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Lemon law in Alabama
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Motor Vehicle Lemon Law Rights, Code of Ala. §§ 8-20A-1 to 8-20A-6. A new vehicle is presumed a lemon in Alabama when, during the protection period, the same defect was repaired 3 or more times without a fix, or it was out of service for repairs 30 or more days in total. The protection period is 12 months or 12,000 miles after delivery, whichever comes first. Used vehicles are not covered.
At a glance
| Protection period | 12 months or 12,000 miles |
|---|---|
| Repair attempts, same defect | 3 |
| Attempts, serious safety defect | Not set |
| Days out of service | 30 |
| Used vehicles | Not covered |
| Leased vehicles | See below |
| State arbitration program | No |
| Time limit to file | 3 years after the original delivery of the vehicle |
Who qualifies
Which vehicles
New or previously untitled self-propelled highway vehicles bought mainly for personal, family, or household use. Motor homes and vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more are not covered.
“the term “motor vehicle” shall not apply to motor homes or to any motor vehicle having a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds or more”
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Repair attempts
Three or more repair attempts for the same defect, at least one during the rights period, plus a final attempt by the manufacturer, within 24 months or 24,000 miles.
“The same nonconforming condition has been subject to repair attempts three or more times by the manufacturer, its agents or its authorized dealers, at least one of which occurred during the lemon law rights period, plus a final attempt by the manufacturer”
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Serious safety defects
The law does not say.
Days out of service
A cumulative total of 30 calendar days out of service for repairs within 24 months or 24,000 miles, with at least one repair attempt during the rights period.
“for a cumulative total of 30 calendar days, unless such repair could not be performed because of conditions beyond the control of the manufacturer”
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Used vehicles
No. The law covers only new or previously untitled vehicles.
“The purchaser, other than for purposes of resale, of a new or previously untitled motor vehicle used in substantial part for personal, family, or household purposes”
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Leased vehicles
The law does not say.
Deadlines
Protection period
One year or 12,000 miles after original delivery, whichever comes first.
“The period ending one year after the date of the original delivery of a motor vehicle to a consumer or the first 12,000 miles of operation, whichever first occurs.”
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Time limit to file
A lawsuit must be filed within three years after the vehicle was first delivered to the owner.
“Any action brought under this chapter against the manufacturer shall be commenced within three years following the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle to the consumer.”
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Steps
- Keep every repair order. Each visit to the dealer should give you a work order with the date, the mileage, what you reported and what they did. Ask for one every time, even when they find nothing. These papers are your case.
- Check the dates. One year or 12,000 miles after original delivery, whichever comes first. A lawsuit must be filed within three years after the vehicle was first delivered to the owner.
- Tell the manufacturer in writing. The law asks for written notice. See written notice below.
- Use the dispute program if one is required. See arbitration below for whether you must go there before court.
- Ask for a refund or a replacement, or file. Send the letter, then file before the time limit if the manufacturer will not buy the vehicle back or replace it.
Written notice
Before suing, the owner must send written notice of the defect to the manufacturer by certified mail and demand repair.
“Prior to the commencement of any such proceeding a consumer must give notice of a nonconforming condition by certified United States mail to the manufacturer and demand correction or repair of the nonconforming condition.”
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Arbitration
If the manufacturer has an informal dispute program that complies with federal rules, the owner must use it before suing. The state does not run its own program.
“a consumer must first exhaust any remedy afforded to the consumer under the informal dispute procedure of the manufacturer before a cause of action may be instituted under the provisions of this chapter”
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What you get
The owner chooses either a comparable new vehicle or a refund.
“the manufacturer shall, at the option of the consumer, replace the motor vehicle with a comparable new motor vehicle or shall accept return of the vehicle from the consumer and refund to the consumer the following”
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Do it yourself
You can bring a lemon law claim without a lawyer. It takes letters, records and patience. The usual route:
- Put your repair orders in date order and count the attempts and the days out of service.
- Send the manufacturer the letter below, by a tracked method, to the address in your owner's manual or warranty booklet.
