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Lemon law in Michigan
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New Motor Vehicle Warranties Act (Lemon Law), Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 257.1401 to 257.1410. A new vehicle is presumed a lemon in Michigan 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 after delivery, whichever comes first. Leased vehicles are covered. Used vehicles are covered only in some cases.
At a glance
| Protection period | 12 months |
|---|---|
| Repair attempts, same defect | 4 |
| Attempts, serious safety defect | Not set |
| Days out of service | 30 |
| Used vehicles | Some |
| Leased vehicles | Covered |
| State arbitration program | No |
| Time limit to file | See below |
Who qualifies
Which vehicles
New passenger cars, SUVs, pickup trucks and vans bought or leased in Michigan or by a Michigan resident. Motor homes, buses, other trucks and vehicles with fewer than 4 wheels are excluded. Businesses that buy fewer than 10 vehicles a year are covered.
“that is designed as a passenger vehicle, or sport utility vehicle, but does not include a motor home, bus, truck other than a pickup truck or van, or a vehicle designed to travel on less than 4 wheels”
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Repair attempts
The car is presumed a lemon if the same serious defect has been repaired 4 or more times within 2 years of the first repair attempt and still exists.
“has been subject to repair a total of 4 or more times by the manufacturer or new motor vehicle dealer within 2 years of the date of the first attempt to repair the defect or condition, and the 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 a total of 30 or more days during the warranty or within 1 year of delivery, whichever ends first.
“The new motor vehicle is out of service because of repairs for a total of 30 or more days or parts of days during the term of the manufacturer's express warranty, or within 1 year from the date of delivery to the original consumer, whichever is earlier.”
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Used vehicles
Only partly. The law covers vehicles that had a manufacturer's warranty when bought or leased, and the use deduction counts miles by any previous owner. Michigan has no separate used car lemon law in this act.
“is covered by a manufacturer's express warranty at the time of purchase or lease”
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Leased vehicles
Yes. A lessee can get a refund of the lease price paid, or accept a replacement, and the lessor may not charge an early termination fee.
“If the new motor vehicle was leased, the consumer has the right to a refund of the lease price paid by the consumer.”
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Deadlines
Protection period
The defect must first be reported during the manufacturer's express warranty or within 1 year after delivery to the original owner, whichever ends first.
“if the consumer initially reported the defect or condition to the manufacturer or the new motor vehicle dealer within 1 of the following time periods, whichever is earlier”
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Time limit to file
The law does not say.
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. The defect must first be reported during the manufacturer's express warranty or within 1 year after delivery to the original owner, whichever ends first.
- 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. After the third repair attempt, or after 25 days in the shop, the owner must notify the manufacturer in writing by return receipt mail. The manufacturer then has 5 business days at a repair shop it names to fix the defect.
“After delivery of the vehicle to the designated repair facility, the manufacturer has 5 business days to repair the defect or condition.”
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Arbitration
If the manufacturer has a dispute program that meets federal rules, the owner must use it before using this law, but does not have to accept its decision. Michigan has no state arbitration program.
“If a manufacturer has established or participates in an informal dispute settlement procedure, the provisions of this act shall not apply to any consumer who has not first resorted to such procedure”
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What you get
The owner gets a refund of the purchase price or a comparable new replacement, plus towing and rental costs, minus a use deduction for miles before the first defect report and miles beyond 25,000. The manufacturer must act within 30 days.
“A consumer shall have the right to demand a refund.”
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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 (Michigan Department of Attorney General, Consumer Protection), then court if you need to.
- Do not sell or trade in the vehicle while the claim is open.
Letter template for Michigan
[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 Michigan. 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 New Motor Vehicle Warranties Act (Lemon Law) (Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 257.1401 to 257.1410), 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 Michigan
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, plus the miles over 25,000, 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 Michigan's lemon law
How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Michigan?
The car is presumed a lemon if the same serious defect has been repaired 4 or more times within 2 years of the first repair attempt and still exists.
How many days in the shop make a car a lemon in Michigan?
The car is presumed a lemon if it is out of service for repairs a total of 30 or more days during the warranty or within 1 year of delivery, whichever ends first.
How long does Michigan's lemon law cover a car?
The defect must first be reported during the manufacturer's express warranty or within 1 year after delivery to the original owner, whichever ends first.
Which vehicles does Michigan's lemon law cover?
New passenger cars, SUVs, pickup trucks and vans bought or leased in Michigan or by a Michigan resident. Motor homes, buses, other trucks and vehicles with fewer than 4 wheels are excluded. Businesses that buy fewer than 10 vehicles a year are covered.
Does Michigan's lemon law cover used cars?
Only partly. The law covers vehicles that had a manufacturer's warranty when bought or leased, and the use deduction counts miles by any previous owner. Michigan has no separate used car lemon law in this act.
Does Michigan's lemon law cover leased cars?
Yes. A lessee can get a refund of the lease price paid, or accept a replacement, and the lessor may not charge an early termination fee.
Do I have to tell the manufacturer in writing?
Yes. After the third repair attempt, or after 25 days in the shop, the owner must notify the manufacturer in writing by return receipt mail. The manufacturer then has 5 business days at a repair shop it names to fix the defect.
Do I have to go to arbitration before court?
If the manufacturer has a dispute program that meets federal rules, the owner must use it before using this law, but does not have to accept its decision. Michigan has no state arbitration program.
What do I get if my car is a lemon in Michigan?
The owner gets a refund of the purchase price or a comparable new replacement, plus towing and rental costs, minus a use deduction for miles before the first defect report and miles beyond 25,000. The manufacturer must act within 30 days.
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, plus the miles over 25,000, 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 Michigan lemon law case?
An owner who wins in court may recover costs and attorney fees, unless the court finds an award inappropriate. In Michigan, 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 Michigan, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.
Find a Michigan lemon law lawyer
An owner who wins in court may recover costs and attorney fees, unless the court finds an award inappropriate.
“including attorneys' fees based on actual time expended by the attorney”
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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 Michigan cases like yours. The firm contacts you, and you decide whether to hire them.
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Who pays the lawyer? In Michigan, 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
- Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 257.1401 to 257.1410, New Motor Vehicle Warranties Act (Lemon Law)
- Michigan Department of Attorney General, 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.