District of Columbia lemon law and warranty dispute resources
Status: Official page read; key points summarized. Last checked 2026-10-17.
What the official page says
Source: Consumer Alert: Lemon Law (DC Office of the Attorney General) (read 2026-10-17). This is a summary of that page, not the statute. Exact tests, exclusions and deadlines are on the official page and in the statute, and may have changed.
- The page says the law covers a new motor vehicle sold or registered in the District of Columbia, and does not apply to used cars, motorcycles, motor homes, or recreational vehicles.
- The page says the defect must occur within two years of purchase and before the vehicle is driven 18,000 miles, whichever is earlier, and must be a significant impairment.
- Examples the page gives of a vehicle qualifying: a non-safety problem that continues after 4 or more repair attempts; a safety-related problem that creates a risk of fire, explosion or is otherwise life-threatening and continues after one or more failed repair attempts; or a vehicle out of service for repair of any defects for a cumulative total of 30 days or more.
- The page says the manufacturer must repurchase or replace at the owner's option, and that a repurchase may deduct a reasonable use allowance not exceeding 10 cents per mile beyond the first 12,000 miles.
- The page advises keeping a record of every repair visit, every invoice or repair order, a log of problems with dates and times, and insisting on a repair order that fully describes the defect for each visit.
- The page says dealers reselling a lemon must include the words "manufacturer's buyback".
Numbers the page states
| Item | As stated on the official page |
|---|---|
| Non-safety defect | 4 or more repair attempts |
| Safety-related (fire/explosion/life-threatening) | 1 or more failed attempts |
| Out of service | 30 days or more, cumulative |
| Time/miles | Within 2 years and 18,000 miles (earlier) |
Counting rules differ (calendar days vs. business days, what counts as a repair attempt). Use the repair log tool to organize dates, then confirm how your state counts.
Industry arbitration program summary (not a government source)
BBB National Programs, which runs the BBB AUTO LINE dispute program, publishes a state summary: BBB AUTO LINE: District of Columbia lemon law summary (link checked 2026-10-17). It is published by an industry-linked program, so treat it as a starting point and confirm against the state's own page or statute.
What to do first
- Keep every repair order and receipt. See the records checklist.
- Write down dates and mileage for each repair visit with the repair log tool (nothing is saved or sent).
- Read the federal warranty basics and arbitration pages.
- Consider speaking with a licensed attorney in your state about deadlines. Many have free consultations, but we do not recommend any specific one.