The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act in Washington, D.C.

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq.) is the federal warranty law that runs alongside D.C.’s lemon law. It’s a valuable second route — for federal court, for excluded vehicles, and for used vehicles the main lemon-law remedy doesn’t reach.

Why it matters here

• Fee-shifting — § 2310(d)(2) lets a prevailing consumer recover attorney fees. See attorney fees.
• Broader coverage — it reaches vehicles outside the lemon law, including motorcycles, many RVs, and used vehicles still under a written warranty (D.C.’s main remedy excludes used vehicles, leaving only disclosure rules).
• Federal court — claims can be brought in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (D.D.C.).

What it covers

Magnuson-Moss governs written and implied warranties on consumer products. A breach of a written warranty — or of the implied warranty of merchantability — not cured after a reasonable opportunity supports a claim for damages and fees.

How it works with D.C. law

Most D.C. cases use all three tools:

1. The D.C. Lemon Law (§ 50-501) — refund or replacement through the Board of Consumer Claims Arbitration.
2. Magnuson-Moss — a federal-court route with fee-shifting, reaching excluded and used vehicles.
3. The CPPA — treble-or-$1,500 damages, fees, and punitive damages for deceptive conduct.

Bottom line

Magnuson-Moss adds federal-court fee-shifting and coverage for motorcycles, RVs, and used vehicles the D.C. lemon law leaves out — a valuable backstop. Get a free case review.

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