Hiring a Lemon Law Lawyer in Washington
The Washington lemon law for new cars, the rules for used cars, where to file a complaint, how to check a lawyer's license, and free help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Washington: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Under Washington RPC 1.5(c), a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client and must state how the fee is determined, including the percentage(s) for settlement, trial or appeal; litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery; and whether expenses are deducted before or after the fee is calculated, clearly notifying the client of expenses owed whether or not the client prevails. At the end, the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the remittance and how it was determined. Where all or part of a recovery is paid in the future, the percentage fee is paid only as the client receives the amounts, or applied to the actual cost of the settlement or award to the defendant. RPC 1.5(d) bars fees in domestic relations matters contingent on securing a dissolution or annulment or on the amount of maintenance, support or property settlement, and contingent fees for defending a criminal case. |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Washington State Bar Association does not resolve fee disputes. It refers people to Resolution Washington and to the Washington State Dispute Resolution Centers listed by the courts. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | The WSBA's Client Protection Fund, overseen by the Client Protection Board, aims to relieve or mitigate a client's financial loss caused by a licensed legal professional's dishonesty or failure to account for money or property entrusted in connection with their law practice. Complete the Application Form (English or Spanish) and email it with supporting documents to cpfund@wsba.org; the CPF Procedures document is linked on the page. |
Washington rules to know first
| Lemon law for new cars | Washington's Motor Vehicle Warranties Act covers new self-propelled vehicles, including motorcycles, originally bought or leased at retail from a Washington dealer or leasing company (fleet purchases are excluded; motor homes have special rules). The eligibility period is two years from delivery or the first 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. If the manufacturer cannot fix a defect, serious safety defect or condition that substantially impairs use, value or safety after a reasonable number of attempts, it must, at the consumer's option, replace or repurchase the vehicle within 40 calendar days of the consumer's written request; a repurchase refunds the purchase price, collateral charges and incidental costs, minus a use offset. A reasonable number of attempts is presumed within the eligibility period if: the same serious safety defect was diagnosed or repaired two or more times; the same nonconformity four or more times; the vehicle was out of service 30 calendar days (at least 15 during the warranty); or two or more different serious safety defects were each subject to repair within 12 months (with at least one attempt for each during the warranty). Disputes can go to a state new motor vehicle arbitration board through the Attorney General; the consumer may accept or reject the decision and appeal to superior court. |
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| How to make a lemon law claim | 1) Report the problem to the manufacturer, its agent or the selling dealer during the eligibility period (two years or 24,000 miles from original delivery, whichever comes first) or the manufacturer's warranty period, whichever is shorter. Keep the itemized repair orders the dealer must provide. 2) Written request: after a reasonable number of repair attempts, the consumer sends a written request for repurchase or replacement to the manufacturer's corporate, dispute resolution, zone or regional office; the manufacturer has 40 calendar days to replace or repurchase the vehicle. (Motor home owners have a separate notice and final-repair-attempt requirement.) 3) Arbitration (required before suing): the consumer must use either the state's new motor vehicle arbitration board or, if offered, the manufacturer's qualifying informal dispute program before filing in superior court. To use the state program, the consumer submits a request for arbitration to the Attorney General, which reviews it within 10 days and assigns accepted disputes to an independent arbitration board. The hearing is held within 45 days of assignment and the decision is due within 60 days. Manufacturers must take part if the request is made within 30 months after original delivery. The statute charges no fee at filing; instead, a $3 arbitration fee is collected from buyers when a new vehicle is sold or leased. 4) After the decision: the consumer has 60 days to accept or reject it. A consumer who rejects it may appeal to superior court for a new trial within 120 calendar days of the rejection. If the board rules for the consumer, it must also award reasonable costs and attorney fees when the manufacturer was represented by counsel (RCW 19.118.090(6)(b)). |
| Where to file a consumer complaint | Consumers can file a complaint online with the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division or mail a paper form to the Consumer Resource Center, 800 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2000, Seattle, WA 98104. The Consumer Resource Center offers informal complaint resolution: it notifies the business of the written complaint and helps the two sides communicate to resolve it. A separate Lemon Law Program handles new-vehicle complaints. Phone: 1-800-551-4636 (Washington only) or 206-464-6684, weekdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Online complaint form: https://www.atg.wa.gov/file-complaint |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Washington State Bar Association does not provide referrals to private attorneys. It points the public to local county bar association referral services in Clark, King, San Juan (by email request), Snohomish and Tacoma-Pierce Counties, and to the American Bar Association's lawyer referral directory. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Washington State Bar Association's Legal Directory lets anyone search currently licensed Washington lawyers (and limited practice officers and limited license legal technicians) for contact, license and discipline information. It shows license status and type (such as Active, Inactive, Suspended or Disbarred), email and phone, city, county and zip, and discipline notices on the profile; it does not show admission date or full street address. Practice details are voluntary and may be incomplete. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | The Washington State Bar Association reviews complaints (grievances) about a lawyer's ethical conduct. File online with the E-Grievance Form or print the Grievance Form and mail it to Washington State Bar Association, 1325 Fourth Ave., Suite 600, Seattle, WA 98101-2539; questions to intake@wsba.org or 800-945-9722 (206-443-9722 local). The WSBA suggests reading its guide 'Lawyer Discipline in Washington' and the grievance FAQ first. For help reestablishing communication or getting your client file, use the Request for Assistance Form instead. Discipline notices appear on lawyers' Legal Directory profiles. Online grievance form: https://onlinegrievance.wsba.org/ |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | CLEAR (Coordinated Legal Education, Advice and Referral), run by the Northwest Justice Project, is a legal advice and referral hotline for low-income Washington residents with civil legal problems (incomes at or below 125% of the poverty line). Outside King County, call 1-888-201-1014 weekdays 9:15 am-12:15 pm; King County residents call 2-1-1 (weekdays 8:00 am-6:00 pm). Seniors 60+ can call CLEAR*Sr at 1-888-387-7111. Court-affiliated self-help centers also offer free, limited legal services to self-represented litigants. LSC lists the Northwest Justice Project as its Washington grantee. LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
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All legal help in Washington · Background guide
Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.