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Lemon law demand letter
A lemon law demand letter tells the maker, in writing, that your car has a defect the dealer could not fix and asks it to buy the car back or replace it. Send it to the maker, not the dealer, at the address in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, by a tracked method, with copies of the repair orders. Many states require this written notice before the maker's final repair attempt.
The template
Lemon law letter template
[Your name] [Your address] [Date] [Manufacturer name] [Address from your owner's manual or warranty booklet] Re: Lemon law claim, [year make model], VIN [VIN] I bought (or leased) this vehicle on [date] from [dealer], in [state]. It has a defect that the dealer has not been able to fix: [describe it in one or two sentences]. It has been in for repair of this defect [number] times, on [dates], and out of service for a total of [number] days. Copies of the repair orders are enclosed. Under [your state's lemon law and its citation, from your state guide], I ask you to repurchase or replace the vehicle. Please reply in writing within 15 days. I can bring the vehicle in for a final repair attempt if the law gives you one. [Your name] [Phone and email]
Each state guide has this letter with the state's law and citation filled in: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
What to attach
- Copies of every repair order, in date order. Keep the originals.
- The purchase or lease contract.
- Receipts for towing, rental cars and repairs you paid for.
Where and how to send it
- To the maker, at the address for customer relations or lemon law notices in the owner's manual or warranty booklet. A copy to the dealer does no harm.
- Tracked: certified mail with a return receipt, or a courier with signature. Keep the receipt.
- In California, if the maker opted in to the new process, the demand goes to the email address on the state's list, at least 30 days before you sue.
Questions people ask
Where do I send a lemon law letter?
To the manufacturer, at the address in the owner's manual or warranty booklet, by certified mail or another tracked method. A copy to the dealer alone is not enough.
What should a lemon law demand letter say?
Your details and the car's VIN, the defect, the dates and number of repair attempts, the days out of service, your state's lemon law, and what you ask for: a buyback or a replacement.
Do I have to send a letter before a lemon law claim?
In many states, yes: written notice to the maker is required before it gets a final repair attempt. It is still the best record where the law does not ask for it.
Sources
- Each state's lemon law, quoted and linked on its state guide.
Quotes are copied from the page they link to, checked October 26, 2026.
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