District of Columbia Lemon Law Attorneys
You Can Get a Cash Settlement, a Replacement Car, or a Refund with Easy Lemon
The District of Columbia Lemon Law (D.C. Code §50-501 to §50-510) requires manufacturers to repurchase or replace a new motor vehicle with a substantial defect after 4 repair attempts for the same defect (or 1 for serious safety defects) or 30 cumulative calendar days out of service. Under this statute, the manufacturer pays the consumer's attorney fees when the consumer prevails, no attorney fees unless we recover for you. Easy Lemon represents District of Columbia drivers at every stage.
How your District of Columbia claim gets built
Our lemon law work is directed by Steven P. Nassi, Esq., Managing Partner, Easy Lemon by RockPoint Law P.C. A District of Columbia claim gets built on two things: the District of Columbia lemon law statute, and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which applies in all fifty states. Send the repair orders and the purchase or lease paperwork, and we can tell you which of the two fits your vehicle.
Read Steven Nassi’s full bio →Is Your Car a Lemon?
Your car may be a lemon if it keeps going back to the dealer or the mechanic for the same problem. Under District of Columbia law, the defect must make the car unsafe, unreliable or worth much less. The manufacturer or dealer must also have failed to fix it after several tries.
The same noise, shaking or warning light keeps coming back.
The dealer has worked on it multiple times and the problem is still there.
Understanding District of Columbia's Lemon Law
District of Columbia's Lemon Law is found at D.C. Code §50-501 to §50-510 and sets the rules for defective new vehicles in the state.
How District of Columbia's Lemon Law Process Works
Document Your Repairs
Ask for a repair order every time you visit a District of Columbia dealer, even if the technician finds nothing. Under D.C. Code §50-501 to §50-510, these papers prove your repair attempts. Keep every receipt and work order.
Contact Easy Lemon
Send us your records. We check your repair history against District of Columbia's statute and tell you if your car qualifies as a lemon. The consultation is free, with no obligation.
We File Your Claim
We prepare the claim and handle the paperwork. This includes any notice to the manufacturer that D.C. Code §50-501 to §50-510 requires.
Manufacturer Response
If District of Columbia law gives the manufacturer a final repair attempt, it gets one. If the defect remains, District of Columbia law entitles you to relief. Most claims then move toward settlement.
Get Compensated
You receive a refund, a replacement vehicle or a cash settlement. No attorney fees unless we recover for you.
Why Choose Us for Lemon Law?
Past Results
We've recovered over $30 million for our clients by securing refunds, cash settlements, and replacements.
Client-Centered Approach
We receive positive feedback from clients we have represented.
Fee-Shift Representation
Under D.C. Code §50-501 to §50-510, the manufacturer pays the consumer's attorney fees when the consumer prevails. No fee unless we recover compensation.
Focused Results
We know the stress defective vehicles bring, so we simplify the process for you.
At Easy Lemon, your success is our mission. Let us simplify the process and get you the justice you deserve.
District of Columbia Lemon Law Results
These are actual settlements obtained by the firm, shown because we do not yet have enough resolved matters in District of Columbia to report state-level figures. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome; every case is different. See our recent settlements page for more.
Defect: electrical/ technology
Results may vary. Prior outcomes do not guarantee a similar result. Each case is unique and depends on its specific facts and applicable law.
What The Manufacturer May Owe You
Refund
You get your purchase price back, including taxes and fees, minus any use deduction District of Columbia law allows.
Cash Settlement
You receive a payment for the unresolved defect and keep your car.
Vehicle Replacement
You get a comparable new vehicle in place of the defective one, at no extra cost.
Meet Our Legal Team
Our lawyers are only permitted to practice law in the jurisdictions in which they are licensed or have been authorized to practice.
What Our Clients Say
About the District of Columbia Lemon Law
Answers anchored to D.C. Code §50-501 to §50-510, the statute that governs lemon law claims in District of Columbia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still Have Questions?
Our team reviews every case individually. The fastest answer is a free consultation — no pressure, no commitment.
Get a Free Case Review →District of Columbia Lemon Law Arbitration
If BBB Auto Line or an equivalent arbitration program is available to you, the District makes you use it, so for a lot of D.C. owners the program comes before any lawsuit. Which program applies to your car is the first thing we check, and the general questions are in our lemon law FAQ.
