Ohio Lemon Law

Ohio’s lemon law is codified at Ohio Revised Code § 1345.71 et seq. Unlike Pennsylvania and New York, Ohio has no state-administered arbitration program — Ohio Lemon Law is enforced through court action in the Court of Common Pleas. The Lemon Law itself includes statutory attorney-fee shifting under § 1345.75, making Ohio one of the few states with built-in fee recovery (alongside California, New York, and Pennsylvania).

This page is the hub for our Ohio coverage. Use the topic guides for deeper reading:

• The Law — The Ohio Lemon Law, the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act (CSPA), Magnuson-Moss, repair-attempt presumption, and statute of limitations.
• The Process — Documented repair attempts, manufacturer notice, court action, and CSPA-parallel claims.
• Remedies — Refund, replacement, CSPA treble damages, and statutory attorney-fee recovery under § 1345.75.
• Qualifying Defects — Defect categories that meet Ohio’s “substantially impair” test.
• Vehicle Types — Used vehicles, leases, EVs, motorcycles, RVs, commercial vehicles.
• Manufacturers — Common case patterns by brand in the Ohio market.
• FAQ — Common questions about Ohio lemon-law claims.

Who’s protected

Ohio’s Lemon Law covers:

• New motor vehicles purchased or leased in Ohio for personal, family, or household use.
• Demonstrators sold under new-vehicle warranties.
• Subsequent transferees within the warranty period.

Some commercial-use vehicles may be covered if used primarily for personal purposes. Motorcycles have limited coverage.

The 12-month / 18,000-mile window

Ohio’s eligibility window is 12 months from delivery OR 18,000 miles, whichever first — a slightly broader mileage threshold than Illinois or Pennsylvania (12,000 mi).

Outside the window, CSPA and Magnuson-Moss remain available.

The “reasonable number of attempts” test

Ohio applies thresholds under Ohio Rev. Code § 1345.73:

• One attempt to repair a serious-safety defect (a condition likely to cause death or serious bodily injury); OR
• Three or more repair attempts for the same nonconformity; OR
• Eight or more attempts for any combination of nonconformities; OR
• 30 or more cumulative days out of service.

Ohio’s 1-attempt serious-safety test and its “any combination” 8-attempt test are both unusual — most other states require 3-4 attempts even for safety defects and only count attempts for the same defect.

See our repair-attempt presumption article.

What you can recover

A successful Ohio Lemon Law case typically produces:

• Refund — purchase price, taxes, fees, financing charges, minus reasonable use deduction.
• Replacement — comparable new vehicle.
• Statutory attorney fees under § 1345.75.
• Reimbursement of incidental damages.

The CSPA two-track approach

Most experienced Ohio lemon-law strategy combines:

• Ohio Lemon Law for refund or replacement plus statutory attorney fees.
• Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act (CSPA) for treble damages potential.

CSPA in civil court provides:

• Actual damages.
• Treble damages for “knowing” violations.
• Statutory damages of $200 or treble actual damages, whichever greater.
• Mandatory attorney fees under Ohio Rev. Code § 1345.09.

What to do next

1. Document everything. See our evidence guide.
2. Stay within the 12-month / 18,000-mile window.
3. Send written notice to the manufacturer.
4. File court action in Court of Common Pleas.
5. Get a free case review from an Ohio lemon-law attorney.

Explore Ohio lemon law

Topic

The Law: Ohio Lemon Law and CSPA

The statutes behind an Ohio lemon-law claim — the Ohio Lemon Law (§ 1345.71), the Consumer Sales Practices Act (§ 1345.01), Magnuson-Moss, and timing rules.

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The Ohio Lemon Law Process

Step-by-step: how an Ohio lemon-law case moves through repair attempts, manufacturer notice, BBB Auto Line (optional), court action, and settlement.

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Ohio Lemon Law Remedies

What you can recover under Ohio's lemon-law framework — refund, replacement, cash-and-keep, CSPA treble damages, and statutory § 1345.75 attorney-fee recovery.

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Qualifying Defects Under Ohio Lemon Law

What kinds of vehicle defects qualify for an Ohio Lemon Law refund — the substantial-impairment test under Ohio Rev. Code § 1345.71.

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Vehicle Types Covered by Ohio Lemon Law

How Ohio's Lemon Law applies to used cars, leases, EVs, motorcycles, RVs, and commercial vehicles.

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Ohio Lemon Law Cases by Manufacturer

How the Ohio Lemon Law and CSPA apply to specific manufacturers.

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Ohio Lemon Law — Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the most-asked questions about Ohio's Lemon Law and CSPA.

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