Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act

⚠️ Article status notice: This article has been marked as incomplete

This article needs additional work to meet the wiki's Content Guidelines and be in line with our Mission Statement for comprehensive coverage of consumer protection issues.

This notice will be removed once sufficient documentation has been added to establish the systemic nature of these issues. Once you believe the article is ready to have its notice removed, visit the discord and post to the #appeals channel.

Learn more ▼

This Article Requires Additional Verification

---

This article has been flagged due to verification concerns. While the topic might have merit, the claims presented lack citations that live up to our standards, or rely on sources that are questionable or unverifiable by our standards. Articles must meet the Moderator Guidelines and Mission statement; factual accuracy and systemic relevance are required for inclusion here!

Why This Article Is In Question

---

Articles in this wiki are required to:

• Provide verifiable & credible evidence to substantiate claims.
• Avoid relying on anecdotal, unsourced, or suspicious citations that lack legitimacy.
• Make sure that all claims are backed by reliable documentation or reporting from reputable sources.

Examples of issues that trigger this notice:

• A topic that heavily relies on forum posts, personal blogs, or other unverifiable sources.
• Unsupported claims with no evidence or citations to back them up.
• Citations to disreputable sources, like non-expert blogs or sites known for spreading misinformation.

How You Can Improve This Article

---

To address verification concerns:

• Replace or supplement weak citations with credible, verifiable sources.
• Make sure that claims are backed by reputable reporting or independent documentation.
• Provide additional evidence to demonstrate systemic relevance and factual accuracy. For example:
  • Avoid: Claims based entirely on personal anecdotes or hearsay without supporting documentation.
  • Include: Corporate policies, internal communications, receipts, repair logs, verifiable video evidence, or credible investigative reports.

If you believe this notice has been placed in error, or once the article has been updated to address these concerns, please visit the #appeals channel on our Discord server: Join here.

TODO: Would like someone to look over the law's textand give a more robust summary; until then the summary is from Wikipedia.

Summary

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 is a landmark U.S. federal law (15 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq.) enacted on January 4, 1975, to govern consumer product warranties. Sponsored by Senator Warren G. Magnuson and representative John E. Moss, the Act was designed to address widespread misuse of warranties by manufactures through unfair disclaimers and misleading practices.

Primary objectives:

• Make warranties more transparent and enforceable for consumers.
• Establish federal standards for warranty content and disclosure.
• Enhance the Federal Trade Commission's consumer protection capabilities.

Warranty requirements:

• Disclosure standards
  • Must disclose terms conspicuously in clear simple language and specify:
    • Coverage details and duration
    • Remedies available
    • Exclusions and limitations
    • Procedures for obtaining service

• Full and limited warranties:
  • Full warranty: Must meet federal minimum standards including free repair/replacement, no time limits on implied warranties, and option for refund/replacement after reasonable repair attempts
  • Limited warranty: Must be conspicuously designated 'limited' if federal minimum standards are not meet.
  • Implied Warranties: The Act preserves state-law implied warranties and prohibits their disclaimer when a written warranty is provided

In cases of violation, consumers are encouraged to negotiate with warrantors under arbitration. Additionally, the federal government and consumers are able to file civil suits in the courts.

History of Enforcement

The act is an important piece of legislation, but its enforcement is a mixed bag. Although it is enforced, often the fines are little to nothing, which encourages manufacturers to disregard it. This effectively prevents the act from properly keeping vendors accountable.

Toyota held labile for all damages in used car's in-warranty repair case - June 16, 1992.

"Due to the purchase of the subject vehicle in used `as is' condition, the Defendant (Toyota) dealer assumed and bore no responsibility for subsequent repair of the vehicle or its road worthiness. " the plaintiff (vehicle owner) was found to be correct and the defendant (toyota) was found liable for damages plaintiff (vehicle owner) suffered as a result of that violation