Understanding Pennsylvania Lemon Laws

The Pennsylvania (PA) Automobile Lemon Law protects consumers who purchase or lease new cars or used cars from automobile dealers in the state. Out-of-state automobile purchases, including leased vehicles, are also covered by the Lemon Laws. Consumers must register the vehicles with the PA Department of Transportation (PennDOT) at the time of purchase.
 
The cars must be used for personal or family transportation reasons; however, vehicles that are designed to seat more than 15 people are not covered by the law, and neither are motorcycles and mobile homes.

Protections provided under the PA Automobile Lemon Law include:

• Eligibility to have the manufacturer fix problems (not caused by the lemon car owner) free of charge.
• The problems must cause the lemon to be dangerous to operate or drive (i.e. faulty breaks or transmission), cause the owner to have to use the vehicle sparingly (i.e. inoperable air conditioner), or lower the vehicle’s value (i.e. chipped paint, dents).
• To be eligible to have the lemon replaced, refunded, or repaired free of charge, the problems must occur within one year of the vehicle’s purchase date or before the owner has driven the vehicle 12,000 miles.
• Automobile owners must return the lemon to the manufacturer’s authorized auto repair shop.
• If the manufacturer permits the automobile owner to take the vehicle to a mechanic of their choosing, the owner must keep detailed receipts of each repair made to the vehicle, including the date, type, and amount of the repairs.

PA’s Automobile Lemon Law states that lemon cars that cannot be fixed within one year or 12,000 miles of the date of purchase or before the manufacturer’s express term warranty expires (whichever occurs first), might qualify to be replaced by the manufacturer at no cost to the owner. The owner can also request to receive a refund, less the wear and tear placed upon the vehicle since it was purchased. If the owner is unable to resolve the issue with the manufacturer, they should contact a Lemon Law attorney.

Manufacturers cannot resale or lease the lemon to another consumer without providing the consumer with the same one year, 12,000 mile or express term warranty that the original purchaser received. They must provide the next consumer who purchases the lemon with a written statement that declares that the vehicle was repurchased due to existing damages that were no fault of the original buyer.

PA Lemon Laws also require the manufacturer to pay a $22.50 fee and apply for a branded lemon law title from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). As long as the vehicle is sold, leased or registered in the state of Pennsylvania, the branded lemon law title will continue to be listed in PennDOT and the PA Bureau of Motor Vehicles databases. Questions about the PA Automobile Lemon Law can be directed to a Lemon Law lawyer or to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Lemon Law Hotline at (800) 441-2555.