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Lemon law in Colorado
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Motor Vehicle Warranties (Colorado Lemon Law), C.R.S. §§ 42-10-101 to 42-10-110. A new vehicle is presumed a lemon in Colorado when, during the protection period, the same defect was repaired 3 or more times without a fix, or a defect that could cause death or serious injury was repaired 2 or more times, or it was out of service for repairs 24 or more days in total. The protection period is 24 months or 24,000 miles after delivery, whichever comes first. Used vehicles are not covered.
At a glance
| Protection period | 24 months or 24,000 miles |
|---|---|
| Repair attempts, same defect | 3 |
| Attempts, serious safety defect | 2 |
| Days out of service | 24 |
| Used vehicles | Not covered |
| Leased vehicles | See below |
| State arbitration program | No |
| Time limit to file | 30 months after delivery, not counting time the vehicle is in for repair or in the manufacturer's arbitration |
Who qualifies
Which vehicles
New passenger vehicles, pickup trucks, and vans that carry 10 or fewer people and are sold in Colorado. Motor homes, vehicles with three or fewer wheels such as motorcycles, and vehicles modified for commercial use are not covered.
“except that the term does not include motor homes as defined in section 42-1-102 (57), or vehicles designed to travel on three or fewer wheels in contact with the ground, OR A MOTOR VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN MODIFIED FOR COMMERCIAL USE.”
leg.colorado.gov
Repair attempts
The car is presumed a lemon if the same defect has been repaired three or more times within the protection period and still exists.
“The new law lowers the presumption to three failed repair attempts of the same defect or after the vehicle has been out of service for repair for 24 or more business days.”
coag.gov
Serious safety defects
For a defect likely to cause death or serious injury, or that creates a risk of fire or explosion, two failed repair attempts within the protection period are enough for the presumption.
“A SAFETY-BASED NONCONFORMITY HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO TWO OR MORE REPAIR ATTEMPTS BY THE MANUFACTURER, THE MANUFACTURER'S AGENT, OR THE MANUFACTURER'S AUTHORIZED DEALER WITHIN THE FIRST TWENTY-FOUR THOUSAND MILES OF OPERATION OR WITHIN TWO YEARS FOLLOWING THE DATE OF THE ORIGINAL DELIVERY”
leg.colorado.gov
Days out of service
The car is presumed a lemon if it is out of service for repairs a total of 24 or more business days during the protection period.
“The new law lowers the presumption to three failed repair attempts of the same defect or after the vehicle has been out of service for repair for 24 or more business days.”
coag.gov
Used vehicles
No. The law does not apply to used vehicles, except for rules that require dealers to disclose and label a used vehicle that was a lemon law buyback.
“THIS ARTICLE 10 DOES NOT APPLY TO A USED MOTOR VEHICLE; EXCEPT THAT SECTIONS 42-10-108 AND 42-10-109 APPLY TO A USED MOTOR VEHICLE.”
leg.colorado.gov
Leased vehicles
Not clearly. The law defines a consumer as a purchaser and does not say leases are covered. The Attorney General has said it is unclear whether the law applies to leased vehicles.
“It is unclear whether Colorado's Lemon Law applies to leased vehicles.”
coag.gov
Deadlines
Protection period
2 years or 24,000 miles after delivery, whichever comes first, for vehicles sold on or after August 7, 2024.
“The updated law extends protections to two years after purchase or within the first 24,000 miles of the vehicle's operation, whichever is earlier.”
coag.gov
Time limit to file
A lawsuit must be filed within 30 months after the vehicle was delivered. Time the vehicle spends out of use for repair, or in the manufacturer's arbitration, does not count.
“It extends the statute of limitations to 30 months following the date the vehicle was delivered to the consumer.”
coag.gov
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. 2 years or 24,000 miles after delivery, whichever comes first, for vehicles sold on or after August 7, 2024. A lawsuit must be filed within 30 months after the vehicle was delivered. Time the vehicle spends out of use for repair, or in the manufacturer's arbitration, does not count.
- 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
Yes. The owner must notify the manufacturer in writing by certified mail that the defect remains after one or more repair attempts. The manufacturer then has 10 business days to fix it.
