Lemon Law Atlas
Ohio

Ohio lemon law: statute text and status

The 8 facts this site tracks for Ohio, each in its current state. 8 of the 8 have cleared this site's verification standard. A fact that has not cleared reads "Pending" and says nothing about what the law is.

Compare Ohio with other states · Ohio statute text and status

The 8 statute facts for Ohio

Each fact below renders only after it clears this site's verification standard against Ohio's own published statute, and carries the source and the date it was checked. How this works.

8 of 8 cells · Verified against the primary source on · Ohio Rev. Code ยงยง 1345.71 to 1345.78 Drafted and cross-checked against primary sources by AI research agents; samples and every correction reviewed by Matt Spencer, the site operator. Not reviewed by an attorney. Legal information, not legal advice.

Statute cite
Ohio Rev. Code Secs. 1345.71 to 1345.78
New vehicles
A passenger car or noncommercial motor vehicle, and the parts of a motor home that are not its permanently installed cold storage, cooking and sleeping facilities. Mobile homes, recreational vehicles and manufactured homes are excluded. The chapter sets no personal, family or household use requirement.
Used vehicles
Yes, by two routes. Someone who takes the vehicle while the original express warranty is still running is a consumer under Sec. 1345.71(A)(3). Separately, a manufacturer buyback cannot be resold in Ohio without a fresh 12-month or 12,000-mile warranty, a written warning before signature, and a branded title (Sec. 1345.76).
Repair attempts
3 repair attempts, same nonconformity.Window the count must occur in: within 1 year of original delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever is earlier.3 conditions apply.
Days out of service
30 cumulative calendar days out of service.Window the count must occur in: within 1 year of original delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever is earlier.2 conditions apply.
Administered by
No standing state board. The Attorney General adopts the rules qualifying a manufacturer informal dispute mechanism, and the Division of Consumer Protection supervises it. The clerk of the court of common pleas issues a branded buyback title on a form the Registrar of Motor Vehicles prescribes.
What the law says about the remedy, word for word

Who chooses, and what a replacement has to be

the manufacturer, at the consumer's option and subject to division (D) of this section, either shall replace the motor vehicle with a new motor vehicle acceptable to the consumer or shall accept return of the vehicle from the consumer and refund each of the following:
Ohio Rev. Code Sec. 1345.72(B) · in force since September 15, 1999 · codes.ohio.gov

Attorney fees and costs

shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney's fees and all court costs
Ohio Rev. Code Sec. 1345.75(A) · in force since September 15, 1999 · codes.ohio.gov

What is deducted for the use you had of the vehicle

Ohio Rev. Code Secs. 1345.71 to 1345.78 contain no such provision. Two independent AI research passes searched that text and neither found one. The first looked for mileage, use allowance, allowance for use; the second looked for reasonable allowance, allowance, mileage, usage, not to exceed, offset, deduct. Searched 2026-08-31.

That is a statement about the sections named above and nothing else. It is not a statement about the rest of Ohio's law.

The nearest thing the chapter does say is a deduction taken out of the refund by a lienholder or lessor, which is the balance still owed on the loan or lease rather than anything charged for the use of the vehicle.

Prior to disbursing the funds to the consumer, the lienholder or lessor may deduct the balance owing to it, including any fees charged for canceling the loan or the lease and refunded pursuant to division (B) of this section, and shall immediately remit the balance if any, to the consumer and cancel the lien or the lease.
Ohio Rev. Code Sec. 1345.72(D)(1) · quoted because it is the closest provision, not because it is the missing one · codes.ohio.gov

Changes to time limits

Any period of time described in division (A) of this section shall be extended by any period of time during which the vehicle could not be reasonably repaired due to war, invasion, civil unrest, strike, fire, flood, or natural disaster.
Ohio Rev. Code Sec. 1345.73(B)(1) · in force since September 29, 2011 · codes.ohio.gov

Two independent readings of Ohio Rev. Code Sec. 1345.73(B)(1) agree on what it reaches and what it does to each thing it reaches. It extends "Any period of time described in division (A) of this section", and that is the window the presumption must arise within: "during the period of one year following the date of original delivery" (Ohio Rev. Code Sec. 1345.73(A)). Any time added under it lengthens that window. The same words also reach the count the presumption requires: "a cumulative total of thirty or more calendar days" (Ohio Rev. Code Sec. 1345.73(A)(2)). Any time added under it raises that count, so more qualifying days are needed before the presumption arises. The same presumption is also bounded by "during the first eighteen thousand miles of operation, whichever is earlier" (Ohio Rev. Code Sec. 1345.73(A)), which this clause does not reach.

Filing deadline
Five years from the date of original delivery, tolled while a complaint sits with an informal dispute resolution mechanism.

Government offices

Government offices for Ohio. This site is not a government agency and is not affiliated with any office listed here. This section names which office does which job and how to reach it, as each office describes itself on its own website on the date shown. It does not say what Ohio law requires, whether any program or remedy applies to you, what anything costs, or what deadlines apply. An office missing from this list is not a statement that no such office or program exists. Offices change names, phone numbers and addresses, so confirm with the office itself.

Ohio Attorney General