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Lemon law in Pennsylvania
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Automobile Lemon Law, 73 P.S. §§ 1951-1963 (Act of Mar. 28, 1984, P.L. 150, No. 28). A new vehicle is presumed a lemon in Pennsylvania 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. Leased vehicles are covered. 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 | Covered |
| State arbitration program | No |
| Time limit to file | See below |
Who qualifies
Which vehicles
New cars, trucks, and other passenger vehicles that carry up to 15 people, bought or leased mainly for personal, family, or household use and registered in Pennsylvania. Since 2024 it also covers motorcycles, but not motor homes or off-road vehicles.
“The term includes motorcycles and does not include motor homes, off-road vehicles or dual sport motorcycles driven off road.”
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Repair attempts
The car is presumed a lemon if the same defect has been repaired three times and still exists.
“the same nonconformity has been subject to repair three times by the manufacturer, its agents or authorized dealers and the nonconformity still exists”
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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 for a total of 30 or more calendar days. The manufacturer can get extra time in cases like natural disasters if it lends you a car for free.
“the vehicle is out-of-service by reason of any nonconformity for a cumulative total of 30 or more calendar days.”
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Used vehicles
No. The law covers only new vehicles, including demonstrators sold by a dealer or manufacturer.
“including a vehicle used by a manufacturer or dealer as a demonstrator or dealer car prior to its sale.”
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Leased vehicles
Yes. People who lease a new vehicle for personal use are covered, and a refund includes the lease price.
“A person, or his successors or assigns, who has obtained possession or ownership of a new motor vehicle by lease, transfer or purchase”
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Deadlines
Protection period
Defects that show up in the first year after delivery, the first 12,000 miles, or the warranty term, whichever comes first. For motorcycles it is one year or the warranty term, whichever comes first.
“may occur within a period of one year following the actual delivery of the vehicle to the purchaser, within the first 12,000 miles of use or during the term of the warranty, whichever may first occur.”
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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. Defects that show up in the first year after delivery, the first 12,000 miles, or the warranty term, whichever comes first. For motorcycles it is one year or the warranty term, whichever comes 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
The law does not require the owner to send the manufacturer a written notice or offer a final repair. Instead, the dealer must notify the manufacturer by certified mail when the car comes in a second time for the same defect.
“It shall be the duty of a dealer to notify the manufacturer of the existence of a nonconformity within seven days of the delivery by a purchaser of a vehicle subject to a nonconformity when it is delivered to the same dealer for the second time for repair of the same nonconformity.”
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Arbitration
If the manufacturer has a dispute program that meets federal rules, you must use it before suing, but its decision does not bind you. Pennsylvania has no state-run lemon law arbitration program.
“The informal dispute settlement procedure shall not be binding on the purchaser and, in lieu of such settlement, the purchaser may pursue a remedy under section 8.”
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What you get
You choose a comparable replacement or a refund of the full price, including collateral charges. The manufacturer may deduct for your use before you first reported the defect, capped at 10 cents a mile or 10% of the price, whichever is less.
“less a reasonable allowance for the purchaser's use of the vehicle not exceeding 10¢ per mile driven or 10% of the purchase price or lease price of the vehicle, whichever is less.”
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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 (Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau 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 Pennsylvania
[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 Pennsylvania. 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 Automobile Lemon Law (73 P.S. §§ 1951-1963 (Act of Mar. 28, 1984, P.L. 150, No. 28)), 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 Pennsylvania
The refund is reduced for your use of the car: up to 10 cents a mile for the miles driven before the first repair visit for the defect, and never more than 10% of the price. For a $40,000 car with 6,000 miles at the first repair and 15,000 now, that is about $600.
Questions people ask about Pennsylvania's lemon law
How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Pennsylvania?
The car is presumed a lemon if the same defect has been repaired three times and still exists.
How many days in the shop make a car a lemon in Pennsylvania?
The car is presumed a lemon if it is out of service for repairs for a total of 30 or more calendar days. The manufacturer can get extra time in cases like natural disasters if it lends you a car for free.
How long does Pennsylvania's lemon law cover a car?
Defects that show up in the first year after delivery, the first 12,000 miles, or the warranty term, whichever comes first. For motorcycles it is one year or the warranty term, whichever comes first.
Which vehicles does Pennsylvania's lemon law cover?
New cars, trucks, and other passenger vehicles that carry up to 15 people, bought or leased mainly for personal, family, or household use and registered in Pennsylvania. Since 2024 it also covers motorcycles, but not motor homes or off-road vehicles.
Does Pennsylvania's lemon law cover used cars?
No. The law covers only new vehicles, including demonstrators sold by a dealer or manufacturer.
Does Pennsylvania's lemon law cover leased cars?
Yes. People who lease a new vehicle for personal use are covered, and a refund includes the lease price.
Do I have to tell the manufacturer in writing?
The law does not require the owner to send the manufacturer a written notice or offer a final repair. Instead, the dealer must notify the manufacturer by certified mail when the car comes in a second time for the same defect.
Do I have to go to arbitration before court?
If the manufacturer has a dispute program that meets federal rules, you must use it before suing, but its decision does not bind you. Pennsylvania has no state-run lemon law arbitration program.
What do I get if my car is a lemon in Pennsylvania?
You choose a comparable replacement or a refund of the full price, including collateral charges. The manufacturer may deduct for your use before you first reported the defect, capped at 10 cents a mile or 10% of the price, whichever is less.
How much is taken off a buyback for the miles I drove?
The refund is reduced for your use of the car: up to 10 cents a mile for the miles driven before the first repair visit for the defect, and never more than 10% of the price. For a $40,000 car with 6,000 miles at the first repair and 15,000 now, that is about $600.
Who pays the lawyer in a Pennsylvania lemon law case?
Yes. If you sue and the manufacturer has broken the law, you can recover reasonable attorney fees and all court costs. In Pennsylvania, 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 Pennsylvania, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.
Find a Pennsylvania lemon law lawyer
Yes. If you sue and the manufacturer has broken the law, you can recover reasonable attorney fees and all court costs.
“shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorneys' fees and all court costs.”
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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 Pennsylvania cases like yours. The firm contacts you, and you decide whether to hire them.
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Who pays the lawyer? In Pennsylvania, 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
- 73 P.S. §§ 1951-1963 (Act of Mar. 28, 1984, P.L. 150, No. 28), Automobile Lemon Law
- Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau 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.