“the manufacturer has received prior written notification by certified mail from or on behalf of the consumer and STATING THAT ONE OR MORE ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR THE SAME NONCONFORMITY HAVE BEEN MADE PURSUANT TO SECTION 42-10-102 AND THE ALLEGED NONCONFORMITY REMAINS”
leg.colorado.gov
Arbitration
If the manufacturer has or takes part in an informal dispute program, such as BBB Auto Line, the owner must use it before suing for a refund or replacement. Colorado has no state arbitration program.
“If a manufacturer has established or participates in an informal dispute resolution procedure (for example, through the Better Business Bureau), you must pursue that remedy before you can sue.”
coag.gov
What you get
The manufacturer chooses to replace the car with a comparable one or take it back and refund the full purchase price, including sales tax, license and registration fees, minus a use allowance based on miles driven before the first repair visit and while the car was not in the shop.
“replace the motor vehicle with a comparable motor vehicle or accept return of the motor vehicle from the consumer and refund to the consumer the full purchase price, including the sales tax, license fees, and registration fees and any similar governmental charges”
leg.colorado.gov
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 (Colorado Attorney General, Department of Law), then court if you need to.
- Do not sell or trade in the vehicle while the claim is open.
Letter template for Colorado
[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 Colorado. 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 Warranties (Colorado Lemon Law) (C.R.S. §§ 42-10-101 to 42-10-110), 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 Colorado
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 Colorado's lemon law
How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Colorado?
The car is presumed a lemon if the same defect has been repaired three or more times within the protection period and still exists.
What if the defect could cause a crash or an injury?
For a defect likely to cause death or serious injury, or that creates a risk of fire or explosion, two failed repair attempts within the protection period are enough for the presumption.
How many days in the shop make a car a lemon in Colorado?
The car is presumed a lemon if it is out of service for repairs a total of 24 or more business days during the protection period.
How long does Colorado's lemon law cover a car?
2 years or 24,000 miles after delivery, whichever comes first, for vehicles sold on or after August 7, 2024.
Which vehicles does Colorado's lemon law cover?
New passenger vehicles, pickup trucks, and vans that carry 10 or fewer people and are sold in Colorado. Motor homes, vehicles with three or fewer wheels such as motorcycles, and vehicles modified for commercial use are not covered.
Does Colorado's lemon law cover used cars?
No. The law does not apply to used vehicles, except for rules that require dealers to disclose and label a used vehicle that was a lemon law buyback.
Does Colorado's lemon law cover leased cars?
Not clearly. The law defines a consumer as a purchaser and does not say leases are covered. The Attorney General has said it is unclear whether the law applies to leased vehicles.
Do I have to tell the manufacturer in writing?
Yes. The owner must notify the manufacturer in writing by certified mail that the defect remains after one or more repair attempts. The manufacturer then has 10 business days to fix it.
Do I have to go to arbitration before court?
If the manufacturer has or takes part in an informal dispute program, such as BBB Auto Line, the owner must use it before suing for a refund or replacement. Colorado has no state arbitration program.
How long do I have to file a lemon law claim in Colorado?
A lawsuit must be filed within 30 months after the vehicle was delivered. Time the vehicle spends out of use for repair, or in the manufacturer's arbitration, does not count.
What do I get if my car is a lemon in Colorado?
The manufacturer chooses to replace the car with a comparable one or take it back and refund the full purchase price, including sales tax, license and registration fees, minus a use allowance based on miles driven before the first repair visit and while the car was not in the shop.
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 Colorado lemon law case?
The court must award reasonable attorney fees to whichever side wins a lawsuit under this law. In Colorado, 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 Colorado, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.
Find a Colorado lemon law lawyer
The court must award reasonable attorney fees to whichever side wins a lawsuit under this law.
“The court shall award reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing side in any action brought to enforce the provisions of this article.”
law.justia.com
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.
Sources
- C.R.S. §§ 42-10-101 to 42-10-110, Motor Vehicle Warranties (Colorado Lemon Law)
- Colorado Attorney General, Department of Law
- 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.