Before a vehicle can be deemed a lemon, you must give the manufacturer a reasonable number of attempts to resolve the issue. Although every state’s laws vary, most provide manufacturers with at least 3 chances to do so. In some states, a single repair attempt may be sufficient to deem a car a lemon if the defect affects the safety of the vehicle.
Most states also qualify vehicles as lemons if any number of repair attempts keep the vehicle out of service for a total of 30 days. However, those 30 days out of service must take place within a set time period, often the first 12, 18, or 24 months after the original purchase date.
To find out how your state defines a “reasonable number of repair attempts,” click on your state’s name under the Select Your State drop-down menu at the top of this page.