Pennsylvania

Unfortunately, there are very limited rights provided to consumers that have issues after the warranty expires. Most manufacturer warranties promise not to fix a vehicle if it has problems within the warranty period. They promise to make repairs at no cost to the consumer. That means, as often happens, a vehicle goes in multiple times for complaints and repairs covered under the warranty; but when the age or mileage eclipses a certain threshold, it is on the consumer to pay for the repair because of how the warranty language is written.

Typically to avoid any Statute of Limitations issues, a Lemon Law claim must be filed within 4 years from the date of purchase. However, regarding reporting the defect to the dealership to be eligible for Lemon Law compensation a vehicle must be presented for repair within the first year or 12,000 miles. There are other breach of warranty and consumer protection statutes even if the vehicle is presented outside that time frame, and a case could still be quite valuable even if it is not within the prescribed Lemon Law periods.

The Pennsylvania Lemon Law absolutely applies to leased vehicles. Many folks do not know this and just think newly purchased vehicles are eligible. However, the statute clearly states that both purchased OR LEASED new vehicles that are registered in Pennsylvania are indeed eligible.