Get Compensation for Your Defective Vehicle
Vermont’s Lemon Law provides a refund or replacement for new, defective vehicles that don’t meet quality standards, and a Vermont Lemon Law Lawyer can help.
“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 Vermont Lemon Law, a vehicle qualifies when it has a defect that substantially impairs its use, market value, or safety, and the manufacturer has been unable to fix it after a reasonable number of attempts during the express warranty term. Per Vermont Lemon Law 4171, covered vehicles must be purchased or leased and registered in Vermont within 15 days of the purchase or lease date. If your new vehicle keeps having the same unresolved problem, the Vermont Lemon Law may entitle you to a replacement or full refund.
The Vermont Lemon Law presumes a reasonable number of attempts has been made if the same defect has been subject to repair at least 3 times without being resolved, with at least the first attempt occurring within the express warranty term. Alternatively, if your vehicle has been out of service for a cumulative total of 30 or more calendar days during the warranty period, that also triggers the presumption under Vermont Lemon Law 4172. Keep every written repair order you receive, since the Vermont Lemon Law specifically requires repair attempts to be documented in writing to count toward these thresholds.
If your vehicle qualifies, the Vermont Lemon Law entitles you to either a comparable replacement vehicle or a full refund of the purchase price, including trade-in credits, license fees, finance charges, registration fees, and incidental and consequential damages. Under Vermont Lemon Law 4173, the manufacturer has 30 days from the arbitration board’s decision to issue the refund or replacement. The Vermont Lemon Law is designed to restore you to where you were before the defect, so it’s worth pursuing if your situation meets the criteria.
Yes, the Vermont Lemon Law explicitly covers lessees. Under Vermont Lemon Law 4171, a lessee is defined as a consumer who leases a motor vehicle pursuant to a written agreement for a term of two or more years. In qualifying cases, the manufacturer must refund the lessee’s aggregate deposit and rental payments, while also compensating the lessor, and the lease agreement is terminated without any early termination penalty. If you’re leasing and your vehicle qualifies, the Vermont Lemon Law protects you just as it would a buyer.
Yes, and getting guidance early can make a real difference. The Vermont Lemon Law requires consumers to notify the manufacturer in writing using specific forms and then elect whether to proceed through the manufacturer’s dispute settlement mechanism or the Vermont Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board — and that choice is binding. A Vermont Lemon Law attorney can help you navigate these steps, meet all deadlines, and present the strongest possible case for a refund or replacement.
