Get Compensation for Your Defective Vehicle
Tennessee’s Lemon Law protects consumers by ensuring they get a refund or replacement for new, defective vehicles and an Tennessee Lemon Law Attorney can help you understand your options.
“Lemon Law protects owners and lessees of vehicles with persistent defects.” –– Joseph Novel, Esq.
founding attorney
Full refund, incl. taxes, fees, & remaining loan balance.
You’ll receive a new car of equal value.
Under the Tennessee Lemon Law, a vehicle qualifies when it has a defect or condition that substantially impairs its use, safety, or resale value, and the manufacturer has been unable to fix it after a reasonable number of attempts. Per Tennessee Lemon Law 55-24-201, the defect must be reported during the “term of protection,” which is one year from original delivery or the duration of the express warranty, whichever comes first. If your vehicle keeps failing to meet that standard despite repeated repair visits, the Tennessee Lemon Law may entitle you to a replacement or refund.
The Tennessee Lemon Law presumes a reasonable number of attempts have been made if the same defect has been repaired 4 or more times without being resolved, or if the vehicle has been out of service for a cumulative total of 30 or more calendar days during the term of protection. Both thresholds are set out in Tennessee Lemon Law 55-24-205. Keep every repair order you receive, because those records are what prove the pattern under the Tennessee Lemon Law.
If your vehicle qualifies, the Tennessee Lemon Law requires the manufacturer to either replace the vehicle with a comparable one or accept its return and refund the full purchase price, including all collateral charges, less a reasonable allowance for your use of the vehicle prior to reporting the defect. Refunds are made to both the consumer and any lienholder as their interests appear. The Tennessee Lemon Law is designed to put you back where you started financially, so it’s worth finding out if your situation qualifies.
Yes, the Tennessee Lemon Law explicitly covers lessees. Under Tennessee Lemon Law 55-24-204, if a leased vehicle qualifies, the lessee receives their aggregate deposit and rental payments back, while the lessor receives the lease price less those payments already made. If you’re leasing and your vehicle has been in and out of the shop for the same unresolved issue, don’t assume you’re without options — the Tennessee Lemon Law extends protections to you as well.
Yes, and the sooner the better. The Tennessee Lemon Law requires you to send written notice by certified mail directly to the manufacturer before you can pursue a remedy under the law, and missing this step can significantly hurt your claim. A Tennessee Lemon Law attorney can make sure your notice is properly sent, your documentation is organized, and your case is as strong as possible from the start.
