Peterson v. Volkswagen of America, Inc.

**Peterson v. Volkswagen of America: Car Lease Customer Wins Right to Sue for Warranty Problems** This case involved a dispute between Peterson, who leased a Volkswagen vehicle, and Volkswagen of America over warranty coverage. Peterson experienced problems with the car and wanted to sue Volkswagen for failing to honor the written warranty that came with the vehicle. However, Volkswagen argued that Peterson couldn't sue under federal warranty law because he was leasing the car rather than purchasing it outright. The Wisconsin Supreme Court sided with Peterson. The court ruled that people who lease cars qualify as "consumers" under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a federal law that protects consumers when companies fail to honor their written warranties. This means Peterson had the legal right to sue Volkswagen for breach of warranty, even though he was a lessee rather than an owner. This decision matters for workers and other consumers because it clarifies that leasing a vehicle doesn't strip away your warranty protection rights. Whether you buy or lease a car, truck, or other product with a written warranty, you can still hold the company accountable if they fail to fix covered problems. This gives consumers more options when dealing with defective products, regardless of how they acquired them.