Key takeaways
- Protection period: one year after original delivery or the first 12,000 miles, whichever occurs first. The presumption window runs 24 months or 24,000 miles, whichever occurs first.
- Repair attempts: the same nonconforming condition subject to repair 3 or more times (at least one during the lemon law rights period), plus a final attempt by the manufacturer, and the condition continues.
- Days out of service: cumulative total of 30 calendar days out of service (including the final repair attempt) within 24 months or 24,000 miles, with one repair attempt during the lemon law rights period.
- Deadline: within 3 years after the date of original delivery of the vehicle to the consumer.
- The law is Ala. Code §§ 8-20A-1 to 8-20A-6. Read it with your repair orders and your warranty in front of you.
On this page
Alabama's lemon law is Ala. Code §§ 8-20A-1 to 8-20A-6, the Alabama Motor Vehicle Lemon Law (Code of Alabama Title 8, Chapter 20A). It gives owners a remedy when the manufacturer can't fix a warranty defect after a fair chance. This page sums up the main rules as written in the statute, with links to the official text. Use it to check your dates and your repair visits, then talk to a lawyer about your own records.
Alabama lemon law at a glance
| Statute | Ala. Code §§ 8-20A-1 to 8-20A-6 |
|---|---|
| Official name | Alabama Motor Vehicle Lemon Law (Code of Alabama Title 8, Chapter 20A) |
| Vehicles covered | New or previously untitled self-propelled motor vehicles bought for use in substantial part for personal, family, or household purposes. Excludes motor homes and vehicles with a manufacturer's GVWR of 10,000 pounds or more. |
| Leased vehicles | The statute does not extend its lemon law remedies to lessees. |
| Protection period | Lemon law rights period: one year after original delivery or the first 12,000 miles, whichever occurs first. The presumption window runs 24 months or 24,000 miles, whichever occurs first. |
| Repair attempts | The same nonconforming condition subject to repair 3 or more times (at least one during the lemon law rights period), plus a final attempt by the manufacturer, and the condition continues. |
| Days out of service | Cumulative total of 30 calendar days out of service (including the final repair attempt) within 24 months or 24,000 miles, with one repair attempt during the lemon law rights period. |
| Notice to the manufacturer | Before suing, the consumer must send written notice of the nonconforming condition by certified U.S. mail to the manufacturer. The manufacturer must name a repair facility within 7 calendar days and gets a final repair attempt of no more than 14 calendar days. |
| Dispute programs | If the manufacturer has an informal dispute settlement procedure that complies with federal rules, the consumer must exhaust it before filing suit. No state-run arbitration program in the statute. |
| Deadline to bring a claim | Within 3 years after the date of original delivery of the vehicle to the consumer. |
| Remedies | At the consumer's option, a comparable new replacement vehicle or a refund of the full contract price, collateral charges, certain finance charges and incidental damages. The use offset is the full purchase price multiplied by miles driven before the first report of the nonconformity, divided by 100,000. |
| Attorney's fees | Yes. A consumer who proves the manufacturer breached its obligations may recover reasonable attorney's fees in addition to the statutory remedy. |
| Used vehicles | No used-car lemon law. The act covers new or previously untitled vehicles; a later owner is covered only as a person entitled by the warranty's terms to enforce it. |
Does your vehicle qualify in Alabama?
The law covers new or previously untitled self-propelled motor vehicles bought for use in substantial part for personal, family, or household purposes. Excludes motor homes and vehicles with a manufacturer's GVWR of 10,000 pounds or more. The protection period is one year after original delivery or the first 12,000 miles, whichever occurs first. The presumption window runs 24 months or 24,000 miles, whichever occurs first. Inside that window, the statute presumes the manufacturer has had a fair chance to fix the problem when one of these is true:
- Repeated repairs: The same nonconforming condition subject to repair 3 or more times (at least one during the lemon law rights period), plus a final attempt by the manufacturer, and the condition continues.
- Days out of service: Cumulative total of 30 calendar days out of service (including the final repair attempt) within 24 months or 24,000 miles, with one repair attempt during the lemon law rights period.
