Utah Lemon Law Refund Calculator

How the Utah buyback is calculated

Under the Utah New Motor Vehicles Warranties Act.

• The manufacturer shall replace the vehicle with a comparable new one or accept its return and refund the full purchase price including all collateral charges, less a reasonable allowance for your use (Utah Code § 13-20-4(1)). The law does not say who chooses between a replacement and a refund.
• The Division of Consumer Protection's rule says collateral charges include sales tax, document preparation fees, and the cost of additional or extended warranties if they are included in the purchase price. The purchase price is the actual amount paid for the vehicle (Utah Admin. Code R152-20-103). The rule's list does not name registration or title fees; the calculator includes them as a collateral charge, which is a reading, and does not add finance charges.
• The rule sets the allowance for use at the miles driven multiplied by the purchase price divided by 100,000, leaving out the mileage on the vehicle when it was delivered to you and mileage added while it was being repaired, and never less than 10 cents or more than 21 cents per mile (R152-20-202).
• The calculator applies that formula: the price (with options) divided by 100,000, held between 10 and 21 cents a mile, times the miles since purchase. You enter the odometer at purchase, which leaves out delivery miles, and any miles driven while the vehicle was being repaired, which are also left out. For a vehicle priced at $21,000 or more the rate is the 21-cent cap. The measuring point is the return, since use continues until the refund (§ 13-20-4(2)); that reading is your own odometer figure.
• Utah's refund clause names the price and collateral charges, not towing, rental or out-of-pocket repair costs, so the calculator does not add them. Other law may allow more (Utah Code § 13-20-6(3)).
• For a leased vehicle, the rule has the manufacturer refund the lessor all payments made under the lease, including any trade-in value, the inception payment and the security deposit, and pay what is needed for clear title so you are relieved of the lease (R152-20-201(2)). The lease figure here is an approximation.
• Utah's Act provides no penalty or multiplied damages.

Utah lemon law: frequently asked questions

How much can I recover under the Utah lemon law?

The manufacturer shall refund the full purchase price including all collateral charges, such as sales tax and document preparation fees, less a reasonable allowance for your use of the vehicle, or replace it with a comparable new vehicle (Utah Code § 13-20-4(1)). The rule's allowance is miles driven times the price divided by 100,000, held between 10 and 21 cents per mile, and the calculator applies it. Run your numbers through the calculator for an estimate.

How is the allowance for my use of the vehicle calculated?

Under Utah Admin. Code R152-20-202, the allowance is the number of miles driven multiplied by the vehicle's purchase price divided by 100,000. It does not count the mileage at delivery or mileage accumulated while the vehicle is being repaired, and it may not be less than 10 cents or more than 21 cents per mile. The statute describes it as the amount directly attributable to your use before you first reported the nonconformity and during later periods when the vehicle is not out of service for repair (§ 13-20-4(2)).

Is sales tax refunded in Utah?

Yes, as a collateral charge. The rule lists sales tax, document preparation fees and the cost of additional or extended warranties (if included in the purchase price) as collateral charges that are part of the refund (Utah Admin. Code R152-20-103(1)). The sources do not describe any separate tax refund from the state.

Can I get triple damages or a penalty in Utah?

Not under the lemon law itself. Utah's New Motor Vehicles Warranties Act provides no penalty or multiplied damages. A separate act on the resale of returned vehicles has civil penalties and exemplary damages, but it applies to sellers who fail to disclose a buyback, not to the manufacturer's refund.

Who pays the attorney in a Utah lemon law case?

In an action the consumer starts, the court may award attorneys' fees to the prevailing party (Utah Code § 13-20-6(4)). That means fees may be awarded to either side, including against a consumer who loses. A consumer may start an action under the Act only after the Division of Consumer Protection has investigated and evaluated the claim.

What if the manufacturer has a dispute program?

If the manufacturer has established an informal dispute settlement procedure that complies with 16 C.F.R. Part 703, the refund-or-replacement section does not apply to a consumer who has not first resorted to it (Utah Code § 13-20-7). Check your warranty booklet for such a procedure before you pursue a refund.