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Lemon law in Kentucky
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Kentucky Lemon Law (new motor vehicle warranties), Ky. Rev. Stat. §§ 367.840 to 367.846, 367.860 to 367.870. A new vehicle is presumed a lemon in Kentucky when, during the protection period, the same defect was repaired 4 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. Leased vehicles are covered. Used vehicles are not covered.
At a glance
| Protection period | 12 months or 12,000 miles |
|---|---|
| Repair attempts, same defect | 4 |
| Attempts, serious safety defect | Not set |
| Days out of service | 30 |
| Used vehicles | Not covered |
| Leased vehicles | Covered |
| State arbitration program | No |
| Time limit to file | 2 years after the original delivery of the vehicle |
Who qualifies
Which vehicles
New cars and trucks bought or leased in Kentucky by a Kentucky resident that must be registered for road use. Motor homes, motorcycles, mopeds, farm tractors, vehicles with more than two axles and vehicles substantially altered after sale are excluded.
“"Buyer" means any resident person who buys, contracts to buy, or leases a new motor vehicle in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”
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Repair attempts
The car is presumed a lemon if the same defect has been repaired 4 or more times within the protection period and still exists.
“The same nonconformity, defect, or condition has been subject to repair four (4) or more times by the manufacturer, but such nonconformity, defect, or condition continues to exist”
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Serious safety defects
The law does not say.
Days out of service
The car is presumed a lemon if it is out of service for repairs of the same defect a total of at least 30 calendar days within the protection period.
“The vehicle is out of service/use by reason of repair of the same nonconformity, defect, or condition for a cumulative total of at least thirty (30) calendar days.”
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Used vehicles
No. The law covers only new vehicles on which no title has been issued before. Kentucky has no used car lemon law.
“which is, in fact, new and on which the original title has never been issued”
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Leased vehicles
Yes, for vehicles leased after July 15, 1998.
“KRS 367.840 to 367.845 shall apply to new motor vehicles purchased after July 15, 1986, and to motor vehicles leased after July 15, 1998.”
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Deadlines
Protection period
12 months or 12,000 miles after delivery to the buyer, whichever comes first.
“during the first twelve thousand (12,000) miles of operation or during the first twelve (12) months following the date of delivery to the buyer, whichever is the earlier date”
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Time limit to file
A lawsuit must be filed within 2 years after the vehicle was first delivered to the buyer.
“Any action brought pursuant to this section shall be commenced within two (2) years after the date of original delivery of the new motor vehicle to the buyer.”
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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. 12 months or 12,000 miles after delivery to the buyer, whichever comes first. A lawsuit must be filed within 2 years after the vehicle was first delivered to the buyer.
- 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. If the manufacturer cannot fix the defect after a reasonable number of attempts, the owner must report the defect to the manufacturer in writing. The law does not set a separate final repair attempt.
“that buyer shall report the nonconformity, in writing, to the manufacturer”
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Arbitration
Yes. A refund or replacement dispute must first go through the manufacturer's dispute resolution system before the owner can sue. The system is free for the owner and its decision binds the manufacturer. Kentucky has no state-run arbitration program.
“Such remedy shall be pursued prior to seeking any judicial relief under KRS 367.843.”
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What you get
The owner chooses a comparable replacement or a refund of the full purchase price, including finance charges, sales tax, license and registration fees and collateral charges, minus a reasonable allowance for use.
“the manufacturer, at the option of the buyer, shall replace the motor vehicle with a comparable motor vehicle, or accept return of the vehicle from the buyer and refund to the buyer the full purchase price”
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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 (Kentucky Office of the Attorney General, Office of Consumer Protection), then court if you need to.
- Do not sell or trade in the vehicle while the claim is open.
Letter template for Kentucky
[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 Kentucky. 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 Kentucky Lemon Law (new motor vehicle warranties) (Ky. Rev. Stat. §§ 367.840 to 367.846, 367.860 to 367.870), 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 Kentucky
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 Kentucky's lemon law
How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Kentucky?
The car is presumed a lemon if the same defect has been repaired 4 or more times within the protection period and still exists.
How many days in the shop make a car a lemon in Kentucky?
The car is presumed a lemon if it is out of service for repairs of the same defect a total of at least 30 calendar days within the protection period.
How long does Kentucky's lemon law cover a car?
12 months or 12,000 miles after delivery to the buyer, whichever comes first.
Which vehicles does Kentucky's lemon law cover?
New cars and trucks bought or leased in Kentucky by a Kentucky resident that must be registered for road use. Motor homes, motorcycles, mopeds, farm tractors, vehicles with more than two axles and vehicles substantially altered after sale are excluded.
Does Kentucky's lemon law cover used cars?
No. The law covers only new vehicles on which no title has been issued before. Kentucky has no used car lemon law.
Does Kentucky's lemon law cover leased cars?
Yes, for vehicles leased after July 15, 1998.
Do I have to tell the manufacturer in writing?
Yes. If the manufacturer cannot fix the defect after a reasonable number of attempts, the owner must report the defect to the manufacturer in writing. The law does not set a separate final repair attempt.
Do I have to go to arbitration before court?
Yes. A refund or replacement dispute must first go through the manufacturer's dispute resolution system before the owner can sue. The system is free for the owner and its decision binds the manufacturer. Kentucky has no state-run arbitration program.
How long do I have to file a lemon law claim in Kentucky?
A lawsuit must be filed within 2 years after the vehicle was first delivered to the buyer.
What do I get if my car is a lemon in Kentucky?
The owner chooses a comparable replacement or a refund of the full purchase price, including finance charges, sales tax, license and registration fees and collateral charges, minus a reasonable allowance for use.
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 Kentucky lemon law case?
Yes. A court may award reasonable attorney fees to an owner who wins. In Kentucky, 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 Kentucky, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.
Find a Kentucky lemon law lawyer
Yes. A court may award reasonable attorney fees to an owner who wins.
“A court may award reasonable attorney's fees to a prevailing plaintiff.”
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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 Kentucky cases like yours. The firm contacts you, and you decide whether to hire them.
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Who pays the lawyer? In Kentucky, 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
- Ky. Rev. Stat. §§ 367.840 to 367.846, 367.860 to 367.870, Kentucky Lemon Law (new motor vehicle warranties)
- Kentucky Office of the Attorney General, Office of Consumer Protection
- 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.