The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act in Vermont

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq.) is the federal warranty law that runs alongside Vermont’s lemon law. It’s a valuable second route — for court (rather than the Arbitration Board), for excluded vehicles, and for claims outside the one-year-after-warranty filing window.

Why it matters here

• Fee-shifting — § 2310(d)(2) lets a prevailing consumer recover attorney fees, so you can hire a lawyer at no out-of-pocket cost. See attorney fees.
• A longer runway — Magnuson-Moss borrows the state written-contract limitations period, longer than the lemon law’s one-year-after-warranty arbitration deadline.
• Broader coverage — it reaches vehicles outside the lemon law, including motorcycles, many RVs, and used vehicles still under a written warranty.
• Federal court — claims can be brought in the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont.

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 state law

Most Vermont cases use all three tools:

1. The Vermont Lemon Law (§ 4170) — refund or replacement through the Arbitration Board.
2. Magnuson-Moss — a court route with fee-shifting and a longer runway, reaching excluded vehicles.
3. The Consumer Protection Act — exemplary damages and mandatory fees for deceptive conduct.

Bottom line

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

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Vermont Consumer Protection Act (§ 2461)

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