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Colorado Lemon Law: Do You Qualify?

Under the C.R.S. §§ 42-10-101 to 42-10-110 (Colorado Motor Vehicle Warranties Act).

Colorado's lemon law, rewritten by SB 24-192, applies to motor vehicles sold or leased on or after August 7, 2024. If the manufacturer, its agent or its authorized dealer is unable to conform the vehicle to the warranty after a reasonable number of attempts, the manufacturer must, at its option, replace the vehicle or refund the price, less an allowance for use. A reasonable number of attempts is presumed after three repairs of the same nonconformity that still exists, two repair attempts of a safety-based nonconformity that still exists, or twenty-four business days out of service, within the first 24,000 miles or two years, but a presumption does not apply against a manufacturer unless it received your prior written notification by certified mail and was given ten business days to cure after receipt. Your vehicle may qualify; the free checker below applies these rules to your answers.

Colorado lemon law at a glance

Coverage window
You must report the problem within the first 24,000 miles or two years after original delivery, whichever occurs earlier. The manufacturer owes the repairs even if they are made after the period ends.
Repair attempts
Three or more repairs of the same nonconformity that continues to exist, or two or more repair attempts of a safety-based nonconformity that continues to exist, by the manufacturer, its agent or its authorized dealer, within the same period.
Days out of service
A cumulative total of twenty-four or more business days of the repairer, within the same period. The article does not define "business days of the repairer". The term of a warranty, the two-year period and the "twenty-four-day period" are extended while repair services are unavailable because of war, invasion, strike, fire, flood or other natural disaster.
Written notice
A presumption does not apply unless the manufacturer received your prior written notification by certified mail, stating that one or more attempts to repair the same nonconformity have been made and that it remains, and was provided ten business days to cure after receipt. Every authorized dealer must include a form for it with each owner's manual.
Dispute program
If the manufacturer has established or participates in an informal dispute procedure that substantially complies with 16 C.F.R. part 703, the refund-or-replacement provision does not apply to a consumer who has not first resorted to it. The article sets up no state-run program.
Deadline to sue
Thirty months from original delivery, tolled during arbitration under the dispute procedure and while the vehicle is not available for use by reason of repair.
What you can recover
At the manufacturer's option, a comparable replacement or the full purchase price including the sales tax, license fees, registration fees and similar governmental charges, less a reasonable allowance for use (total contract price or lessee cost times miles over 100,000), made to you and the lienholder as your interests may appear. The court shall award reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing side.
Defenses
It is an affirmative defense that the nonconformity does not substantially impair the safety of or use and market value of the vehicle, or that it results from abuse, neglect, or unauthorized modifications or alterations by a consumer.
Lessees
The definition of consumer does not name a lessee. The allowance formula refers to "lessee cost" and the 2024 act applies to vehicles "sold or leased", so this checker treats a lessee as covered.
Used vehicles
The article does not apply to a used motor vehicle or to a licensed used motor vehicle dealer, except that the buyback disclosure sections apply. A person to whom the vehicle is transferred during the duration of a manufacturer's express warranty is a consumer; the article does not say how the two fit together.
Vehicles sold before August 7, 2024
The earlier text governs: four repairs or thirty business days within the warranty term or one year, and an action within six months after the warranty term or one year after delivery, whichever is earlier. This checker applies only the earlier filing deadline.

Check your Colorado eligibility now

Free, anonymous, and specific to Colorado. Answer a few questions about your vehicle and repair history to see whether you may qualify.

Colorado lemon law: frequently asked questions

How many repair attempts does the Colorado lemon law require?
The law presumes a reasonable number of attempts after three or more repairs of the same nonconformity that continues to exist, or two or more repair attempts of a safety-based nonconformity that continues to exist, by the manufacturer, its agent or its authorized dealer within the first 24,000 miles or two years from original delivery, whichever occurs earlier. A safety-based nonconformity is one that results in a condition likely to cause death or serious bodily injury if the vehicle is driven, or one that creates a risk of fire or explosion. The article does not say whether a reasonable number of attempts can be shown without the presumption.
Do I have to send the manufacturer a notice?
A presumption does not apply against a manufacturer unless it has received your prior written notification by certified mail stating that one or more attempts to repair the same nonconformity have been made and that it remains, and has been provided ten business days to cure after receipt. The article conditions only the presumptions on it. Every authorized dealer must include a form for the notification with each owner's manual.
How long do I have to sue under the Colorado lemon law?
An action must be commenced within thirty months following original delivery. That period is tolled during the period you have submitted to arbitration under the manufacturer's dispute procedure and while the vehicle is not available for use by reason of repair. For a vehicle sold or leased before August 7, 2024 the earlier text governs: six months after the warranty term expires or one year after delivery, whichever is earlier.
Does the Colorado lemon law cover used vehicles?
The article "does not apply to a used motor vehicle", except the buyback sections that require a "Lemon Law Buyback" decal, a branded title and written disclosure before a returned vehicle is resold. It also makes a person to whom the vehicle is transferred during the duration of a manufacturer's express warranty a consumer, and does not define a used motor vehicle or say how the two provisions fit together. An attorney can tell you how they apply to your purchase.
What can I recover if my car qualifies in Colorado?
At its option, the manufacturer replaces the vehicle with a comparable one or refunds the full purchase price, including the sales tax, license fees, registration fees and similar governmental charges, less a reasonable allowance for use, to you and the lienholder as your interests may appear. The court shall award reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing side, which can be the manufacturer. The article contains no penalty or multiplied damages and does not limit your other state or federal remedies.

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Statutes cited on this page

This page summarizes the statute in plain language and is not legal advice. The linked official text controls.

Lemon law guides for other states

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