Arizona Lemon Law Refund Calculator

How the Arizona buyback is calculated

Under the Arizona Lemon Law.

• Your refund starts from "the full purchase price, including all collateral charges", less "a reasonable allowance for the consumer's use of the vehicle" (A.R.S. § 44-1263(A)). The statute names no mileage formula, so we estimate the allowance as the price times the miles driven divided by 100,000. That divisor is our convention for an estimate, not a figure in the law.
• The statute defines the allowance as "that amount directly attributable to use by the consumer before his first written report of the nonconformity to the manufacturer, agent or dealer and during any subsequent period when the vehicle is not out of service by reason of repair". Read that way, the miles you keep driving after the report count too, and only the time the vehicle is at the shop is left out, so the estimate uses your current odometer. The text can be read more narrowly; an attorney can tell you which reading applies.
• The refund base includes the tax attributed to the sale, which the manufacturer shall refund on a return without replacement (§ 44-1263(C)(1)). "All collateral charges" is not itemized in the statute; we count registration, title and documentation charges and do not add finance charges. Towing, rental and out-of-pocket costs are not part of the refund clause and are not added.
• The manufacturer shall make refunds "to the consumer and lienholder, if any, as their interests appear", so a loan payoff comes out of the refund before you receive the balance.
• No multiplier or civil penalty appears in §§ 44-1261 to 44-1267. If a consumer prevails in an action under the article, "the court shall award the consumer reasonable costs and attorney fees" (§ 44-1265(B)), so the calculator does not net fees out.

Arizona lemon law: frequently asked questions

How much can I recover under the Arizona Lemon Law?

The remedy in A.R.S. § 44-1263(A) is a replacement vehicle or a refund of the full purchase price, including all collateral charges, less a reasonable allowance for your use of the vehicle. The calculator estimates that refund; it is not a guaranteed figure.

Why is the use deduction an estimate?

The statute only requires "a reasonable allowance" and defines it as the use before your first written report and during later periods when the vehicle is not out of service for repair. It sets no mileage divisor. We use miles divided by 100,000 as an estimate convention.

Who pays the attorney fees?

If a consumer prevails in an action under the article, "the court shall award the consumer reasonable costs and attorney fees" (§ 44-1265(B)). The calculator does not subtract them from your recovery.

What counts as a lemon in Arizona?

The manufacturer must be unable to conform the vehicle to its express warranty by repairing a defect that substantially impairs its use and value after a reasonable number of attempts (§ 44-1263(A)). Four or more repairs of the same nonconformity that still exists, or thirty or more calendar days out of service for repair, during the shorter of the express warranty term or two years / 24,000 miles, presume a reasonable number of attempts, but only after the manufacturer has received direct written notice (§ 44-1264). Whether your situation qualifies depends on the facts; this is general information, not legal advice.