Consumer Protection · Lemon Law
Lemon Law in Oregon
How many repair attempts and days out of service before Oregon presumes your vehicle is a lemon, and whether used cars are covered.
presumption trigger (same defect)
Do I meet the Oregon lemon presumption?
Enter your repairs and downtime. This checks the presumption; it is not a legal verdict.
This checklist is educational, not a legal verdict. Every state writes these numbers as a rebuttable presumption: hitting them shifts the burden to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer can still rebut it. Keep every repair order, send any required written notice, and consult a lawyer about your specific facts. This is legal information, not legal advice.
How the presumption works in Oregon
The prongs that shift the burden to the manufacturer.
Oregon’s safety track is a single attempt plus a final attempt: a nonconformity likely to cause death or serious bodily injury needs just 1 repair attempt (followed by a final attempt to cure) rather than the 3 attempts required for an ordinary defect.
Every state, Oregon included, writes these thresholds as a rebuttable presumption. Reaching them shifts the burden onto the manufacturer to prove your vehicle is not a lemon; it does not mean you automatically win. You may also qualify with fewer attempts if a "reasonable number" of repairs is shown some other way, and the manufacturer can rebut the presumption. This is legal information, not legal advice.
Used cars & leased vehicles
Which of the three coverage categories Oregon falls in.
The full picture, with the source
Every figure, and where it comes from.
| Same-defect attempts | 3 |
| Serious-safety attempts | 1 |
| Days out of service | 30 calendar days |
| Coverage window | 2 years from delivery or 24,000 miles (whichever comes first) |
| Used cars | New vehicles only |
| Leased vehicles | Covered |
| Statute | ORS 646A.404; 646A.406 (presumption) |
What Oregon car buyers get wrong
Oregon’s lemon law, ORS 646A.400 through 646A.418, is administered through the Oregon Department of Justice and runs on a shorter attempt count than many states. Under the presumption in ORS 646A.406, a "reasonable number of attempts" is presumed once the same nonconformity has been repaired 3 or more times, or the vehicle has been out of service for a cumulative 30 or more calendar days, all within 2 years of delivery or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. There is also a fast track for the most dangerous defects: a nonconformity "likely to cause death or serious bodily injury" needs only 1 repair attempt followed by a final attempt to cure. Each of these is a presumption trigger, meaning it shifts the burden to the manufacturer rather than automatically winning the case. Oregon covers new vehicles only and has no separate used-car lemon law, so a used car falls outside this statute once it is no longer a new vehicle in the window.
Common questions
How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Oregon?
Oregon presumes a lemon after 3 repair attempts on the same nonconformity, or 30 calendar days out of service, within 2 years or 24,000 miles. A defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury needs only 1 attempt plus a final attempt. These are presumption triggers that shift the burden to the manufacturer.
Does Oregon have a lower attempt count for serious safety defects?
Yes. For a nonconformity likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, the presumption is met after 1 repair attempt plus a final attempt to cure, rather than the 3 attempts required for an ordinary defect.
What is the coverage window for Oregon’s lemon law?
The remedy is available if you report each nonconformity within 2 years of original delivery or before the odometer reaches 24,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Does the Oregon lemon law cover used cars?
No. Oregon has no standalone used-car lemon law. ORS 646A.400 to 646A.418 applies to a new motor vehicle inside the 2-year / 24,000-mile window.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.