A program takes the case once the repair history meets the threshold, 4 repair attempts for the same defect, 1 for a serious safety defect or 30 cumulative calendar days out of service, and after the problem has been reported to the manufacturer, its agent or its authorized dealer. Timing is up to the program. We file with it and send the repair orders and the purchase or lease contract, and when the decision comes it is often binding on the manufacturer. The consumer generally still has the right to appeal to civil court, but appeal deadlines vary, so we want a copy of the decision the day it arrives. Federal law works differently here. Magnuson-Moss requires arbitration before a lawsuit only if the written warranty makes you use a program that meets FTC rules, but a D.C. lemon law claim still goes to the program first when one is available. Most of the District cases we handle settle at the written-demand stage, and a case that a program doesn't resolve usually goes to the District's court of general jurisdiction.
District of Columbia Lemon Law vs Federal Magnuson-Moss
Most District of Columbia cases benefit from invoking both statutes. The District's law has the repair presumption and the buyback remedy. What the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. §2301) adds is a federal fee provision, and it can also cover defects outside the District's lemon law period, so we review every case under both laws and use the stronger one. On repairs, D.C. requires 4 attempts for the same defect, or 1 for a serious safety defect, or 30 cumulative calendar days out of service. But the federal act just asks for a "reasonable number" of repair attempts, and what counts as reasonable depends on the facts. The District's period ends at 18,000 miles or 2 years from original delivery, whichever is earlier, while the federal time limit is the length of the express warranty. The D.C. law is for new motor vehicles purchased or leased in D.C. for personal, family, or household use, while Magnuson-Moss applies to products sold with a written warranty, and that is why used cars often qualify. The District makes you use BBB Auto Line or an equivalent program if one is available, but federal law requires arbitration before a lawsuit only if the written warranty makes you use a program that meets FTC rules, and a case under either law can be heard in state or federal court.
Fees work under both laws. If the consumer prevails in a D.C. case, the manufacturer pays the consumer's attorney fees, and under the federal act the fee rule is 15 U.S.C. §2310(d)(2).
District of Columbia Lemon Law: Statute-Cited Answers
Here are four questions District owners ask us about D.C. Code §50-501 to §50-510, starting with where a case goes if arbitration doesn't end it.
Which D.C. court hears a lemon law or warranty lawsuit if arbitration fails?
A case like that usually goes to the District's court of general jurisdiction, for a car owner in Northwest, Northeast, Southwest or Southeast alike. A Magnuson-Moss claim can also go to Federal District Court if damages are over $50,000 or party diversity permits it (15 U.S.C. §2310(d)(1)). The manufacturer pays the consumer's attorney fees if the consumer prevails, and we handle the case from the first demand through trial with no upfront fee. In the end, which court hears a particular case depends on its facts, the warranty issues involved and the law it is brought under.
What do D.C. lemon law attorneys need from you?
We start with the repair orders. They show the visits, and they also show that you reported the defect, which the dealer then has to pass on to the manufacturer.
- Every repair order from the dealership, including visits where nothing was found
- The purchase or lease contract, which shows the delivery date that starts the 2-year count
- The warranty booklet, which shows the express warranty
- Emails, texts and letters with the dealer or manufacturer
- Receipts for towing, rentals and lodging, since those costs are often recoverable
It helps to write down the date, the mileage and the symptom each time the problem shows up. You can also look up your VIN for recall notices at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Which defect counts as a nonconformity in the District?
A defect has to substantially impair the use, market value or safety of the vehicle, and scratches and small paint flaws usually don't. What District drivers bring us most is engine stalling and misfires, transmission shudder or failure, electrical faults that leave warning lights on, brake and steering problems, and driver-assistance (ADAS) systems that brake or drift on their own, along with recall repairs that did not fix the problem and engines that keep knocking or burn too much oil. When one of these is a serious safety defect, a single repair attempt can be enough in D.C.
A 2022 Jeep Wrangler we handled in South Carolina began pulling right and vibrating at 186 miles, and later it got the "death wobble".
How much comes off a D.C. buyback for the miles I drove?
The manufacturer can deduct an amount for your miles, and states don't all count those miles the same way. One common way is to take your mileage, divide it by a useful life of usually 100,000 to 120,000 miles and multiply by the purchase price. So a smaller divisor means a bigger deduction, and we check the manufacturer's math before anything gets signed. Registration, taxes and finance charges usually come back to you in the refund, and so do towing or rental costs, while attorney fees are paid apart from the buyback.
Serving Drivers Across All of District of Columbia
Easy Lemon represents District of Columbia consumers across all eight wards of the District. We handle D.C. Code §50-501 to §50-510 cases remotely, regardless of city or county.
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