For more general information about the process of buying a vehicle, visit the Buying a Vehicle page.

Oregon’s lemon law extends protection to two years or 24,000 miles from the purchase or lease of a new vehicle. If your vehicle is a lemon, you can receive a replacement or a refund, less a reasonable allowance for use of the vehicle.

To Use Oregon’s Lemon Law

To qualify for protection under Oregon’s Lemon Law:

• A part or system under warranty must not be working. The problem must be significant enough to substantially reduce the vehicle’s use, value or safety.
• Each malfunction must be reported to the manufacturer or dealer. They will have an opportunity to fix the problem.
• At least three failed attempts to fix the problem must be made (at least one attempt if the problem is likely to cause injury or death), or the vehicle must be in the shop for a combined total of 30 or more calendar days (60 or more calendar days for a motor home).

Note: Oregon does not have a three-day right of cancellation for vehicle purchases. So unless it is in your sales contract, you cannot return your vehicle without a legal reason.

If you have been sold a lemon, contact a private attorney to discuss your options. The Oregon State Bar referral service can help you find an appropriate legal representative and can be reached at 503-684-3763 or toll-free in Oregon at 1-800-452-7636. Please visit the Oregon State Bar » for more information.

Resources

• BBB AUTO LINE » – The Better Business Bureau’s BBB AUTO LINE is one of the largest and longest-running dispute resolution programs in the United States. The BBB AUTO LINE program resolves consumer vehicle warranty complaints through a mediation process and, if necessary, an arbitration hearing. When consumers are not able to resolve warranty concerns by working directly with their dealer or the manufacturer’s customer service team, BBB AUTO LINE provides a fast, fair, and free way to resolve the dispute.