Rhode Island lemon law and warranty dispute resources
Status: Official page read; key points summarized. Last checked 2026-10-18.
What the official page says
Source: Lemon Law (Rhode Island Attorney General, Consumer Protection) (read 2026-10-18). This is a summary of that page, not the statute. Exact tests, exclusions and deadlines are on the official page and in the statute, and may have changed.
- The page says the Rhode Island lemon law covers any 'motor vehicle' defined as an automobile, truck, motorcycle or van with a registered gross vehicle weight of less than 10,000 pounds, sold, leased or replaced by a dealer or manufacturer after May 11, 1984; it covers used vehicles but not motorized campers.
- The page says a new vehicle qualifies if, within one year or 15,000 miles, whichever occurs first, it has been serviced four or more times for the same defect, or is out of service due to repair of any defect for more than thirty days, but the defect still exists; a used vehicle qualifies if in for service three times for the same defect within its dealer warranty period or out of service for 15 days within the warranty period.
- The page says the Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board within the Attorney General's Office enforces the Lemon Law for new vehicles only, that you may file a Request for Arbitration with the Board (c/o the Consumer Protection Unit), that the Board does not represent you, and that BBB AUTO LINE also handles new vehicle lemon law complaints.
- The page says leased vehicles follow the standards for new cars and that the lemon law does not apply to private-party sales.
Numbers the page states
| Item | As stated on the official page |
|---|---|
| New-vehicle window | Within one year or 15,000 miles, whichever occurs first |
| Repair attempts (new) | Four or more for the same defect |
| Days out of service (new) | More than thirty days |
| Used vehicle | 3 service visits for the same defect within dealer warranty, or 15 days out of service |
Counting rules differ (calendar days vs. business days, what counts as a repair attempt). Use the repair log tool to organize dates, then confirm how your state counts.
Not covered or not confirmed in this summary
- The arbitration filing fee is not stated here. See the Request for Arbitration form on the Attorney General's site.
Other official pages used
Industry arbitration program summary (not a government source)
BBB National Programs, which runs the BBB AUTO LINE dispute program, publishes a state summary: BBB AUTO LINE: Rhode Island lemon law summary (link checked 2026-10-18). It is published by an industry-linked program, so treat it as a starting point and confirm against the state's own page or statute.
What to do first
- Keep every repair order and receipt. See the records checklist.
- Write down dates and mileage for each repair visit with the repair log tool (nothing is saved or sent).
- Read the federal warranty basics and arbitration pages.
- Consider speaking with a licensed attorney in your state about deadlines. Many have free consultations, but we do not recommend any specific one.