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Lemon Law Demand Letter — Ohio

In Ohio, a new vehicle is presumed a lemon if, within the first year after original delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first, it has had the same defect repaired three or more times and still unresolved, eight or more repair attempts for any defect, the vehicle out of service a cumulative 30 or more calendar days, or one repair attempt for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury. Below is a ready-to-edit lemon law demand letter with Ohio's statute — the Ohio Lemon Law — already cited; add your vehicle and repair history, then send it to the manufacturer.

Ohio at a glance

  • Coverage window: the first year after original delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first.
  • The tests: the same defect repaired three or more times and still unresolved, eight or more repair attempts for any defect, the vehicle out of service a cumulative 30 or more calendar days, or one repair attempt for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury.
  • What this letter does: you must report the nonconformity to the manufacturer, its agent, or an authorized dealer within the coverage window to trigger the repair obligation — this letter creates a dated written record of that report and of the repair history for the manufacturer’s dispute-resolution program or a lawsuit.
  • Where it escalates: the manufacturer’s informal dispute settlement program certified by the Ohio Attorney General (you must use it first if the manufacturer maintains one and gave you timely written notice of it), or a civil lawsuit filed within 5 years of original delivery.
  • Certified mail with return receipt gives you dated proof the manufacturer received your report of the defect and your repair history.

Lemon Law Demand Letter

Copy the letter below into the editor, replace the text in [brackets] with your details, and PostPal will print and mail it for you.

Subject: Lemon Law Notice — Demand for Repurchase or Replacement
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, Ohio ZIP Code]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email]

[Date]

[Manufacturer Name] — Customer Relations / Owner Relations
[Manufacturer Address — listed in your warranty booklet or owner's manual]

RE: Lemon law notice — demand for repurchase or replacement under Ohio’s Lemon Law
Vehicle: [Year] [Make] [Model], VIN [VIN]

Dear [Manufacturer Name] Owner Relations,

I am the [owner / lessee] of a [Year] [Make] [Model], VIN [VIN], purchased [or leased] new on [Purchase Date] from [Dealer Name] in [City], Ohio.

Since delivery, the vehicle has exhibited the following defect: [describe the defect and how it impairs the vehicle's use, value, or safety]. The vehicle has been presented to your authorized dealer for repair of this defect on the following occasions:

• [Date] — [Repair order #] — [What was done]
• [Date] — [Repair order #] — [What was done]
• [Date] — [Repair order #] — [What was done]

In total, the defect has been subject to [number] repair attempts, and the vehicle has been out of service for [number] days. The defect remains uncorrected.

Under Ohio’s Lemon Law (Ohio Rev. Code §§ 1345.71–1345.78), a manufacturer that cannot conform a new motor vehicle to its warranty after a reasonable number of repair attempts must, at the consumer’s option, replace the vehicle or accept its return and refund the purchase price. Under § 1345.73, a reasonable number of attempts is presumed within the first year or 18,000 miles where the same defect has been repaired three or more times and persists, there have been eight or more repair attempts for any defect, the vehicle has been out of service a cumulative 30 or more days, or one attempt has been made on a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury.

This letter is my written demand that you replace the vehicle with a comparable new vehicle or accept its return and refund the purchase price. If you maintain a certified informal dispute settlement program, please direct me to it; otherwise, I intend to pursue my remedies in court, without further notice to you.

Copies of my repair orders are available on request. Please respond in writing to the address above.

Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]

What your lemon law demand letter must include

  • Your full name, address, and contact details
  • The vehicle’s year, make, model, and VIN, plus the purchase/lease date and selling dealer
  • A clear description of the defect and how it impairs the vehicle’s use, value, or safety
  • The full repair history: dates, repair-order numbers, and days out of service (Ohio looks for the same defect repaired three or more times and still unresolved, eight or more repair attempts for any defect, the vehicle out of service a cumulative 30 or more calendar days, or one repair attempt for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury)
  • What you are demanding — a repurchase (refund) or a comparable replacement vehicle
  • A deadline for the manufacturer to respond, and where to send its response

Frequently asked questions

When does a car qualify as a lemon in Ohio?

The defect must substantially impair the vehicle's use, value, or safety, and the manufacturer must have had a reasonable chance to fix it — in Ohio that is presumed within the first year after original delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first, after the same defect repaired three or more times and still unresolved, eight or more repair attempts for any defect, the vehicle out of service a cumulative 30 or more calendar days, or one repair attempt for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury. Keep every repair order; the paper trail is the claim.

Do I need to use an official form?

No official form. Ohio law requires you to report the defect to the manufacturer, its agent, or an authorized dealer — this letter puts that report and your full repair history in writing, which matters if you later need to prove the presumption under § 1345.73.

Who do I send the letter to — the dealer or the manufacturer?

The manufacturer. Lemon law obligations run against the vehicle manufacturer, not the selling dealer — send it to the manufacturer’s customer/owner relations address listed in your warranty booklet or owner’s manual (PostPal’s where-to-mail directory also lists head-office addresses for major automakers like Ford, General Motors, and Tesla). Keep dealing with the dealer for the repairs themselves.

What happens after I send it?

If the manufacturer has a certified informal dispute settlement program and gave you timely written notice of it, you must try that first. If it doesn’t have one, you’re dissatisfied with the result, or the manufacturer doesn’t follow through, you can sue — Ohio gives you 5 years from original delivery to file.

More lemon law demand letter templates for other states

Facts verified against official sources on September 3, 2026: codes.ohio.gov, law.justia.com.

This template is provided for convenience only. It is not legal advice and does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Court limits and rules change — confirm anything time-sensitive on the official page, and consult a qualified legal professional for advice specific to your situation.