What Is the Lemon Law for Refrigerators?

When purchasing a product, you expect that it will work safely and properly. Making a big investment in your appliances is often done after substantial research on your part. 

So what happens when the product you purchased is defective and multiple attempts to repair it through the warranty have been unsuccessful? 

Even though refrigerators and dishwashers fall outside the typical lemon laws that apply to cars and trucks, your consumer rights could have been violated if you attempted multiple repair options and still have a defective appliance. 

Legal Right to Recovery, Replacement, or Repair

You could be eligible to initiate a consumer claim under state or federal lemon laws. In general, state lemon laws, which are present in all 50, are directly related to the specifics of purchasing cars, trucks, and similar vehicles. 

Consumers who have suffered damages as a result of defective dishwashers and refrigerators, however, could still have the opportunity to initiate a legal claim under the federal law known as the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Anyone who has made an effort to repair their appliance numerous times within the terms of the warranty and is still coping with downtime and other malfunctions in the product could argue that their warranty has been breached. 

This enables a consumer to initiate a Magnuson-Moss breach-of-warranty lawsuit seeking either a full refund or a replacement. In the event that the manufacturer took your dishwasher or refrigerator for at least 30 days due to repairs and you were unable to use it, you could also be entitled to receive a refund with a breach-of-warranty lawsuit. If you've tried to negotiate this directly with the manufacturer of the appliance and this has not yielded results, you have grounds for a consumer protection lawsuit. 

Filing a Breach-of-Warranty Lawsuit

The terms of your individual warranty can be complicated to navigate, and many manufacturers attempt to rely on your lack of information and familiarity with these claims to discourage you from continuing to fight. 

However, Magnuson-Moss is in place to protect consumers who have been harmed as a result of defective products. It is crucial to understand that working directly with a breach-of-warranty attorney could substantially increase your chances of recovering compensation — and more money than if you tried to handle this process on your own. More expensive investments such as a refrigerator or dishwasher heighten the importance of finding an experienced and qualified attorney to work with you. 

Hiring an Attorney to Help With Your Claim 

Attempting to bring a lemon lawsuit under the complicated Magnuson-Moss law can be frustrating for a consumer who has already experienced so many challenges related to a defective product. Working directly with a consumer protection attorney could be the next step to get your replacement or your refund. 

Federal laws govern the scope and language of warranties that are most likely to apply to your individual refrigerator or dishwasher claim. Your first course of action is to reach out to the manufacturer to try to remedy your defective appliance. But you need to turn to the terms of your warranty to understand what the manufacturer is responsible for doing and whether you have grounds to bring your own legal claim. Hiring an experienced lemon law attorney is the best way to navigate this process.

Magnuson-Moss Requires the Manufacturer to Pay for Your Case

The fee-shifting provision of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act requires the manufacturer to cover reasonable attorneys’ fees if the plaintiff wins their case. As a result, our attorneys at Morgan & Morgan will work with you for free. Our fee comes from the manufacturer if we win your case.