As per Ohio law, a person buys a lemon when a vehicle is new, and it has at least one repair issue that substantially impairs the use, value or safety of the vehicle. The law only applies to noncommercial vehicles that are designed to carry no more than a 2,000 pound load and used exclusively for personal use. Those vehicles would include cars, vans, SUVs, pickup trucks and even motorcycles. The covered issues must occur within the first 12 months or 18,000 miles of ownership, whichever comes first.
If Repair Issues Arise
If issues contemplated by Ohio’s lemon law arise during the designated protection period, you should take your vehicle back to the dealer or manufacturer. You can then request repairs. The law requires you to give the dealer or manufacturer a reasonable period of time to fix it.
Documenting the Problem
There is no such thing as an inexpensive new vehicle. If you have problems with your vehicle during the 12 month or 18,000 mile protection period, you need to maintain proper documentation along with the repair attempts. You should first outline the vehicle’s problems in writing. After that, write down any of the problems that continue after attempted repairs. Give the dealership or manufacturer a written updated history whenever you bring the vehicle in for repairs. Keep all original documentation for your own records. Read your owner’s manual too and follow all of the recommendations that it has for maintenance.
A Reasonable Opportunity to Repair
There are four ways of showing that reasonable attempts at repairs have been made. They follow:
- Three or more attempts have been made to repair a single problem, but it persists.
- The vehicle has been in the shop for 30 days or more during the protection period.
- Eight or more attempts have been made to repair different issues.
- One or more attempts have been made to fix an issue that can cause death or serious injuries.
As per additional repairs, replacement or a refund on your vehicle under the Ohio lemon law, contact the Krohn & Moss Consumer Law Center at 866-543-5924 for a free case review. You can use our online contact form too at our website. We’ll get you and your vehicle headed in the right direction.
