Lemon Law Basics: Rhode Island Lemon Laws
Summary of Rhode Island lemon law
What vehicles are covered under Rhode Island lemon law?
Rhode Island lemon law covers all vehicles sold, registered, or leased
in the state which have a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or less.
Cars, trucks, motorcycles, and vans are all included, but motor homes
are not.
What protections do I have under Rhode Island lemon law?
Rhode Island lemon law says that if you report a serious defect which
prevents your vehicle from conforming to its warranty within the term
of protection, then the manufacturer must repair the nonconformity even
if these repairs extend beyond the term of protection. The term of protection
is defined as one year or 15,000 miles. Serious defects negatively affect
the vehicle's value or usability. Manufacturers are not liable for nonconformities
that were caused by abuse or neglect of the vehicle by the consumer.
If the nonconformity is not repaired after a reasonable number of attempts,
Rhode Island lemon law states that the manufacturer must repurchase or
replace the vehicle.
What steps must occur before seeking settlement under Rhode Island
lemon law?
Rhode Island lemon law presumes that the manufacturer has had a reasonable
attempt to repair the nonconformity if, during the term of protection,
there have been four unsuccessful attempts to repair the same nonconformity,
or the vehicle has been out of commission for repairs for 30 calendar
days.
After the presumption has been fulfilled, the manufacturer must be notified
in writing and must be given seven days in which to attempt a final repair
attempts.
How do I file a claim under Rhode Island lemon law?
If the manufacturer has an informal settlement process in place, Rhode
Island lemon law says that you must attempt to reach resolution using
this process before bringing the case to court.
What are the settlement details under Rhode Island lemon law?
If a vehicle is repurchased under Rhode Island lemon law, the manufacturer
must pay an amount which includes the full purchase or lease price of
the vehicle, sales tax and registration fees, finance charges, and installed
options. Costs directly related to the nonconformity, such as towing and
alternate transportation, are also included. The manufacturer may deduct
an offset for the consumer's usage of the vehicle from this amount. The
offset is calculated by dividing the miles on the vehicle by 100,000 and
multiplying the result by the total contract price or lessee costs.
If a vehicle is replaced under Rhode Island lemon law, the new vehicle
must be similar to the old. If the manufacturer financed the original
vehicle, the terms of finance for the new vehicle must also be similar.
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