Guides
How many repair attempts make a car a lemon?
Pick a state and enter the attempts so far: the tool gives the number the law asks and how many remain. Below, how each state counts and what makes a visit an attempt.
How many more repair attempts before the presumption?
California: attempts still needed
2 more
| The law’s number | 4 attempts on the same defect |
| Safety defect: 2 attempts for a serious safety defect | |
| Or days out of service | more than 30 calendar days |
More than 30 days: the out-of-service total must exceed 30 days.
State lemon laws presume that a manufacturer has had a reasonable number of chances to fix a car once the same defect has been repaired a set number of times within the protection period. As read on November 1, 2026, 29 jurisdictions set that number at four attempts and 21 at three; New Mexico could not be confirmed. A lower count applies in 19 jurisdictions when the defect is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury: one attempt in states such as Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa and West Virginia, two in California, Connecticut, Texas and Washington. Several states then require a written notice and one final attempt by the manufacturer before the presumption applies. An attempt is counted from the repair order, which is why owners should always ask for one, even when the dealer finds nothing.
State laws read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
The number in each state
| State | Same defect | Serious safety defect | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3 | no separate test | The rights period is 12 months or 12,000 miles; the 3 attempts or the 30 days may run up to 24 months or 24,000 miles if at least one repair attempt falls in the rights period. The attempts are followed by the final attempt, and the 30 days include it. |
| Alaska | 3 | no separate test | |
| Arizona | 4 | no separate test | |
| Arkansas | 3 | 1 | Or 5 or more separate attempts on all defects together (Sec. 12(1)(c)). The 3 attempts and the 1 safety attempt are followed by the final attempt. The act reads “whichever is the latter” for 24 months or 24,000 miles. The manufacturer then has 40 days to repurchase or replace. |
| California | 4 | 2 | More than 30 days: the out-of-service total must exceed 30 days. |
| Colorado | 3 | 2 | The 2-attempt test is for a safety-based defect: a risk of death or serious injury, or of fire or explosion. The manufacturer chooses between replacement and refund. |
| Connecticut | 4 | 2 | |
| Delaware | 4 | no separate test | More than 30 calendar days (the count starts when a written repair order is prepared). |
| District of Columbia | 4 | 1 | The 1-attempt test is for a safety-related defect, which the Attorney General describes as a risk of fire or explosion, or otherwise life-threatening. The 30 days count all defects that significantly impair the car, not one defect. |
| Florida | 3 | no separate test | The 3 attempts must be followed by a final attempt after written notice. |
| Georgia | 3 | 1 | The 1-attempt test is for a serious safety defect: life-threatening, a malfunction that stops you from controlling the car, or a risk of fire or explosion. |
| Hawaii | 3 | 1 | |
| Idaho | 4 | 1 | The 1-attempt test is limited to a complete failure of the braking or steering system that is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury; the manufacturer still gets at least one chance to repair (§ 48-903(3)). |
| Illinois | 4 | no separate test | |
| Indiana | 4 | no separate test | Business days leave out Sundays and legal holidays, so Saturdays count. The 30 days require that the defect still exists. The manufacturer has 30 days to refund. |
| Iowa | 3 | 1 | |
| Kansas | 4 | no separate test | Or 10 or more attempts on any defects that substantially impair the car. |
| Kentucky | 4 | no separate test | |
| Louisiana | 4 | no separate test | The manufacturer chooses between replacement and refund. |
| Maine | 3 | 1 | The 1-attempt test is for a serious failure of the brakes or the steering. The 18,000 miles are read on the odometer. |
| Maryland | 4 | 1 | The 1-attempt test applies to a failure of the braking or steering system. |
| Massachusetts | 3 | no separate test | |
| Michigan | 4 | no separate test | The 4 attempts may run over 2 years from the first attempt. The 30 days count days or parts of days. The manufacturer has 30 days to replace or refund. |
| Minnesota | 4 | 1 | The 1-attempt test applies to a complete failure of the braking or steering system. |
| Mississippi | 3 | no separate test | |
| Missouri | 4 | no separate test | |
| Montana | 4 | no separate test | |
| Nebraska | 4 | no separate test | |
| Nevada | 4 | no separate test | |
| New Hampshire | 3 | no separate test | |
| New Jersey | 3 | 2 | The attempts shown include the final repair: 2 attempts + the final one make 3, and for a serious safety defect 1 attempt + the final one make 2. The regulation asks for the letter after the 2nd (or 1st) attempt, then the final repair. |
| New York | 4 | no separate test | |
| North Carolina | 4 | no separate test | The 20 business days count within any 12-month period of the warranty. |
| North Dakota | 4 | no separate test | “More than three times”: the 4th attempt triggers the presumption. |
| Ohio | 3 | 1 | Or 8 or more attempts on different problems. |
| Oklahoma | 4 | no separate test | A consumer who wins may recover attorney’s fees. |
| Oregon | 3 | 1 | |
| Pennsylvania | 3 | no separate test | |
| Rhode Island | 4 | no separate test | The statute says 30 or more calendar days; the Attorney General’s page says more than 30. The site follows the statute; if your count is exactly 30, expect the point to be argued. |
| South Carolina | 3 | no separate test | |
| South Dakota | 4 | no separate test | The rights period is 12 months or 12,000 miles; the 4 attempts or the 30 days may run up to 24 months or 24,000 miles if at least one attempt falls in the rights period. The attempts are followed by the final attempt. |
| Tennessee | 3 | no separate test | The pages we read give no separate protection period: 1 year or the warranty term is taken from their deadline rule. |
| Texas | 4 | 2 | |
| Utah | 4 | no separate test | |
| Vermont | 3 | no separate test | The first of the 3 attempts must fall within the express warranty term. |
| Virginia | 3 | 1 | |
| Washington | 4 | 2 | Also: 2 or more different serious safety defects in 12 months, 1 attempt each; at least 15 of the 30 days in the warranty. |
| West Virginia | 3 | 1 | |
| Wisconsin | 4 | no separate test | Out-of-service days can include days at home when the car cannot be driven, under conditions set by the section. |
| Wyoming | 4 | no separate test | “More than three times”: the 4th attempt triggers the presumption. |
Same defect, not same part
The laws speak of the same nonconformity or defect, which means the same problem as the owner experiences it, not the same replaced part. A transmission that slips is one defect whether the dealer reprograms the software, replaces a sensor or rebuilds the unit. Describe the symptom the same way each time so that the orders show one problem.
The final attempt
In Florida, Iowa, Arkansas, Michigan, New Jersey and several other states, the count is followed by one more step: the owner writes to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer gets a last chance to repair, often within a fixed number of days. Only if that attempt fails does the presumption apply. The letter builder writes the notice and the state pages give the time allowed.
Attempts or days, whichever comes first
Every state that counts attempts also has a days-out-of-service test, and either one is enough. A car that is rarely fixed but often waits for parts may meet the days test long before the fourth attempt. The checker applies both and tells you which one is met.