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Lemon law in Mississippi
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Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act, Miss. Code Ann. §§ 63-17-151 to 63-17-165. A new vehicle is presumed a lemon in Mississippi 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 15 or more days in total. The protection period is 12 months after delivery, whichever comes first. Leased vehicles are not covered. Used vehicles are covered only in some cases.
At a glance
| Protection period | 12 months |
|---|---|
| Repair attempts, same defect | 3 |
| Attempts, serious safety defect | Not set |
| Days out of service | 15 |
| Used vehicles | Some |
| Leased vehicles | Not covered |
| State arbitration program | No |
| Time limit to file | 1 year after the warranty ends or 18 months after delivery, whichever is earlier; or 90 days after the final decision if you used the manufacturer's dispute program |
Who qualifies
Which vehicles
Motor vehicles sold in Mississippi and used on public roads, including demonstrators, bought mainly for personal, family, or household use. Motorcycles, mopeds, off-road vehicles, and the living-area parts a motor home maker adds are not covered.
“but shall not include vehicles run only upon tracks, off-road vehicles, motorcycles, mopeds”
mmvc.ms.gov
Repair attempts
The car is presumed a lemon if substantially the same defect has been repaired 3 or more times within the period and still exists.
“Substantially the same nonconformity has been subject to repair three (3) or more times by the manufacturer or its agent and such nonconformity continues to exist”
mmvc.ms.gov
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 repair of the defect a total of 15 or more working days, not counting routine maintenance.
“for a cumulative total of fifteen (15) or more working days, exclusive of downtime for routine maintenance as prescribed by the owner's manual”
mmvc.ms.gov
Used vehicles
Only partly. A later owner is covered if the car was transferred while the original express warranty still applied. The Act has no other used car rules.
“and any person to whom such motor vehicle is transferred for the same purposes during the duration of an express warranty applicable to such motor vehicle”
mmvc.ms.gov
Leased vehicles
Only lease-purchase vehicles are named, and only if a manufacturer's warranty came with the sale. The law does not mention ordinary leases.
“shall include demonstrators or lease-purchase vehicles as long as a manufacturer's warranty was issued as a condition of sale”
mmvc.ms.gov
Deadlines
Protection period
The manufacturer's express warranty term or 1 year after first delivery, whichever ends first. The law sets no mileage limit of its own.
“during the period of one (1) year following the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle to a consumer, whichever expires earlier, either:”
mmvc.ms.gov
Time limit to file
You must sue within 1 year after the warranty ends or 18 months after first delivery, whichever is earlier. If you used the manufacturer's dispute program, you have 90 days after its final decision.
“following the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle to a consumer, whichever is earlier, or, if a consumer resorts to an informal dispute settlement procedure”
mmvc.ms.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. The manufacturer's express warranty term or 1 year after first delivery, whichever ends first. The law sets no mileage limit of its own. You must sue within 1 year after the warranty ends or 18 months after first delivery, whichever is earlier. If you used the manufacturer's dispute program, you have 90 days after its final decision.
- 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. You must notify the manufacturer in writing before using the law, and the manufacturer then gets 10 working days at a repair shop it names to fix the car.
“to give written notification to the manufacturer of the need for the repair of the nonconformity, in order to allow the manufacturer an opportunity to cure the alleged defect”
mmvc.ms.gov
Arbitration
If the manufacturer has a dispute program that meets federal rules (16 C.F.R. Part 703) and told you about it, you must use it before you can get a refund or replacement. The state does not run its own program.
“the provisions of Section 63-17-159 concerning refunds or replacements shall not apply to any consumer who has not first resorted to such procedure”
mmvc.ms.gov
What you get
Your choice of a comparable replacement or a full refund including reasonable collateral charges such as towing and rental costs, minus 20 cents for each mile you drove.
“number of miles the motor vehicle has been driven by the consumer by Twenty Cents (20¢) per mile”
mmvc.ms.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 (Mississippi Attorney General's Office, Consumer Protection Division), then court if you need to.
- Do not sell or trade in the vehicle while the claim is open.
Letter template for Mississippi
[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 Mississippi. 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 Warranty Enforcement Act (Miss. Code Ann. §§ 63-17-151 to 63-17-165), 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 Mississippi
The refund is reduced for your use of the car: 20 cents a mile for the miles driven. For a $40,000 car with 6,000 miles at the first repair and 15,000 now, that is about $3,000.
Questions people ask about Mississippi's lemon law
How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Mississippi?
The car is presumed a lemon if substantially the same defect has been repaired 3 or more times within the period and still exists.
How many days in the shop make a car a lemon in Mississippi?
The car is presumed a lemon if it is out of service for repair of the defect a total of 15 or more working days, not counting routine maintenance.
How long does Mississippi's lemon law cover a car?
The manufacturer's express warranty term or 1 year after first delivery, whichever ends first. The law sets no mileage limit of its own.
Which vehicles does Mississippi's lemon law cover?
Motor vehicles sold in Mississippi and used on public roads, including demonstrators, bought mainly for personal, family, or household use. Motorcycles, mopeds, off-road vehicles, and the living-area parts a motor home maker adds are not covered.
Does Mississippi's lemon law cover used cars?
Only partly. A later owner is covered if the car was transferred while the original express warranty still applied. The Act has no other used car rules.
Does Mississippi's lemon law cover leased cars?
Only lease-purchase vehicles are named, and only if a manufacturer's warranty came with the sale. The law does not mention ordinary leases.
Do I have to tell the manufacturer in writing?
Yes. You must notify the manufacturer in writing before using the law, and the manufacturer then gets 10 working days at a repair shop it names to fix the car.
Do I have to go to arbitration before court?
If the manufacturer has a dispute program that meets federal rules (16 C.F.R. Part 703) and told you about it, you must use it before you can get a refund or replacement. The state does not run its own program.
How long do I have to file a lemon law claim in Mississippi?
You must sue within 1 year after the warranty ends or 18 months after first delivery, whichever is earlier. If you used the manufacturer's dispute program, you have 90 days after its final decision.
What do I get if my car is a lemon in Mississippi?
Your choice of a comparable replacement or a full refund including reasonable collateral charges such as towing and rental costs, minus 20 cents for each mile you drove.
How much is taken off a buyback for the miles I drove?
The refund is reduced for your use of the car: 20 cents a mile for the miles driven. For a $40,000 car with 6,000 miles at the first repair and 15,000 now, that is about $3,000.
Who pays the lawyer in a Mississippi lemon law case?
Yes. If you win, the court may award your costs and attorney fees based on actual time spent. In Mississippi, 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 Mississippi, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.
Find a Mississippi lemon law lawyer
Yes. If you win, the court may award your costs and attorney fees based on actual time spent.
“attorney's fees based on actual time expended, determined by the court to have been reasonably incurred by the plaintiff”
mmvc.ms.gov
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 Mississippi cases like yours. The firm contacts you, and you decide whether to hire them.
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Who pays the lawyer? In Mississippi, 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
- Miss. Code Ann. §§ 63-17-151 to 63-17-165, Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act
- Mississippi Attorney General's Office, Consumer Protection 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.