Lemon Law Basics: Utah Lemon Laws
Summary of Utah Lemon Law
What vehicles are covered under Utah lemon law?
Utah lemon law covers motor vehicles to be driven on public roads and
that are sold in Utah. Motorcycles and the vehicular portions of motor
homes are included. Used vehicles, off-road vehicles, tractors, and vehicles
with a gross vehicle weight of more than 12,000 pounds are not covered
by Utah lemon law.
What protections do I have under Utah lemon law?
Utah lemon law says that if a consumer reports a serious defect which
prevents the vehicle from conforming to its warranty to the manufacturer
within the warranty period or the first year of ownership, the manufacturer
must repair the nonconformity even if the repairs extend outside of the
warranty period. Serious nonconformities negatively affect the vehicle's
use, safety, or value. Manufacturers are not liable for nonconformities
caused by abuse or modification by the consumer.
If the manufacturer is unable to repair the nonconformity after a reasonable
number of attempts, the vehicle must be repurchased or replaced.
What steps must occur before seeking settlement under the Utah lemon
law?
Utah lemon law presumes that the manufacturer has had a reasonable chance
to repair the nonconformity after four attempts to repair the same nonconformity
or thirty business days during which the vehicle was out of commission
for repairs. These repair attempts must occur during the warranty period
or first year of possession.
Filing a claim under Utah lemon law
According to Utah lemon law, before bringing the case to court the consumer
must attempt to resolve the problem using an informal settlement board
if the manufacturer has one in place.
What are the settlement details under Utah lemon law?
If an owned vehicle is repurchased under Utah lemon law, the manufacturer
must pay a sum which includes the full purchase price, including sales
tax, tags, registration, and extended warranties. A reasonable offset
for use of the vehicle may be subtracted from this sum. The offset is
calculated by a fee of not less than $0.10 per mile and not more than
$0.21 per mile.
If a leased vehicle is repurchased under Utah lemon law, the manufacturer
must pay a sum which includes the vehicle's full purchase price, trade-ins,
security deposits, and the remainder of outstanding payments on the vehicle.
A reasonable amount for vehicle usage can be subtracted from this sum,
as indicated above.
If a vehicle is replaced under Utah lemon law, the new vehicle must be
a similar make or value as the original, and must include the same service
contracts, warranties, etc. as the original. The consumer must pay the
manufacturer a sum for usage of the vehicle, as indicated above.
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