Alabama · Lemon law · Updated Oct 2026
Alabama Lemon Law (Motor Vehicle Lemon Law Rights) (Ala. Code §§ 8-20A-1 to 8-20A-6) protects buyers of new vehicles that can't be fixed. Here is what counts as a lemon in Alabama, the notice you must send and what you can get back.
Within 24 months or 24,000 miles of delivery (whichever comes first), your car is presumed a lemon if: (1) the same defect was repaired 3 or more times (at least once in the first 1 year/12,000 miles), plus a final repair attempt by the manufacturer, and it still is not fixed; or (2) the car was in the shop for a total of 30 calendar days for repairs (including the final attempt), with at least one repair in the first 1 year/12,000 miles. The defect must significantly impair the car's use, value, or safety. After your certified-mail notice, the manufacturer has 7 calendar days to name a repair shop and then up to 14 calendar days to fix the car.
Period: The 'lemon law rights period' is 1 year or 12,000 miles from original delivery, whichever comes first. The defect must first show up and be reported in that period. Repair attempts counted for the presumption run to 24 months or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Before you sue, send the manufacturer a written notice by certified U.S. mail. It must describe the car, the defect, and every earlier repair attempt (who did it and when), and demand repair. If the car already meets the lemon presumption, this notice starts the manufacturer's final repair attempt.
Alabama has no state-run lemon law arbitration. If the manufacturer has an informal dispute program that meets federal rules, you must use it first before you can sue under the lemon law.
Your choice of a comparable new replacement car or a refund. A refund covers the full contract price (including undercoating, dealer prep, transportation charges, installed options, and the nonrefundable part of extended warranties and service contracts), sales tax, license and registration fees, finance charges you paid after you first reported the defect, and reasonable alternative transportation costs while the car was out of service. The manufacturer may subtract a use allowance: full purchase price × (miles driven before you first reported the defect ÷ 100,000).
Attorney fees: Yes. If the manufacturer broke the lemon law, you can also recover reasonable attorney fees.
Deadline: You must file suit within 3 years after the car was first delivered to you (Ala. Code § 8-20A-6).
The lemon law covers only new or previously untitled vehicles. Alabama has no separate used-car lemon law.
Most states require you to tell the manufacturer in writing and give it a last chance to fix the car. Before you sue, send the manufacturer a written notice by certified U.S. mail. It must describe the car, the defect, and every earlier repair attempt (who did it and when), and demand repair. If the car already meets the lemon presumption, this notice starts the manufacturer's final repair attempt. Fill this in, copy the letter, sign it and send it by certified mail with return receipt. Keep a copy. Nothing you type here is sent to us; the letter is made in your browser.
Within 24 months or 24,000 miles of delivery (whichever comes first), your car is presumed a lemon if: (1) the same defect was repaired 3 or more times (at least once in the first 1 year/12,000 miles), plus a final repair attempt by the manufacturer, and it still is not fixed; or (2) the car was in the shop for a total of 30 calendar days for repairs (including the final attempt), with at least one repair in the first 1 year/12,000 miles. The defect must significantly impair the car's use, value, or safety. After your certified-mail notice, the manufacturer has 7 calendar days to name a repair shop and then up to 14 calendar days to fix the car.
The 'lemon law rights period' is 1 year or 12,000 miles from original delivery, whichever comes first. The defect must first show up and be reported in that period. Repair attempts counted for the presumption run to 24 months or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Before you sue, send the manufacturer a written notice by certified U.S. mail. It must describe the car, the defect, and every earlier repair attempt (who did it and when), and demand repair. If the car already meets the lemon presumption, this notice starts the manufacturer's final repair attempt.
Alabama has no state-run lemon law arbitration. If the manufacturer has an informal dispute program that meets federal rules, you must use it first before you can sue under the lemon law.
Your choice of a comparable new replacement car or a refund. A refund covers the full contract price (including undercoating, dealer prep, transportation charges, installed options, and the nonrefundable part of extended warranties and service contracts), sales tax, license and registration fees, finance charges you paid after you first reported the defect, and reasonable alternative transportation costs while the car was out of service. The manufacturer may subtract a use allowance: full purchase price × (miles driven before you first reported the defect ÷ 100,000).
You must file suit within 3 years after the car was first delivered to you (Ala. Code § 8-20A-6).
The lemon law covers only new or previously untitled vehicles. Alabama has no separate used-car lemon law.
Car not covered, or the period has passed? Federal warranty law may still help, and small claims court can handle smaller repair bills.
Federal warranty law