Washington Lemon Law Buyback Calculator

A Washington lemon law buyback centers on the vehicle's purchase price, reduced only by a mileage offset for pre-defect use. That offset is generally figured as (miles at first repair attempt ÷ 120,000) × purchase price. For a $40,000 truck with 9,000 miles when the defect first appeared, the offset is about $3,000, leaving roughly $37,000 in refundable purchase price before incidental damages such as sales tax, license fees, and finance charges are added back.

Washington recognizes a "lemon presumption" that shifts the burden to the manufacturer once your repair history crosses set thresholds. If the dealer cannot fix the same substantial, warranty-covered defect after 4 repair attempts, or if the vehicle is out of service for a cumulative 30 days, the vehicle is presumed to be a lemon. This presumption generally applies within the first 24 months or 24,000 miles of ownership.

Washington's state lemon law generally covers new vehicles purchased with a manufacturer's warranty. If your vehicle is used or falls outside the state statute, you may still have a claim under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which applies to written warranties nationwide.

Washington's lemon law requires a consumer to exhaust the new motor vehicle arbitration board remedy, or a manufacturer's informal dispute resolution procedure, before filing any superior court action (RCW 19.118.080(3)). A manufacturer must submit to that arbitration if the consumer requests it within 30 months from the date of the vehicle's original delivery to a consumer at retail and the Attorney General accepts the dispute for arbitration; for a motor home the 30 months are extended by the time the manufacturers take to complete the final repair attempt (RCW 19.118.090(3)). Chapter 19.118 states no separate period for the court action itself. A licensed attorney can confirm which deadline applies to your vehicle. When a vehicle qualifies, Washington requires the manufacturer to repurchase or replace it rather than keep attempting repairs. Washington's lemon law works through the state arbitration board, which must award the consumer reasonable costs and attorneys' fees when it awards remedies and the manufacturer was directly represented by counsel (Revised Code of Washington 19.118.090(6)(b)); if the decision goes to superior court and the consumer prevails, the recovery includes the attorneys' fees and costs of that court action (19.118.100(3)).