Michigan'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 Michigan (MCL 257.1401–257.1410 (Act 87 of 1986)). 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

Cars, SUVs, pickups and vans bought or leased new in Michigan (or by a Michigan resident), for personal, family or household use, with a manufacturer's express warranty and a defect that substantially impairs use or value.

Rights period: You must report the defect to the manufacturer or its dealer during the warranty or within 1 year of delivery to the first owner, whichever comes first. If you report it on time, they must repair it even if the warranty expires later.

When it is presumed a lemon

Four or more repair attempts for the same defect within 2 years of the first attempt, and it still fails; or 30 or more days out of service for repairs during the warranty or the first year, whichever ends first.

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

The process

After the third attempt (or 25 days in the shop), send written notice to the manufacturer by return receipt; the manufacturer names a repair shop and has 5 business days for a final attempt. If the manufacturer has an informal dispute program (for example, BBB Auto Line), you must use it first. Michigan has no state arbitration board: the next step is court. The Attorney General takes complaints.

Who handles it: Michigan Department of Attorney General — Consumer Protection Team.

Hotline: 877-765-8388 (gratis) · 517-335-7599.

What you get if you win

Refund or replacement with a comparable car, at the consumer's choice, within 30 days, plus towing and rental costs caused by the defect, minus a use allowance: price × (miles before the first report + miles above 25,000) ÷ 100,000.

What it does not cover

Motor homes, buses, trucks other than pickups or vans, and any vehicle designed to travel on fewer than 4 wheels: motorcycles, mopeds, scooters and three-wheelers (MCL 257.1401(f)); the Attorney General also names off-road vehicles. It also does not cover defects caused by a modification not installed or made by or for the manufacturer, by abuse or neglect of the car, or damage from an accident that happened after you bought or leased it (MCL 257.1406).

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 Michigan: Used cars are generally not covered by the lemon law, unless they are still under the manufacturer's warranty and the defect was reported within the first year after delivery to the first owner. Michigan gives no 3-day change-of-mind window: there is no cancellation period on a vehicle purchase, so once you sign you cannot return the car just because you changed your mind. The Michigan Consumer Protection Act (MCL 445.903) bars misrepresenting the car's condition or hiding important facts, and requires an "As Is" sale (no implied warranty) to be stated clearly and conspicuously.