Arkansas's lemon law and your rights as a buyer

What the lemon law protects, what it doesn't, and what rights you keep when you buy used. With the state's exact deadlines.

This guide summarizes the recorded scope for Arkansas (Arkansas New Motor Vehicle Quality Assurance Act (Act 297 of 1993)). Eligibility, deadlines and notice requirements depend on the law and applicable coverage; read the state conditions below, including used-vehicle conditions where relevant.

What it covers

The Arkansas Attorney General's published consumer guide describes coverage for vehicles titled and registered in Arkansas during the Quality Assurance Period, subject to its exclusions. Its weight rules use a 13,000-lb threshold, with special treatment for motor homes and vehicles weighing 10,000–13,000 lb substantially altered after the initial sale from the dealer. This is the reviewed agency guidance; confirm the current statutory eligibility for your vehicle.

Rights period: 24 months from original delivery or the first 24,000 miles, whichever is LONGER. If you buy the car used within that period, it is still covered.

When it is presumed a lemon

Three failed attempts to fix the same defect, plus a final attempt that also fails; or one failed attempt if the defect can cause death or serious injury, plus the final attempt; or 30 cumulative calendar days out of service; or 5 or more attempts for defects that together impair use and value.

The presumption does not replace the other requirements. Check the official conditions and procedure for your situation.

The process

Send the manufacturer (not the dealer) a letter by certified or registered mail asking for the final repair attempt; keep a copy of the letter and the mail receipt as proof. The manufacturer has 10 calendar days to schedule that final attempt; if it does not schedule it in time, it cannot later claim it had no chance to repair. If the attempt fails or is never scheduled, file your claim with the manufacturer's Independent Dispute Settlement Program (IDSP): your case must be scheduled, heard and decided within 40 days of the day they receive your demand, with a right to an in-person hearing in Arkansas before a panel of independent arbitrators. You choose between replacement and refund, unconditionally. If you accept the decision, the manufacturer is bound too and has 30 days to comply, with no appeal. If you reject it, you can go to court, and if you win you may also be awarded your attorney's fees.

Who handles it: Arkansas Attorney General — Consumer Protection Division.

Hotline: 800-482-8982 · 501-682-2007.

What you get if you win

Replacement or refund, at your choice. The refund includes trade-in, options, sales tax, registration, finance charges, rental car and extended warranty, minus a use allowance: price × miles at the first repair attempt ÷ 120,000.

What it does not cover

The reviewed Attorney General guide excludes defects from accident, abuse, neglect or unauthorized modifications; motorcycles and mopeds; motor-home living quarters; vehicles over 13,000 lb other than motor homes; and vehicles weighing 10,000–13,000 lb substantially altered after the initial sale from the dealer. Confirm eligibility with the current law and the Attorney General before relying on these guidance categories.

I bought used: what do I have left

More than it seems, even if it isn't the lemon law:

• The Buyers Guide (FTC). The guide states the dealer warranty. "As Is" describes that warranty; it does not by itself resolve other state-law rights or remaining manufacturer coverage. The federal rule applies in 48 states (Maine and Wisconsin have their own equivalent rules). If the sale is conducted in Spanish, the dealer must post a Spanish-language Buyers Guide.
• Remaining manufacturer warranty. Check the warranty contract and its duration and transfer conditions; vehicle age does not guarantee coverage.
• In Arkansas: There is no used-car lemon law and no right to change your mind after buying. You are protected by: the federal Buyers Guide on the window ("as is" or with warranty); the odometer statement; the salvage notice with a right to cancel if it is hidden; and the "yo-yo" sale law (Ark. Code § 23-112-613). That law works like this: if the used-car dealer hands you the car before the final contract is signed, it must give you a delivery-prior-to-sale agreement, printed in at least 12-point type and signed by both of you. Until there is a final contract, the dealer cannot deposit or cash your down payment and cannot sell the car you handed over as a trade-in. You can cancel if the dealer changes any term or if you fail to get financing at the agreed interest rate, and then they cannot charge you any fee or penalty and must return your trade-in immediately. In exchange, you have to return the car within 48 hours after you notify the dealer; if you do not, the dealer may repossess it without going to court. Complaints: Arkansas Attorney General.