The Lemon Law in Kentucky

Kentucky's lemon law covers new motor vehicles bought or leased by a Kentucky resident in Kentucky. It does not cover motor homes, motorcycles, mopeds, farm tractors, vehicles with more than two axles, or vehicles substantially altered after the first sale. If the manufacturer cannot fix a defect that substantially impairs the vehicle's use, value or safety after a reasonable number of attempts within the first 12,000 miles or 12 months after delivery (whichever comes first), the buyer must report the defect in writing to the manufacturer. A reasonable number of attempts is presumed if the same defect was repaired four or more times and still exists, or the vehicle was out of service for repair of the same defect for a total of at least 30 calendar days. The manufacturer must then, at the buyer's choice, replace the vehicle or take it back and refund the full purchase price (including finance charges, sales tax, and license and registration fees), minus a reasonable allowance for use. Disputes over refund or replacement must first go through the manufacturer's dispute resolution program before a lawsuit. A lawsuit must be filed within two years after original delivery, and a court may award attorney's fees to a winning buyer.

1) Written notice: if the manufacturer or its agents cannot fix the defect after a reasonable number of attempts during the first 12,000 miles or 12 months after delivery, whichever is earlier, the buyer must report the defect to the manufacturer in writing. 2) Final repair attempt: no separate final-repair step is described. 3) Arbitration is required: disputes over refund or replacement must go through the manufacturer's informal dispute resolution system before the buyer can go to court. Every manufacturer must offer such a system, at no cost to the buyer, for disputes arising in the first 2 years or 25,000 miles of ownership, whichever comes first; it must offer an oral hearing unless the buyer agrees in writing to a decision on documents. A program that complies with federal rules (16 C.F.R. Part 703) and offers an oral hearing also qualifies. The decision binds the manufacturer but not the buyer, unless the manufacturer makes its system binding on both sides and the buyer signs a bold-type disclosure before submitting the dispute. Kentucky has no state-run arbitration program; the Attorney General enforces these requirements. 4) Deadline: any lemon law action must be started within two years after the new vehicle was originally delivered to the buyer. A court may award reasonable attorney's fees to a winning plaintiff.