Leased Vehicles and the D.C. Lemon Law
How Washington, D.C.'s lemon law covers leased vehicles — lessees are covered consumers (§ 50-501) — and what a lessee can recover through the Board of Consumer Claims Arbitration.
Leased vehicles are covered by D.C.’s lemon law. The statute defines a consumer to include a lessee (§ 50-501), so a lessee gets the same core protection as a buyer.
Leases are covered
Because a lessee qualifies as a consumer, you can pursue a defective leased vehicle through the Board of Consumer Claims Arbitration like any buyer — no need to fall back on federal law for the basic remedy.
What a lessee recovers
A successful lessee claim returns the lessee’s payments and amounts paid (down payment/cap-cost reduction, monthly payments, collateral charges), less the limited use offset (10¢/mile only beyond the first 12,000 miles), and terminates the lease without a defect-related early-termination penalty. The award coordinates the lessee’s and lessor’s interests. See refund.
What a lessee must show
The requirements match a purchase:
- Covered vehicle within the 18,000-mile/two-year window.
- Substantial impairment of use, value, or safety (§ 50-501).
- The presumption — one safety attempt, four general, or 30 days.
- Submitted to the Arbitration Board, with any court action within four years (§ 50-507).
Don’t let the leasing company stall you
Your claim is against the manufacturer, not the leasing company. Keep making lease payments while the claim is pending (stopping can hurt your credit), and let the remedy sort out the money.
Bottom line
D.C. expressly covers leased vehicles — a lessee recovers payments made, less the limited offset, and exits the lease, all through the Board of Consumer Claims Arbitration. Get a free case review.
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