Idaho Lemon Laws
Idaho’s lemon laws state that if a buyer or lessee of a vehicle finds a major fault in it – which is labeled as irreparable after a certain number of valid attempts by the vehicle manufacturer to repair it – the manufacturer is liable to repurchase or replace the faulty vehicle. This law applies to the vehicle throughout its warranty period, or until 2 years from its delivery or 24,000 miles on its odometer, and if the vehicle meets the eligibility criteria as specified by Idaho’s state laws, the owner of the vehicle can claim their arbitrary aid and request an arbiter to look into the matter and provide them with the necessary reimbursement, in the form of a refund or replacement of the faulty vehicle. The repurchase costs will also cover any additional costs the owner underwent while purchasing the vehicle.
Lemon Law Eligibility in Idaho
Idaho’s lemon laws apply only to vehicles which are purchased and licensed in Idaho, and which weigh less than 12,000 pounds and are used primarily for personal business, family, individual or household purposes. The vehicles not protected by this law include ATVs, trailers, tractors and motorcycles.
The nonconformity that the vehicle suffers from should be one that severely impairs the vehicle’s usability, market value or safety in order to be considered, and the nonconformity must entirely be the manufacturer’s fault and should in no way be caused by an unauthorized attempt to alter the vehicle, or by the owner’s neglect or abuse.
Idaho Lemon Law Time Limit
The Lemon Law Rights period in Idaho includes either the period of time until which the vehicle’s express warranty expires, or for two years from the vehicle’s delivery, or 24,000 miles on the vehicle’s odometer, whichever comes first. Vehicles which have crossed this period are not eligible for a lemon claim any longer. If the repair attempts are initiated within this period, they may continue even after the passage of the lemon law rights period and the vehicle will still be eligible for lemon aid for an additional year, i.e. 3 years from the date of delivery.
Repair Attempts
The number of reasonable repair attempts are 1 for serious defects in the braking and/or steering system which are life-threatening, and 4 attempts for repairing all other faults. If the manufacturer is unable to repair the fault in each of these attempts, or if the vehicle remains out of service for 30 days or more due to repair reasons, the customer may then request a refund or replacement of the vehicle from the manufacturer. To do so, the manufacturer needs to be sent a written notice regarding the problem, and they will be given an additional repair attempt. If the final attempt remains unsuccessful, the manufacturer is then liable to proceed by either repairing or replacing the vehicle.
Idaho Lemon Law Arbitration
To receive a refund or replacement of the vehicle, most Idaho manufacturers are required to undergo an arbitration process. The arbiter will look over the case, study evidence and documents and provide the adequate judgement for the problem, which the manufacturer must comply with. However, if the customer is unsatisfied with the arbiter’s decision, they may proceed to a district court within 30 days of the arbiter’s decision being passed.
This process may also be skipped if the manufacturer does not require an arbitration to be carried out to settle the dispute, and the matter cann directly be taken to the district court.
Idaho Lemon Law Compensation – Repurchase or Refund
If the final arbitration decision is in the customer’s favour, they may opt to receive either a refund or a replacement of the faulty vehicle as per their liking. In case of a refund, the customer will be repaid the full purchasing price of the vehicle, including all additional costs which the customer paid for. In case of leased vehicles, the pro rata of the down payment is refunded to the customer. A replaced vehicle needs to be comparable, if not identical to the original model, and the customer may not be charged any extra fees for the replaced vehicle.
Other Idaho Laws