As with most lemon laws, the defect generally has to be covered by the manufacturer's warranty and serious enough to substantially impair the vehicle's use, value or safety; check the statute's exact wording. Count only visits for the same problem, and check each repair order for your complaint, the dates in and out, and the mileage. See what counts as a repair attempt.
Notice, dispute programs and deadlines
Before suing, the consumer must send written notice of the nonconforming condition by certified U.S. mail to the manufacturer. The manufacturer must name a repair facility within 7 calendar days and gets a final repair attempt of no more than 14 calendar days.
If the manufacturer has an informal dispute settlement procedure that complies with federal rules, the consumer must exhaust it before filing suit. No state-run arbitration program in the statute.
Deadline: Within 3 years after the date of original delivery of the vehicle to the consumer.
Deadlines can run out before you expect, and contacting a lawyer does not stop them. Read more about lemon law deadlines and notice to the manufacturer.
Questions about your vehicle's repair history?
Tell us what has happened with your vehicle. A member of our team will look at your dates and repair orders with you. Reaching out does not create an attorney-client relationship.
What you can recover
At the consumer's option, a comparable new replacement vehicle or a refund of the full contract price, collateral charges, certain finance charges and incidental damages. The use offset is the full purchase price multiplied by miles driven before the first report of the nonconformity, divided by 100,000. Yes. A consumer who proves the manufacturer breached its obligations may recover reasonable attorney's fees in addition to the statutory remedy. Many claims are also resolved by a negotiated settlement. See buyback and replacement.
Federal warranty law also applies
The federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 2301–2312) applies in every state. It covers written and implied warranties on consumer products, including vehicles, and it can help when a vehicle falls outside Alabama's lemon law, for example some used vehicles sold with a warranty or a service contract.
Talk to us about your Alabama vehicle
SkyRidge Law P.C. reviews lemon law questions from owners in every state. Lawyers may practice only where they are licensed or otherwise authorized, so before you sign anything we tell you which lawyer would handle your case and where that lawyer is licensed. Send us your repair history and we will look at your dates with you.
Frequently asked questions
How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Alabama?
Under Ala. Code §§ 8-20A-1 to 8-20A-6, the presumption is met when the same nonconforming condition subject to repair 3 or more times (at least one during the lemon law rights period), plus a final attempt by the manufacturer, and the condition continues. The law also counts time in the shop: cumulative total of 30 calendar days out of service (including the final repair attempt) within 24 months or 24,000 miles, with one repair attempt during the lemon law rights period.
How long do I have to file a lemon law claim in Alabama?
Within 3 years after the date of original delivery of the vehicle to the consumer. Other deadlines, such as the protection period and any notice or dispute-program step, can run out first, so check your dates early. Contacting a lawyer does not stop the clock.
Does the Alabama lemon law cover used cars?
No used-car lemon law. The act covers new or previously untitled vehicles; a later owner is covered only as a person entitled by the warranty's terms to enforce it. Even when the state lemon law does not apply, a used vehicle sold with a written warranty or a service contract may have rights under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.
Does the Alabama lemon law cover leased vehicles?
The statute does not extend its lemon law remedies to lessees. Lease buybacks usually involve both you and the leasing company, so keep your lease agreement with your repair orders.
Do I have to notify the manufacturer in Alabama?
Before suing, the consumer must send written notice of the nonconforming condition by certified U.S. mail to the manufacturer. The manufacturer must name a repair facility within 7 calendar days and gets a final repair attempt of no more than 14 calendar days. Keep a copy of anything you send and proof of delivery.
Do I have to go to arbitration in Alabama?
If the manufacturer has an informal dispute settlement procedure that complies with federal rules, the consumer must exhaust it before filing suit. No state-run arbitration program in the statute.
Can I recover attorney's fees under the Alabama lemon law?
Yes. A consumer who proves the manufacturer breached its obligations may recover reasonable attorney's fees in addition to the statutory remedy. We explain exactly how fees work in your case before you sign anything.