Quick answer
Arizona's lemon law covers new vehicles with a warranty defect that substantially impairs their use and value. If the manufacturer can't fix it after a reasonable number of attempts, it must replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price, minus an allowance for your use. The law presumes a reasonable number of attempts after 4 repairs for the same problem or 30 days in the shop within the warranty term or 2 years/24,000 miles, but only if you notified the manufacturer in writing.
Key takeaways
- Report the defect within the warranty term or 2 years/24,000 miles from delivery, whichever ends first.
- The presumption kicks in after 4+ repair attempts for the same defect, or 30+ cumulative calendar days out of service, in that same window.
- You must send the manufacturer direct written notice and give it a chance to fix the problem.
- Remedy: a replacement vehicle, or a refund of the full purchase price including collateral charges, minus a reasonable allowance for use.
- The deadline to sue is short: 6 months after the warranty term or 2 years/24,000 miles ends, whichever is earlier.
- If you win, the court must award reasonable attorney's fees and costs.
What Arizona's lemon law covers
Arizona's lemon law (A.R.S. § 44-1261 and following) applies to new motor vehicles bought or leased by consumers. It also protects anyone the vehicle is transferred to while the express warranty is still in effect.
The defect has to be covered by the manufacturer's express warranty and has to substantially impair the vehicle's use and value. The manufacturer can defend a claim by showing the problem doesn't substantially impair use and market value, or that it was caused by abuse, neglect, or unauthorized modifications.
- Not covered: vehicles with a declared gross weight over 10,000 pounds, vehicles sold at public auction, and vehicles bought for resale.
- Motor homes: the engine, drivetrain, and chassis are covered, but not the living quarters.
The repair window and the presumption
You must report the problem to the manufacturer, its agent, or an authorized dealer during the shorter of the warranty term or 2 years/24,000 miles from original delivery. Repairs reported in that window must still be made even if the work happens after it ends.
Arizona presumes the manufacturer had a reasonable number of attempts if, within that same window, either of these happened:
- The same defect was repaired four or more times and still exists.
- The vehicle was out of service for repairs for a cumulative total of 30 or more calendar days.
Written notice to the manufacturer is required
The presumption doesn't apply unless the manufacturer received direct written notice of the defect from you (or someone on your behalf) and had a chance to fix it. Telling the dealer isn't enough. Send a letter to the manufacturer address in your warranty booklet or owner's manual, keep a copy, and use a delivery method you can prove.
If the manufacturer runs an informal dispute program that meets federal standards, you must use that program before you can get a refund or replacement under the lemon law.
What a refund includes
If the manufacturer accepts the vehicle back, it must refund the full purchase price, including collateral charges, minus a reasonable allowance for your use. The allowance covers your use before you first reported the defect in writing, plus use during later periods when the car wasn't in the shop. Payments go to you and to your lender, if any. Arizona doesn't set a fixed mileage formula the way California does.
Arizona also requires a manufacturer that buys back or replaces a vehicle to attach a written notice before reselling it, so the next buyer knows.
What to do next
- Check your delivery date and mileage. Your window is the warranty term or 2 years/24,000 miles, whichever ends first.
- Gather every repair order and count the visits and days out of service for the same problem.
- Send the manufacturer written notice of the defect if you haven't, and keep proof.
- Mark the 6-month deadline to sue on your calendar, then request a free case review.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 44-1261 (definitions and exemptions)
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 44-1262 (repair window)
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 44-1263 (replacement or refund)
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 44-1264 (presumption and written notice)
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 44-1265 (dispute programs, deadline, attorney fees)
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 44-1266 (notice on resale)
This website provides general information, not legal advice. Laws change and every situation is different. Talk to a licensed attorney in your state about your specific facts.