The Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board in Rhode Island

Rhode Island resolves most lemon-law disputes through the Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board under § 31-5.2-7.1 — established and operated by the Attorney General. It is structured, low-cost, and carries an unusually strong appeal deterrent.

How it works

1. Consumer files a request for arbitration (a $20 filing fee; the manufacturer pays $50).
2. Eligibility is determined, then the Board hears the dispute.
3. A decision issues within 90 days of the eligibility determination (§ 31-5.2-7.1(g)(1)).
4. The consumer elects refund or replacement; the manufacturer has 30 days to deliver a replacement or refund.

A state-run, balanced panel

The Board has five members (§ 31-5.2-7.1): the Attorney General or a designee (as director), a public member, the director of revenue or designee, the auto dealers’ association president or designee, and the DMV administrator or designee. Unlike New Hampshire’s consumer-majority board, Rhode Island’s panel is government/industry-balanced — but it is AG-administered, like Maine’s program, and far more accessible than the manufacturer-operated programs of Idaho or the conditional IDS programs of Arizona and West Virginia.

What the Board can order

• Refund — full contract price plus collateral charges (sales tax, registration, finance charges) and towing/rental, minus the 100,000-mile use offset.
• Replacement — a comparable new vehicle (delivered within 30 days).
• The consumer elects between them.

The manufacturer-only, bonded appeal

This is Rhode Island’s signature feature: only the manufacturer may appeal a Board decision to Superior Court — within 30 days, and only by posting a bond equal to the award plus $2,500 (§ 31-5.2-7.1(g)(2)). A consumer who wins arbitration doesn’t have to appeal or fight to keep the award; the bond requirement discourages meritless manufacturer appeals.

$25/day and the doubled award

• The consumer recovers $25 per day for each day the vehicle remains out of use after it should have been returned (if the award is upheld).
• If the court finds the manufacturer’s appeal frivolous or without reasonable basis, it shall double the total award (§ 31-5.2-7.1(g)(2)) — the same powerful deterrent found in Maine.

When to use the Board vs. court

Use the Arbitration Board for a fast, low-cost refund or replacement — it’s the natural first step in Rhode Island. Court comes into play only if the manufacturer appeals, or if a consumer separately pursues Magnuson-Moss or (subject to its exemption) the DTPA.

Bottom line

Rhode Island’s AG-run Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board decides in 90 days for a $20 fee, with the consumer electing the remedy. Its standout protections: only the manufacturer can appeal (bonded), the consumer collects $25/day, and a frivolous appeal doubles the award. Get a free case review before or after the hearing.

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