Arizona's lemon law (A.R.S. §§ 44-1261 through 44-1266) covers new motor vehicles that fail to meet their express warranty: if a defect surfaces within the warranty term, or within two years or 24,000 miles of delivery, whichever is shorter, the manufacturer or dealer must repair it, and a reasonable number of repair attempts is presumed once the same defect has been fixed four or more times or the vehicle has been out of service for repairs for thirty or more cumulative days. If the manufacturer still can't fix a defect that substantially impairs the vehicle's use and value, it must replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price minus a reasonable allowance for the consumer's use — but the consumer must first go through the manufacturer's qualifying informal dispute settlement procedure and file any lawsuit within six months after the warranty expires or the two-year/24,000-mile window closes, with reasonable costs and attorney fees available to a consumer who wins.
Statute-verified answerEvery citation resolves to Arizona statute text; every figure is checked against its section. Generated by AI, verified by code.
Arizona's lemon law (A.R.S. §§ 44-1261 through 44-1266) protects buyers and lessees of new motor vehicles that fail to conform to their express warranties.
Core rule — repair obligation. If a new motor vehicle does not conform to all applicable express warranties, the consumer must report the nonconformity to the manufacturer, its agent, its authorized dealer, or the warranty issuer during the shorter of the express warranty term or two years/24,000 miles from original delivery (whichever is earlier), and the manufacturer must then make the repairs necessary to conform the vehicle to those warranties — even if the repairs occur after that period expires [2].
Remedy — replacement or refund. If the manufacturer cannot conform the vehicle to the warranty after a reasonable number of attempts to repair a defect or condition that substantially impairs the vehicle's use and value, the manufacturer must either replace the vehicle with a new one or accept its return and refund the full purchase price, including all collateral charges, less a reasonable allowance for the consumer's use [3]. The use allowance covers use before the consumer's first written report of the defect and any later period when the vehicle was not out of service for repair [3]. It is an affirmative defense that the nonconformity does not substantially impair use and market value, or that it resulted from abuse, neglect, or unauthorized modifications [3].
"Reasonable number of attempts" presumption. A reasonable number of repair attempts is presumed if, within the shorter of the warranty term or the two-year/24,000-mile window, either the same nonconformity has been repaired four or more times and still exists, or the vehicle has been out of service for repairs a cumulative total of thirty or more calendar days [4]. This presumption does not apply unless the manufacturer first received direct written notice of the defect and had an opportunity to cure it [4].
Procedure. If the manufacturer has an informal dispute settlement procedure that complies with 16 C.F.R. Part 703, the consumer must use that procedure before the refund-or-replacement remedy applies [5]. Any lawsuit under the article must be filed within six months after the earlier of the expiration of the warranty term or the two-year/24,000-mile period, and a prevailing consumer is entitled to reasonable costs and attorney fees [5].
Resale disclosure. A manufacturer that has been ordered to replace or repurchase a vehicle — or that has done so under this article or another state's repair-or-replace law — must attach written notification of that history to the vehicle before offering it for resale, and a dealer selling such a vehicle must give the purchaser that written notification before completing the sale [6].
Scope. The article applies to new motor vehicles; it does not cover sales for resale, vehicles with a declared gross weight over ten thousand pounds, or vehicles sold at public auction, and for motor homes it applies only to the self-propelled vehicle and chassis, not the dwelling portions [1].
The small claims court limit in Arizona is $5,000, exclusive of interest and costs, applying to civil claims for debt, damage, tort, injury, or the value of personal property. Read more →
How do I file a small claims case?
Small claims court is a simplified, lower-cost division of the civil court system designed to resolve disputes involving smaller dollar amounts without needing an attorney. Read more →
Is this contract legally binding?
A contract is legally binding and enforceable when it satisfies four essential elements under U.S. contract law; if any element is missing, it may be void or voidable. Read more →
AI-drafted answer, not attorney-reviewed. Citations verified against azleg.gov. Legal information, not legal advice — consult a licensed attorney for your situation.