Arizona Lemon Law: Do You Qualify?
Under the A.R.S. §§ 44-1261 to 44-1265 (new) and § 44-1267 (used vehicles).
Arizona has two very different vehicle-warranty statutes. The new-car lemon law presumes a vehicle is a lemon after 4 failed repairs or 30 days out of service within the shorter of the warranty term, 2 years, or 24,000 miles, and it can end in a refund or replacement. The used-car statute is far narrower: a 15-day / 500-mile implied warranty of merchantability that dealers cannot disclaim, with a cost-sharing repair remedy rather than a buyback. If your vehicle fits either track, you may qualify; the free checker below applies Arizona's rules to your answers in minutes.
Arizona lemon law at a glance
- Coverage window
- New cars: the shorter of the manufacturer's express warranty term, 2 years from original delivery, or 24,000 miles. Used cars: the implied warranty lasts 15 days or 500 miles after delivery, whichever comes first, one of the shortest used-car windows in the country.
- Repair attempts
- New cars: 4 attempts for the same defect. Arizona has no reduced 1- or 2-attempt trigger for safety defects. Used cars: no repair-attempt presumption exists; the dealer must simply get a reasonable opportunity to repair an in-window defect.
- Days out of service
- New cars: 30 cumulative days out of service.
- Written notice
- New cars: written notice to the manufacturer is a prerequisite to the statutory remedies, and if the manufacturer maintains a federally compliant dispute program, that program must be used first. Used cars: the dealer (the warrantor) must be given a reasonable opportunity to repair.
- Used vehicles
- Covered only by a 15-day / 500-mile implied warranty of merchantability that dealers cannot disclaim in-window. The remedy is cost-shared repair (you pay half of each of the first two repairs, capped at $25 each), not a repurchase; buyback-style relief for used cars comes, if at all, from parallel federal or UCC claims.
Check your Arizona eligibility now
Free, anonymous, and specific to Arizona. Answer a few questions about your vehicle and repair history to see whether you may qualify.
Arizona lemon law: frequently asked questions
- What does the Arizona new-car lemon law require?
- A warranty-covered defect that substantially impairs the use, market value, or safety of the vehicle, still unfixed after 4 attempts for the same problem or 30 cumulative days out of service, within the shorter of the warranty term, 2 years, or 24,000 miles. A qualifying consumer elects between a refund (minus a reasonable use allowance) and a comparable replacement.
- Does Arizona have a used-car lemon law?
- A narrow one. A.R.S. § 44-1267 gives used-car buyers an implied warranty of merchantability the dealer cannot disclaim for 15 days or 500 miles after delivery, whichever comes first. If a significant defect arises in that window, the remedy is a cost-shared repair: you pay half of each of the first two repairs (at most $25 each) and the dealer covers the rest, with its total liability capped at the purchase price.
- Can I get a buyback on a used car in Arizona?
- Not under the used-car statute; it provides a repair remedy, not repurchase or replacement. Buyback-style relief on a used vehicle generally has to come from parallel paths such as the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act or UCC breach-of-warranty claims, which an attorney can evaluate alongside the state statute.
- Are motorcycles covered by the Arizona lemon law?
- Yes. Neither the new-car statute nor the used-car statute excludes motorcycles from the motor-vehicle definition, which distinguishes Arizona from states like New York, Florida, Illinois, and Pennsylvania that exclude them.
- How long do I have to file an Arizona lemon law claim?
- Four years under Arizona's UCC warranty statute of limitations, which governs both tracks; the clock runs from tender of delivery to the claimant. The eligibility windows (2 years / 24,000 miles for new, 15 days / 500 miles for used) are separate concepts from the filing deadline.
Think you qualify? Estimate your refund with the Arizona lemon law calculator →
Statutes cited on this page
- A.R.S. § 44-1261 (Arizona New Motor Vehicle Warranties Act: definitions and scope)
- A.R.S. § 44-1264 (statutory presumption: 4 attempts same defect OR 30 cumulative days OOS within the shorter of the warranty term, 24 months, or 24,000 miles)
- A.R.S. § 44-1265 (informal dispute settlement procedures; manufacturer notice before suit)
- A.R.S. § 44-1267(B) (Used Motor Vehicle Warranties Act implied warranty of merchantability duration: 15 days or 500 miles, whichever first)
- A.R.S. § 44-1267(E)-(F) (Used Motor Vehicle Warranties Act remedy: cost-sharing repair after a reasonable opportunity to repair; $25 cap per first two repairs; seller liability capped at purchase price)
- A.R.S. § 47-2725 (Arizona UCC § 2-725: 4-year statute of limitations on warranty actions)
This page summarizes the statute in plain language and is not legal advice. The linked official text controls.