The Lemon Law in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's Automobile Lemon Law covers new vehicles designed to carry no more than 15 people, bought or leased and registered in Pennsylvania for personal, family or household use, including motorcycles (but not motor homes or off-road vehicles). The manufacturer must repair, at no cost, a defect that substantially impairs the vehicle's use, value or safety that occurs within one year of delivery, the first 12,000 miles, or the warranty term, whichever comes first (for motorcycles, one year or the warranty term). If it fails after a reasonable number of attempts, the manufacturer must, at the buyer's choice, replace the vehicle with a comparable one or refund the full purchase or lease price, including collateral charges, minus a use allowance of no more than 10 cents per mile or 10% of the price, whichever is less; a refund must be paid within 30 days of the buyer's choice. A reasonable number of attempts is presumed if the same defect was repaired three times and still exists, or the vehicle was out of service 30 or more calendar days. If the manufacturer has a qualifying informal dispute program, the buyer must use it before suing, but its decision does not bind the buyer. A buyer who sues may recover reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs.

1) Repairs: the defect must occur within one year after delivery, the first 12,000 miles, or the warranty term, whichever comes first (for motorcycles, one year or the warranty term). The purchaser must take the vehicle to the manufacturer's authorized repair facility in Pennsylvania; if the defect makes that impossible, written notice of the defect to the manufacturer or its repair facility counts as returning the vehicle. Keep the itemized repair statements the dealer must provide each visit. When the vehicle comes back to the same dealer a second time for the same defect, the dealer must notify the manufacturer by certified mail within seven days. The Act does not require a separate written notice from the consumer or a final repair attempt before a claim. 2) Arbitration: if the manufacturer has an informal dispute settlement procedure that complies with federal rules (16 C.F.R. part 703), the purchaser must use it first before suing over defects affecting use, value or safety. The decision is not binding on the purchaser, who may then sue. The Act does not create a state-run arbitration program or set a consumer fee. 3) Lawsuit: the purchaser may file a civil action in a court of common pleas and, if successful, recovers reasonable attorney's fees and court costs. The Act does not state a specific deadline to sue.