Georgia Lemon Law Guide: Your Rights Under Georgia Lemon Law

What Is the Georgia Lemon Law? The Georgia Lemon Law Ga. Code Ann. § 10-1-780 et seq. offers statutory protection to consumers who purchase or lease a new motor vehicle that experiences substantial defects that the manufacturer cannot repair within a reasonable number of attempts. The law defines the remedies available when a vehicle cannot be made to conform to its express warranties and sets procedural requirements, including repair attempt thresholds and a mandatory manufacturer arbitration program. Georgia's Lemon Law is designed to balance the consumer's right to a reliable vehicle with the manufacturer's opportunity to repair claimed defects. The statute lays out specific thresholds for when a vehicle may be presumed a "lemon" and describes the remedies a consumer may seek, commonly a vehicle replacement or repurchase refund. The text of the law is found at Ga. Code Ann. § 10-1-780 et seq.; the Georgia Department of Law provides consumer protection guidance at the Office of the Attorney General's consumer protection pages https://law.georgia.gov/consumer-protection. If you believe you have a lemon under Georgia law, you should act promptly. The law's coverage period and repair thresholds are time and mileage limited, and manufacturers often require participation in their arbitration programs before you can pursue a court action. Which Vehicles Qualify Under Georgia Lemon Law? Georgia’s lemon law applies to new motor vehicles originally sold or leased to a consumer for personal, family, or household use. The law does not cover used vehicles, except in very limited circumstances involving certified pre-owned programs where the manufacturer’s written warranty explicitly extends comparable coverage; however, the default statutory protection applies to new vehicles only. The statute’s coverage is subject to both a time and mileage cap: protection generally runs for 24 months from the date of original delivery or until 24,000 miles are reached, whichever comes first. Coverage typically includes passenger cars, trucks, and certain motor homes and multipurpose passenger vehicles that are subject to the manufacturer's express written warranty. Commercial vehicles or those used primarily for business may be excluded depending on the language of the warranty and the vehicle's use at the time of purchase. If you are uncertain whether your vehicle qualifies, review the manufacturer’s new-vehicle warranty and consult the consumer protection guidance on the Georgia Attorney General’s website or seek legal counsel. How Many Repair Attempts Are Required in Georgia? Georgia’s law identifies objective thresholds that trigger consumer remedies. In most situations, the consumer must give the manufacturer or its authorized dealer a reasonable number of opportunities to repair the same defect. Under the statute and guiding precedent, the commonly recognized thresholds in Georgia are three repair attempts for the same defect or a vehicle being out of se