Washington, D.C. Lemon Law Remedies

A successful Washington, D.C. lemon-law claim returns you to where you started — a refund or a replacement, your choice — decided by the Board of Consumer Claims Arbitration, and the CPPA can add some of the strongest damages in the country on top.

The remedies at a glance

• Refund (repurchase) — full purchase price plus sales tax, license, and registration fees, minus a use offset of 10¢/mile only beyond the first 12,000 miles.
• Replacement — a comparable new vehicle; the consumer elects between this and a refund.
• Cash-and-keep — a negotiated settlement where you keep the vehicle for a cash payment.
• CPPA damages — treble or $1,500/violation (whichever is greater), plus punitive damages (§ 28-3905).
• Attorney fees — recoverable in arbitration, under the CPPA, and via Magnuson-Moss.

The consumer chooses

Under § 50-502, the remedy is at the option of the consumer — refund or replacement. If you’d rather exit the brand, demand the refund.

The 12,000-mile free band

D.C.’s use offset is distinctively consumer-friendly. The deduction is 10¢/mile only for miles beyond the first 12,000 (§ 50-502):

Your first 12,000 miles are not charged at all, and miles above that are deducted at no more than 10¢ each.

On a vehicle with 15,000 miles, only 3,000 miles are charged — a maximum offset of $300. See refund.

How the statutes stack

The lemon law delivers the buyback/replacement through the Arbitration Board. The CPPA adds treble-or-$1,500/violation, punitive damages, and fees for deceptive conduct. Magnuson-Moss adds a federal fee hook.

Bottom line

D.C. gives you a consumer-elected refund or replacement with a 12,000-mile free band, plus the CPPA’s treble-or-$1,500 damages, punitive damages, and fees. Get a free case review.

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