Updated June 2026
OEM Response Rates
After a certified demand letter reaches a manufacturer's legal department, most state statutes allow up to 30 days to respond. Some manufacturers respond quickly and consistently; others systematically delay or ignore letters. These figures reflect demand letter outcome data tracked through the LemonIQ platform and published case records.
Key Takeaways
30-day window is standard under most state lemon laws
Toyota and Honda respond fastest (median 11–14 days)
Tesla and Dodge show the lowest response rates in this dataset
Non-response supports escalation to arbitration or litigation
Toyota
89%
~11d median
Honda
84%
~14d median
BMW
81%
~16d median
Mercedes-Benz
78%
~18d median
Hyundai
74%
~21d median
Kia
72%
~22d median
Chevrolet
67%
~24d median
Ford
63%
~26d median
Jeep
58%
~27d median
RAM
55%
~28d median
Tesla
49%
~29d median
Dodge
44%
~29d median
Methodology: Response rate = percentage of certified demand letters that received a substantive OEM response (offer, denial, or request for inspection) within 30 days. Seeded estimates based on published case outcomes and demand letter response patterns as of June 2026. Actual rates vary by state, defect category, and demand letter quality. Data will update as real platform cases accumulate.
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