IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING FILING DEADLINES

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING FILING DEADLINES:

As you review the specific steps necessary to pursue a lemon law claim, keep in mind that your arbitration claim must be filed with the appropriate forum no later than 60 days after the expiration of the Lemon Law rights period, which is defined as the period ending 24 months after the date of the original delivery of the motor vehicle to a consumer. **Filing a copy of your Defect Notification Form with the Attorney General’s Lemon Law Arbitration Division is not the equivalent of filing a claim; it is part of one of the steps necessary to be eligible to file a claim.**

What is the appropriate forum, and how do the filing deadlines apply?

• If your manufacturer has a state-certified program (click here) you must file your arbitration request with that program no later than 60 days after expiration of the Lemon Law rights period. If a decision is not rendered within 40 days, or if you are not satisfied with the program’s decision or the manufacturer’s compliance with that decision, you can file a Request for Arbitration Form with the Attorney General’s Lemon Law Arbitration Division. The Request for Arbitration Form must be received by the Division no later than 30 days after the final action of the certified procedure (or 60 days after expiration of the Lemon Law rights period, whichever is later), or the claim cannot be heard.

• If your manufacturer does not have a state-certified program, you must have your Request for Arbitration Form filed with the Attorney General’s Lemon Law Arbitration Division no later than 60 days after expiration of the Lemon Law rights period.

Failure to meet these deadlines will result in loss of your Lemon Law arbitration rights.