What Should I Do if I Purchased a Lemon? Lemon Car Laws Explained

Key Takeaways

• A car may qualify as a lemon if it has substantial issues related to an internal defect and undergoes multiple unsuccessful repair attempts.
• If your lemon car cannot be repaired, you may be eligible for a refund or replacement vehicle from the car’s manufacturer or the dealership that sold you the car.
• Every state has its own lemon law that defines what types of vehicles can be considered lemons, when you can submit a lemon claim and how many times the manufacturer or seller can attempt to repair the car before issuing a refund or replacement.
• To avoid buying a lemon in the first place, inspect the car, take it for a test drive and ask the seller for a vehicle history report.

Alabama

Alabama’s lemon law applies to new vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds, and you can request a refund or replacement up to one year or 12,000 miles after purchase — whichever comes first. If the car can be fixed, repairs must occur no more than two years or 24,000 miles after purchase.

Alaska

Alaska’s lemon law covers all new vehicles during the first year after purchase.

Arizona

In Arizona, drivers can be reimbursed for new lemons up to two years or 24,000 miles after purchase, while the coverage period for used cars is 15 days or 500 miles. When you attempt to get the car fixed, you’ll have to pay a $25 deductible out of pocket for the first two repairs.

Arkansas

New cars may be covered under the Arkansas lemon law for two years or 24,000 miles. If the manufacturer can’t or won’t fix your car, you may be eligible for a refund of the cost of the taxes, title and extended warranty for the car, along with the purchase price of the car itself.

California

California offers lemon law protection for new, used and leased vehicles. Coverage for new cars lasts for 18 months or 18,000 miles, while coverage for used cars lasts as long as the manufacturer’s warranty is still in effect.

Colorado

Colorado’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles — excluding motorhomes and motorcycles — for up to one year after the car is delivered or its warranty begins, whichever comes first.

Connecticut

Connecticut’s lemon law applies to new and leased cars and motorcycles for up to two years or 24,000 miles.

Delaware

All new and leased vehicles other than motorhomes are covered under Delaware’s lemon law for up to one year.

District of Columbia

New and leased vehicles are covered under the District of Columbia’s lemon law for up to two years or 18,000 miles.

Florida

If your new or leased vehicle experiences a substantial, irreparable issue within two years of purchase, you may be eligible for a refund or replacement in Florida.

Georgia

Georgia’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for up to two years or 24,000 miles.

Hawaii

Hawaii’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for up to two years or 24,000 miles.

Idaho

New and leased cars, trucks and vans are covered under Idaho’s lemon law for up to two years or 24,000 miles.

Illinois

The Illinois lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles as long as they haven’t been modified. Eligible vehicles are covered for up to one year of 12,000 miles.

Indiana

Indiana’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for up to 18 months or 18,000 miles.

Iowa

New and leased vehicles that weigh less than 15,000 pounds are covered under Iowa’s lemon law for up to two years or 24,000 miles. Iowa’s lemon law also establishes the process for requesting reimbursement for a lemon car, known as an informal dispute settlement procedure.

Kansas

Drivers in Kansas can request reimbursement from the manufacturer of a new or leased lemon vehicle as long as they report the need for repairs within one year of purchase.

Kentucky

Kentucky’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles weighing less than 12,000 pounds. Coverage is available during the first year or 12,000 miles after purchase, but only if the car experiences a substantial problem at least four times.

Louisiana

Under Louisiana’s lemon law, dealerships must attempt to repair defective new or leased vehicles during the first year after purchase. If a car remains out of service for at least 45 days, then the dealer must offer a refund or replacement.

Maine

Maine’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for up to three years or 18,000 miles. The law also gives drivers who have purchased a lemon the option to take their case before an arbiter for free.

Maryland

Maryland’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for up to two years or 18,000 miles. You may qualify for a refund or replacement if your car is rendered unusable for at least 30 days.

Massachusetts

All new and leased cars in Massachusetts are covered under the state’s lemon law. The law also provides coverage for used vehicles if they are purchased with less than 125,000 miles on the odometer or fail an inspection within the first week after purchase.

Michigan

New and leased vehicles are covered for one year or until the manufacturer’s warranty expires under Michigan’s lemon law. Coverage also applies to used cars, but only if they are still under warranty and it has been less than a year since they were originally purchased.

Minnesota

Minnesota’s lemon law applies to new, leased and “lightly used” vehicles for two years or until the manufacturer’s warranty expires. If your car can’t be fixed, money may be deducted from your refund to account for your use of the vehicle.

Mississippi

Mississippi’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for one year or until the manufacturer’s warranty expires. The manufacturer must attempt to make repairs during this same time frame.

