What is RV (Recreational Vehicle) Lemon Law? What it covers?

The federal RV Lemon Law was designed to protect your rights when your new RV turns sour and the manufacturer’s dealer is unable to fix it within a reasonable number of attempts or a reasonable amount of time.
WHAT DOES THE LAW COVER?

The “federal lemon law” covers your RV. Do not be dissuaded by your dealer, or others telling you your RV’s problems are too small to be of any consequence. As you know, little problems can add up, causing your RV to spend many days in the repair shop.

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is a federal law that provides protection to buyers of products that cost $25 or more and come with a written warranty. This law applies to any product you buy that does not perform as it should, including mobile homes and travel trailers. The Magnuson-Moss statute gives consumers considerable rights in dealing with manufacturers of lemon recreational vehicles by guaranteeing minimum repair performance requirements and also by providing for disclosure of warranties before purchase.

One of the Act’s purposes

Both major and minor defects and conditions are covered under the Act. For example, although defects or conditions that diminish your ability to use the RV as intended are almost certainly actionable, a number of relatively minor defects whose cumulative total adds up to a substantial impairment may also entitle you to monetary relief. Courts have found warranty breaches to occur after as little as two or three unsuccessful repair attempts to a cure a particular defect and where there have been six to eight repairs to the product as a whole.

A consumer may pursue legal action in any court of general jurisdiction in the United States to enforce his rights under the Magnuson-Moss Act. Attorney’s fees based on actual time spent will be covered if the consumer prevails. This particular condition puts quite a bit of financial pressure on the manufacturer to settle consumer disputes with minimal court involvement.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I THINK MY RV IS A LEMON?

Make certain you keep good records of all actions you take to your problem, including repair orders to date, the bill of sale, warranty information, manufacturer supplied manuals that came with your motor home. Document all phone calls in writing. A “paper trail” can be used to back up your claim, and will provide confirmation of all repair attempts and the total amount of time your RV has spent out of service.

It is best to contact an attorney who can advise you on how to proceed should you suspect your RV might be a lemon.