First you have to understand the Ohio Lemon Law and what it covers and then you have to know how to use it. This How-To guide can help you get rid of your lemon motor vehicle
1
What can the Ohio Lemon Law do if I have a lemon vehicle?
Under the right circumstances, it can make the manufacturer replace or buy it back if your vehicle had a defect that substantially impaired the use or value or safety of the vehicle and that was not, or could not, be fixed in a timely manner. In a motorhome vehicle case, however, the law only covers those parts which were NOT part of the permanently installed facilities for cold storage or cooking or consuming of food and for sleeping.
2
Is a motorhome covered by the Ohio Lemon Law?
Yes and no. You start off with the presumption that the vehicle is covered by the Ohio Lemon Law, and then take away from coverage those parts of the motor homes that are "the permanently installed facilities for cold storage, cooking and consuming of food, and for sleeping." That means if the defect deals with the food storage and preparation and eating components of the motor home, or for the sleeping components of the motor home, then the Ohio Lemon Law does not cover it. For everything else, the Ohio Lemon Law covers it.
3
Is a used vehicle covered by the Lemon Law?
Only if you acquired the vehicle within the first year or within the first 18,000 miles after it was sold new.
4
How do I know if I have a lemon?
The manufacturer's dealer is only allowed a limited number of chances to repair defects in your vehicle. If one or more of the following circumstances occurs within the first year or 18,000 miles of operation, then the manufacturer (through its repairing dealer) is automatically presumed to have made a reasonable number of attempts to repair the vehicle, and you've got a lemon. A lemon motor vehicle in Ohio is one where: the same defect has been repaired 3+ times and isn't fixed, or it's been out of service for a total of 30+ days, or there have been 8+ attempts to fix any defect, or there has been at least one attempt to fix a "deadly" defect and it didn't work.
5
I think I have a lemon, so what do I do now?
You are entering the negotiation phase of the process. Contact the manufacturer directly. Write a letter, write an email, send a fax, make a phone call. And make notes of everything as it happens. And send copies to the dealer too. If the problem has not been fixed and you meet any one (or more) of the definitions of a lemon vehicle, ask them to replace it or buy it back. You get your choice. If they won't do it, then you may want to complain to the Ohio Attorney General's Consumer Protection Office or contact a private attorney. Make notes of everything that you say to them and they say to you, so you have a record in case you need it later.
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