§17A-6A-13 Obligations regarding warranties. - West Virginia Statutes

§17A-6A-13. Obligations regarding warranties.
(1) Each new motor vehicle manufacturer or distributor shall specify in writing to each of its new motor vehicle dealers licensed in this state the dealer's obligations for preparation, delivery and warranty service on its products. The manufacturer or distributor shall compensate the new motor vehicle dealer for warranty service required of the dealer by the manufacturer or distributor. The manufacturer or distributor shall provide the new motor vehicle dealer with the schedule of compensation to be paid to the dealer for parts, work and service, and the time allowance for the performance of the work and service.

(2) The schedule of compensation shall include reasonable compensation for diagnostic work, as well as repair service and labor. Time allowances for the diagnosis and performance of warranty work and service shall be reasonable and adequate for the work to be performed. In the determination of what constitutes reasonable compensation under this section, the principal factor to be given consideration shall be the prevailing wage rates being paid by dealers in the community in which the dealer is doing business, and in no event may the compensation of a dealer for warranty labor and parts be less than the rates charged by the dealer for like service to retail customers for nonwarranty service and repairs, provided that the rates are reasonable. However, in the case of a new motor vehicle dealer of motorcycles or recreational vehicles, in no event may the compensation of a dealer for warranty parts be less than the dealer's cost of acquiring the part plus twenty percent.

(3) A manufacturer or distributor may not do any of the following:

(a) Fail to perform any warranty obligation;

(b) Fail to include in written notices of factory recalls to new motor vehicle owners and dealers the expected date by which necessary parts and equipment will be available to dealers for the correction of the defects; or

(c) Fail to compensate any of the new motor vehicle dealers licensed in this state for repairs effected by the recall.

(4) All claims made by a new motor vehicle dealer pursuant to this section for labor and parts shall be paid within thirty days after their approval. All claims shall be either approved or disapproved by the manufacturer or distributor within thirty days after their receipt on a proper form generally used by the manufacturer or distributor and containing the usually required information therein. Any claim not specifically disapproved in writing within thirty days after the receipt of the form is considered to be approved and payment shall be made within thirty days. The manufacturer has the right to initiate an audit of a claim within twelve months after payment and to charge back to the new motor vehicle dealer the amount of any false, fraudulent or unsubstantiated claim, subject to the requirements of section eight-a of this article.

(5) The manufacturer shall accept the return of any new and unused part, component or accessory that was ordered by the dealer, and shall reimburse the dealer for the full cost charged to the dealer for the part, component or accessory if the dealer returns the part and makes a claim for the return of the part within one year of the dealer's receipt of the part, component or accessory and provides reasonable documentation, to include any changed part numbers to match new part numbers, provided that the part was ordered for a warranty repair.