- If it offers a final repair, let it try within the time the law gives it.
- If it refuses or does not answer, file with the manufacturer's dispute program or the state program (Alabama Attorney General, Consumer Interest Division), then court if you need to.
- Do not sell or trade in the vehicle while the claim is open.
Letter template for Alabama
[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 Alabama. 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 Motor Vehicle Lemon Law Rights (Code of Ala. §§ 8-20A-1 to 8-20A-6), 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]
What a buyback pays in Alabama
The law asks for a reasonable allowance for your use without a fixed formula. Makers and courts often use the one several states write into law: the price times the miles driven before the first repair visit for the defect, divided by 120,000. For a $40,000 car with 6,000 miles at the first repair and 15,000 now, that is about $2,000.
Questions people ask about Alabama's lemon law
How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Alabama?
Three or more repair attempts for the same defect, at least one during the rights period, plus a final attempt by the manufacturer, within 24 months or 24,000 miles.
How many days in the shop make a car a lemon in Alabama?
A cumulative total of 30 calendar days out of service for repairs within 24 months or 24,000 miles, with at least one repair attempt during the rights period.
How long does Alabama's lemon law cover a car?
One year or 12,000 miles after original delivery, whichever comes first.
Which vehicles does Alabama's lemon law cover?
New or previously untitled self-propelled highway vehicles bought mainly for personal, family, or household use. Motor homes and vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more are not covered.
Does Alabama's lemon law cover used cars?
No. The law covers only new or previously untitled vehicles.
Do I have to tell the manufacturer in writing?
Before suing, the owner must send written notice of the defect to the manufacturer by certified mail and demand repair.
Do I have to go to arbitration before court?
If the manufacturer has an informal dispute program that complies with federal rules, the owner must use it before suing. The state does not run its own program.
How long do I have to file a lemon law claim in Alabama?
A lawsuit must be filed within three years after the vehicle was first delivered to the owner.
What do I get if my car is a lemon in Alabama?
The owner chooses either a comparable new vehicle or a refund.
How much is taken off a buyback for the miles I drove?
The law asks for a reasonable allowance for your use without a fixed formula. Makers and courts often use the one several states write into law: the price times the miles driven before the first repair visit for the defect, divided by 120,000. For a $40,000 car with 6,000 miles at the first repair and 15,000 now, that is about $2,000.
Who pays the lawyer in a Alabama lemon law case?
Yes. An owner who wins can recover reasonable attorney fees. In Alabama, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.
Can I keep driving my car during a lemon law claim?
Usually, yes. Keep it maintained and insured, and do not sell or trade it in while the claim is open: a buyback needs the car. If the defect makes it unsafe, stop driving it and tell the dealer and the maker in writing.
Do I need a lawyer for a lemon law claim?
No. You can bring a claim yourself. The steps and a letter template are on this page. A lawyer knows what makers offer in cases like yours and what the use deduction should be. In Alabama, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.
Find a Alabama lemon law lawyer
Yes. An owner who wins can recover reasonable attorney fees.
“the consumer shall be entitled to recover, in addition to the remedy provided under Section 8-20A-2 above, an additional award for reasonable attorneys fees”
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Because the manufacturer usually pays the lawyer's fees when you win, most lemon law lawyers charge you nothing up front. A lawyer also knows what the manufacturer offers in cases like yours and what the use deduction should be.
Send the free case check below and we find a lemon law firm that takes Alabama cases like yours. The firm contacts you, and you decide whether to hire them.
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Who pays the lawyer? In Alabama, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.* * So most lemon law lawyers ask nothing up front. Some charge costs, or a share of a settlement: ask before you sign. You never pay us. More
Sources
- Code of Ala. §§ 8-20A-1 to 8-20A-6, Motor Vehicle Lemon Law Rights
- Alabama Attorney General, Consumer Interest Division
- Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2310, the federal warranty law that also lets owners recover attorney fees.
Each quote above is copied from the page it links to, checked 2026-10-26. If a page has moved, the citation still finds the law.