Oklahoma Lemon Law – Summary
Oklahoma’s lemon laws state that if the buyer or lessee of a vehicle finds a major fault in it – which the manufacturers are unable to fix even after 4 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 express warranty period or 1 year from its delivery, whichever comes first, and if the vehicle meets the eligibility criteria as specified by Oklahoma’s state laws, the owner of the vehicle can claim their lemon aid and demand the manufacturers to provide them with the necessary reimbursement, in the form of a refund or replacement of the faulty vehicle through arbitration. The repurchase costs will also cover any additional costs the owner underwent while purchasing the vehicle, and in case of a replacement, the customer will not be required to pay any additional costs.
Oklahoma Lemon Law Time Limit & Eligibility
The lemon law is applicable to all motor vehicles which have been registered in the state of Oklahoma, with an exception to vehicles which weigh over 10,000 pounds, or the living quarters of motor homes. Any vehicles purchased or leased in the state for purposes other than resale are applicable to receive lemon aid as long as they are under the vehicle’s express warranty, or if it has been 1 year or less since they were originally delivered by the manufacturer. The law protects vehicles which have a nonconformity, i.e. a defect which severely impairs the vehicle’s usage, market value and safety, and has been caused purely by the manufacturer and not due to the owner’s neglect, abuse, or unauthorised attempts of modifying the vehicle.
Oklahoma Lemon Law Used Vehicles
Oklahoma’s lemon laws apply to used vehicles too, as long they fit well within the eligibility criteria. Even if the vehicle has undergone any sort of change of ownership whilst in the 1 year period or warranty period, it is still eligible to claim its arbitrary aid.
Oklahoma Lemon Law Repair Attempts
Upon the discovery of a nonconformity, it is the duty of the manufacturer to repair it. The customer needs to provide the manufacturer a written notification regarding this, and they are given 4 attempts to repair the vehicle following this. If the repair attempts are unsuccessful, or if the vehicle remains out of service for repair reasons for a cumulative of 30 days, the customer is then eligible to file for arbitration. The first repair attempt needs to be made before a period of 1 year from the vehicle’s delivery, or the expiration of the vehicle’s express warranty, whichever comes first, and following this, the repair attempts may continue even beyond this period and the vehicle would still be eligible for receiving its lemon aid if the attempts are unsuccessful.
Arbitration
Before proceeding for arbitration following the unsuccessful attempts, a notice must be provided to the manufacturer, which will then grant them a final repair attempt before the arbitration process begins. If the vehicle fits the eligibility criteria, the customer will then be offered either a refund or a replacement of the vehicle, whichever they prefer. However, if the customer is in any case unhappy with the decision made by the arbitration program, they may then proceed to settle the case in a civil court. This claim needs to be filed within a period of 4 years from the first report of the nonconformity by the owner.
Oklahoma Lemon Law Compensation Repurchase and Replacement
If the customer opts for a repurchase, they will be offered the full purchasing price of the vehicle, including all additional costs incurred, but they will have to pay the manufacturer a reasonable fee for their usage of the vehicle. In case of a replacement, the customer will be provided a new and comparable or identical vehicle, with no additional charges. They will also not be required to pay a fee for the usage of the faulty vehicle.
Other Oklahoma Laws