Missouri

Missouri’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for one year or until the manufacturer’s warranty expires. You must submit a formal complaint through the manufacturer’s resolution program if the car continues to malfunction after four repair attempts, has been out of service for at least 30 days or has otherwise been rendered unusable.

Montana

Montana’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for up to two years or 18,000 miles.

Nebraska

In Nebraska, new and leased vehicles can be considered lemons if they must be repaired at least four times within one year of purchase or are rendered unusable for a cumulative total of 40 days or more.

Nevada

Nevada’s lemon law applies to new and used vehicles for one year or until the manufacturer’s warranty expires.

New Hampshire

New and leased vehicles are covered under New Hampshire’s lemon law as long as they are still under warranty. You are entitled to an arbitration process if your car must be repaired at least three times or has been out of service for at least 30 days.

New Jersey

New Jersey’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for up to two years or 24,000 miles. Used cars are also covered during this time frame if they are no more than seven model years old, have less than 100,000 miles on the odometer and cost at least $3,000. To qualify as a lemon, a used car must have been purchased from a licensed dealership, undergone at least three repair attempts and been out of service for a cumulative total of 20 days due to the same problem.

New Mexico

New Mexico’s lemon law applies to both new cars and used cars that are purchased while still under the initial manufacturer’s warranty. Coverage is available for one year or until the manufacturer’s warranty expires.

New York

The New York lemon law broadly covers new and leased vehicles, while also covering used cars as long as they are transferred within two years or 18,000 miles of the initial purchase. Keep in mind that your used car is only covered if you obtain a written warranty when you buy it.

North Carolina

North Carolina’s lemon law covers new and leased vehicles for up to two years or 24,000 miles. However, you must inform the manufacturer about the defect in writing to qualify. Once your vehicle is out of service for a cumulative total of 20 days, the manufacturer must replace it or buy it back at its original purchase price.

North Dakota

North Dakota’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for up to one year or 12,000 miles.

Ohio

Ohio’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for up to one year or 18,000 miles.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for up to one year or 12,000 miles, although the law doesn’t take effect unless you first attempt to resolve the issue directly with the manufacturer.

Oregon

Oregon’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for up to two years or 24,000 miles. Before you can qualify for a replacement or refund, your car must be out of service for at least 30 days.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for up to one year or 12,000 miles. You must give your manufacturer at least three chances to fix your vehicle, after which you may qualify for a refund if your car remains out of service for a cumulative total of 30 days due to a persistent problem.

Rhode Island

Instead of resolving a lemon complaint directly with the manufacturer or dealership, Rhode Island drivers must submit a claim to the state’s Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board. Coverage applies to new and leased vehicles for up to one year or 15,000 miles, and it applies to used vehicles if they must be repaired at least three times or have been out of service for at least 15 days while under warranty.

South Carolina

South Carolina’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for up to one year or 12,000 miles.

South Dakota

South Dakota’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for up to one year or 12,000 miles. Before you can qualify for a refund or replacement, the manufacturer must attempt to repair your car at least four times — or your car must be out of service for a cumulative total of 30 days.

Tennessee

The lemon law in Tennessee predominantly applies to new and leased vehicles, but coverage also extends to any other car that is still under its manufacturer’s warranty. Coverage is available for up to one year.

Texas

Drivers in Texas may receive coverage for a new car, leased car or used car under warranty through the state’s lemon law. Coverage is available for up to two years or 24,000 miles.

Utah

Utah’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for up to two years.

Vermont

You can file lemon claims in Vermont for new cars, leased cars and used cars that are first repaired while the manufacturer’s warranty is still active. If you discover that your new car is a lemon, you must submit a formal arbitration demand within one year of the expiration of the manufacturer’s warranty.

Virginia

Virginia’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for 18 months or until the manufacturer’s warranty expires. Used cars may also be covered under “certain conditions,” but these conditions are not specified.

Washington

You must submit a written request to have your lemon car replaced under Washington’s lemon law. Coverage applies to new and leased vehicles for up to two years or 24,000 miles.

West Virginia

West Virginia’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for one year or until the manufacturer’s warranty expires.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s lemon law applies to new and leased vehicles for one year or until the manufacturer’s warranty expires. If you opt to receive a replacement car rather than a full refund, you may still be reimbursed for applicable collateral costs.

Wyoming

New and leased vehicles that are still under warranty are covered by Wyoming’s lemon law. Before you can qualify for a replacement or refund, your car must undergo three unsuccessful repair attempts or spend a cumulative total of 30 days at a repair shop within one year.