon law cover leased cars?
The law does not clearly say. It defines a consumer as a purchaser, though its use allowance formula refers to the purchase or lease price.
Do I have to tell the manufacturer in writing?
Yes. The owner must report the defect directly and in writing, and the presumption only applies after the manufacturer gets prior direct written notice and a chance to fix it.
Do I have to go to arbitration before court?
If the manufacturer has an informal dispute program that meets federal rules, the owner must use it before getting a refund or replacement. Oklahoma does not run its own state arbitration program.
What do I get if my car is a lemon in Oklahoma?
The manufacturer must refund the full price including taxes and registration fees (not interest), minus a use allowance, or replace the car with a comparable new model the owner accepts. The allowance counts only miles driven beyond 15,000, divided by 120,000, times the price.
How much is taken off a buyback for the miles I drove?
The refund is reduced for your use of the car: the price times the miles driven, counting only those over 15,000, divided by 120,000. For a $40,000 car with 6,000 miles at the first repair and 15,000 now, that is about $0.
Who pays the lawyer in a Oklahoma lemon law case?
Yes. An owner who wins in court recovers all costs and reasonable attorney fees. In Oklahoma, 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 Oklahoma, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.
Find a Oklahoma lemon law lawyer
Yes. An owner who wins in court recovers all costs and reasonable attorney fees.
“the consumer shall recover all costs and reasonable attorney fees as determined by the court.”
oklegislature.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 Oklahoma cases like yours. The firm contacts you, and you decide whether to hire them.
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Who pays the lawyer? In Oklahoma, 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
- Okla. Stat. tit. 15, § 901, Oklahoma Lemon Law (Motor vehicles - Repairing under warranty)
- Oklahoma Attorney General, Consumer Protection Unit
- 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.