Five Years after Expansion of Oregon’s Lemon Law, OSPIRG Helps Consumers Navigate Their Rights

Five years after Oregon increased consumer protections through an expanded Lemon Law, OSPIRG today released a resource, “Oregon Lemon Law Guide,” to help consumers know their rights under the law when buying a car.

Oregon’s Lemon Law allows new car owners whose vehicles are persistently malfunctioning to receive a replacement vehicle or some form of compensation if they meet certain criteria. “Oregon Lemon Law Guide” walks consumers through how to know whether the condition of their vehicle may make them eligible to file a claim.

“As someone who is looking to buy a car, it is useful to know how I will be protected if there are defects in a car after my purchase,” said Samantha Hoffman, a student at the University of Oregon.

For consumers who are eligible to make a claim through Oregon’s Lemon Law, OSPIRG’s guide provides step-by-step advice on what they need to do to make a claim for compensation under Oregon’s Lemon Law. Chiefly, the 2009 expansion of Oregon’s Lemon Law gave consumers more time and more miles after the purchase of a vehicle within which a Lemon Law claim could be filed.

“Consumers who are saddled with a defective car may find that they have options rather than simply dealing with the danger or inconvenience of their car’s defects,” said OSPIRG’s Evan Preston. “Our guide can help them through that process.”

Here is OSPIRG’s full “Oregon Lemon Law Guide.”

Find Oregon’s Lemon Law in ORS 646A through the Oregon Legislature’s website.