Pennsylvania Lemon Law: Do You Qualify?
Under the 73 Pa. Stat. §§ 1951-1963 (Pennsylvania Automobile Lemon Law).
Pennsylvania's Automobile Lemon Law covers new cars purchased and registered in the state, with one of the tighter windows in the country: 1 year, 12,000 miles, or the warranty term, whichever comes first. Within that window, 3 failed repair attempts for the same defect, or 30 days out of service, create a presumption in your favor, and you (not the manufacturer) choose between a refund and a replacement. If that sounds like your car, you may qualify; the free checker below applies Pennsylvania's rules to your answers in minutes.
Pennsylvania lemon law at a glance
- Coverage window
- 1 year from delivery, 12,000 miles, or the term of the manufacturer's warranty, whichever comes first. The 12,000-mile cap is unusually low; many owners exceed it before completing the repair-attempt count.
- Repair attempts
- 3 attempts for the same defect. Pennsylvania provides no reduced count for safety defects.
- Days out of service
- 30 cumulative days out of service.
- Written notice
- The refund/replacement duty under 73 P.S. § 1955 is the purchaser's election, with no statutory pre-suit notice-and-cure step spelled out; written notice to the manufacturer by certified mail remains best practice to document the claim.
- Used vehicles
- Not covered. Pennsylvania has no used-car lemon law. Also note the low 9,000-lb GVWR cap, which excludes many heavier pickups, and that motorcycles are not covered.
Check your Pennsylvania eligibility now
Free, anonymous, and specific to Pennsylvania. Answer a few questions about your vehicle and repair history to see whether you may qualify.
Pennsylvania lemon law: frequently asked questions
- What counts as a lemon under the Pennsylvania lemon law?
- A new vehicle with a defect that substantially impairs its use, value, or safety, which the manufacturer has failed to fix after 3 attempts for the same problem, or which has been out of service 30 cumulative days, within 1 year, 12,000 miles, or the warranty term, whichever comes first. The law also extends the warranty to cover a nonconformity through that rights period.
- Refund or replacement: who chooses in Pennsylvania?
- The purchaser does. Under 73 P.S. § 1955 the consumer elects between a comparable replacement vehicle and a refund of the full purchase price less a use allowance. Pennsylvania is not a manufacturer-choice state.
- How is the Pennsylvania use allowance calculated?
- The refund is reduced by the lesser of 10 cents per mile driven before the first report of the defect, or 10 percent of the purchase price. Both prongs are computed and the smaller deduction applies.
- Does the Pennsylvania lemon law cover used cars, motorcycles, or big trucks?
- No on all three. Used vehicles are outside the lemon law, motorcycles are excluded, and trucks over 9,000 lbs GVWR (a lower cap than most states) do not qualify. Buyers in those categories generally look to the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act or Pennsylvania's consumer-protection statute instead.
- How long do I have to file in Pennsylvania?
- Courts have applied the 4-year breach-of-warranty statute of limitations (13 Pa. C.S. § 2725) to lemon law claims. The 1-year / 12,000-mile figures are the eligibility window for the presumption, not the filing deadline.
Think you qualify? Estimate your refund with the Pennsylvania lemon law calculator →
Statutes cited on this page
- 73 P.S. § 1954 (Pennsylvania Automobile Lemon Law: Repair obligations; duty of manufacturer to repair nonconformity)
- 73 P.S. § 1952 (Definitions: "Manufacturer's express warranty"; the 1-year / 12,000-mile / warranty-term coverage window is set by § 1954 and § 1956, not by a § 1952 "warranty period" definition)
- 73 P.S. § 1956 (Presumption of a reasonable number of attempts: 3 repairs of the same nonconformity, or 30 cumulative days out of service)
- 73 P.S. § 1955 (Manufacturer's duty for refund or replacement at the purchaser's option; no statutory pre-suit notice or cure prerequisite)
- 13 Pa. C.S. § 2725 (Pennsylvania UCC § 2-725: 4-year statute of limitations for breach of warranty)
This page summarizes the statute in plain language and is not legal advice. The linked official text controls.