Get Compensation for Your Defective Vehicle
A VirginiaLemon Law Attorney can help you navigate Virginia’s Lemon Law, which protects consumers who purchase defective vehicles and provides an arbitration process that may lead to a refund or replacement.
“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 Virginia Lemon Law, a vehicle qualifies when it has a defect or nonconformity that significantly impairs its use, market value, or safety, and the manufacturer has failed to fix it after a reasonable number of attempts. As defined in Virginia Lemon Law 59.1-207.11, the “lemon law rights period” is 18 months from the date of original delivery to the consumer, and all nonconformities must be reported during this window. If your vehicle keeps failing to meet warranty standards within that timeframe, the Virginia Lemon Law may entitle you to a replacement or full refund.
The Virginia Lemon Law presumes a reasonable number of repair attempts has been made under three scenarios set out in Virginia Lemon Law 59.1-207.13: the same defect has been repaired 3 or more times without being resolved; the defect is a serious safety issue and has been repaired at least once without resolution; or the vehicle has been out of service for a cumulative total of 30 or more calendar days. Keep every written repair order you receive, because documented repair history is the foundation of any Virginia Lemon Law claim.
If your vehicle qualifies, the Virginia Lemon Law gives you the unconditional right to choose between a comparable replacement vehicle or a full refund of the purchase price, including all collateral charges and incidental damages, less a reasonable allowance for your use of the vehicle prior to first reporting the defect. You’re also entitled to continue driving the vehicle until you receive either the refund or the replacement. The Virginia Lemon Law is designed to fully restore you financially, so don’t settle for less than what the law provides.
The Virginia Lemon Law is primarily designed for new motor vehicles, though it also covers demonstrators and lease-purchase vehicles with which a warranty was issued. Used vehicles that are still within an active manufacturer’s warranty and within the 18-month lemon law rights period may have a path to protection. If you’re unsure whether your vehicle qualifies, a Virginia Lemon Law attorney can review your warranty status and timeline.
Yes, and the sooner the better. The Virginia Lemon Law requires consumers to provide written notification to the manufacturer before pursuing a remedy, and the manufacturer must be given an additional 15 days to cure the defect if they haven’t already been properly notified. A Virginia Lemon Law attorney can make sure your notice is correctly sent, your repair documentation is organized, and your claim is as strong as possible from day one.
