Lemon law in Vermont

At a glance

Who qualifies

Which vehicles

Passenger vehicles purchased, leased, or registered in Vermont. Motorcycles, the living portion of recreation vehicles, and trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating over 12,000 pounds are not covered.

“shall not include tractors, motorized highway building equipment, road-making appliances, snowmobiles, motorcycles, motor-driven cycles, or the living portion of recreation vehicles, or trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating over 12,000 pounds”

legislature.vermont.gov

Repair attempts

The car is presumed a lemon if the same defect has been repaired at least three times, the first repair was within the express warranty, and the defect still exists.

“the same nonconformity as identified in any written examination or repair order has been subject to repair at least three times by the manufacturer, its agent, or authorized dealer and at least the first repair attempt occurs within the express warranty term”

legislature.vermont.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 repairs a total of 30 or more calendar days during the express warranty.

“for a cumulative total of 30 or more calendar days during the term of the express warranty”

legislature.vermont.gov

Used vehicles

Used vehicles can qualify if the first repair happened within the manufacturer's express warranty and the other requirements are met.

“Used vehicles are covered under the Lemon law if the first repair occurred within the manufacturer's express warranty and other eligibility requirements have been met.”

dmv.vermont.gov

Leased vehicles

Yes, for written leases of two years or more.

“"Lessee" means any consumer who leases a motor vehicle pursuant to a written lease agreement for a term of two or more years.”

legislature.vermont.gov

Deadlines

Protection period

Protection lasts as long as the manufacturer's express warranty. A vehicle counts as new while it is still under that warranty.

“A "new motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle that is still under the manufacturer's express warranty”

legislature.vermont.gov

Time limit to file

A claim must be started within one year after the manufacturer's express warranty expires.

“Any proceedings initiated under this chapter shall be commenced within one year following the expiration of the express warranty term.”

legislature.vermont.gov

Steps

1. 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.
2. Check the dates. Protection lasts as long as the manufacturer's express warranty. A vehicle counts as new while it is still under that warranty. A claim must be started within one year after the manufacturer's express warranty expires.
3. Tell the manufacturer in writing. The law asks for written notice. See written notice below.
4. Use the dispute program if one is required. See arbitration below for whether you must go there before court.
5. 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 owner must notify the manufacturer and any lessor in writing, on forms the manufacturer provides at delivery, and say they are choosing to proceed under the law.

“the consumer shall notify the manufacturer and lessor in writing, on forms to be provided by the manufacturer at the time the new motor vehicle is delivered”

legislature.vermont.gov

Arbitration

In the written notice, the owner chooses either the manufacturer's dispute program or the state's Vermont Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board. Choosing one rules out the other.

“The consumer shall in the notice elect whether to use the dispute settlement mechanism or the arbitration provisions established by the manufacturer or to proceed under the Vermont Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board as established under this chapter.”

legislature.vermont.gov

What you get

The owner chooses a comparable new replacement or a refund. A refund covers the full purchase price, trade-in or down payment, finance charges, registration fees, similar charges, and incidental and consequential damages, less an allowance for use.

“the manufacturer shall refund to the consumer the full purchase price as indicated in the purchase contract and all credits and allowances for any trade-in or downpayment, finance charges, credit charges, registration fees, and any similar charges and incidental and consequential damages”

legislature.vermont.gov

Do it yourself

You can bring a lemon law claim without a lawyer. It takes letters, records and patience. The usual route:

1. Put your repair orders in date order and count the attempts and the days out of service.
2. Send the manufacturer the letter below, by a tracked method, to the address in your owner's manual or warranty booklet.
3. If it offers a final repair, let it try within the time the law gives it.
4. If it refuses or does not answer, file with the manufacturer's dispute program or the state program (Vermont Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board (Vermont DMV)), then court if you need to.
5. Do not sell or trade in the vehicle while the claim is open.

[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 Vermont. 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 Arbitration (Vermont Lemon Law) (9 V.S.A. §§ 4170-4181), 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 Vermont

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.

Estimate your buyback

Questions people ask about Vermont's lemon law

Find a Vermont lemon law lawyer

The law has no general attorney fee award for the owner. If a Board decision is confirmed in court, the winning side gets the attorney fees for obtaining that confirmation, plus costs.

“In the event a decision is confirmed, the party who prevails shall be awarded the attorney's fees incurred in obtaining confirmation of the decision together with all costs.”

legislature.vermont.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 Vermont cases like yours. The firm contacts you, and you decide whether to hire them.

Sources

• 9 V.S.A. §§ 4170-4181, New Motor Vehicle Arbitration (Vermont Lemon Law)
• Vermont Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board (Vermont DMV)
• 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.