States

Maryland lemon law: when a new car is a lemon

What Md. Code, Com. Law §§ 14-1501 to 14-1504 asks before a manufacturer must repurchase or replace a car, the steps on the way and the last day to act.

Does your car meet the Maryland lemon law tests?

Defect that could cause death or serious injury?
Written notice already sent to the manufacturer?
Your warranty (default 3 years or 36,000 miles)

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Maryland, November 5, 2026 read in the statute

Not yet: one more repair attempt

Protection period2 years or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first: until January 5, 2028 or 18,000 miles. You are inside it.
Repair attempts, same defectNot met: needs 4, you have 3
Serious safety defectNot met: needs 1 attempt, you have no safety defect
Days out of serviceNot met: needs 30 calendar days, you have 12
AlsoThe 1-attempt test applies to a failure of the braking or steering system.
NoticeWritten notice by certified mail during the warranty period; the manufacturer has 30 days to correct.
Dispute stepYou may use a manufacturer procedure that complies with 16 CFR Part 703; it does not take away your other rights (§ 14-1502(i)).
File a lawsuit by January 5, 2029 (792 days left)Lawsuit within 3 years of the original delivery (§ 14-1502(k)).

Tests as written in the law; a court or arbitrator decides. Md. Code, Com. Law §§ 14-1501 to 14-1504

The Maryland lemon law in detail

Maryland’s Automotive Warranty Enforcement Act, sections 14-1501 to 14-1504 of the Commercial Law article, read on the General Assembly’s site on November 1, 2026, defines the warranty period as 24 months or 18,000 miles from delivery, whichever comes first. A reasonable number of attempts is presumed after four repairs of the same defect, after one repair attempt for a failure of the braking or steering system that could cause death or serious bodily injury, or after 30 days out of service. The owner must notify the manufacturer in writing by certified mail, and the manufacturer has 30 days from receipt to correct the defect. A manufacturer program that complies with the federal rule may be used but does not take away other rights. An action must be brought within three years of delivery, and the use allowance is capped at 15 percent of the price.

When is the last day to act?

File a lawsuit, Maryland

September 5, 2028

Days from today670 left
Rule: Lawsuit within 3 years of the original delivery (§ 14-1502(k)).
Open the deadline calculator →

State laws read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources

The 15 percent cap

Maryland lets the manufacturer deduct a reasonable allowance for use from a refund, but never more than 15 percent of the purchase price. The text sets no divisor, so the allowance is argued case by case under the cap. The buyback calculator on this site shows the common 120,000-mile example and stops it at 15 percent.

The act covers Class A passenger vehicles and Class D motorcycles registered in Maryland, among others. The three-year window to sue runs from the original delivery, which gives Maryland owners more time than most to finish repairs and the notice step first.

The Maryland lemon law at a glance

Checked in early November 2026. Dates of any archived copy are given in the last row.
LawMd. Code, Com. Law §§ 14-1501 to 14-1504
Protection period2 years or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first
Repair attempts4 attempts on the same defect
Serious safety defect1 attempt for a serious safety defect
Days out of service30 calendar days
AlsoThe 1-attempt test applies to a failure of the braking or steering system.
Written noticeWritten notice by certified mail during the warranty period; the manufacturer has 30 days to correct.
Dispute stepOptional. You may use a manufacturer procedure that complies with 16 CFR Part 703; it does not take away your other rights (§ 14-1502(i)).
DeadlineLawsuit within 3 years of the original delivery (§ 14-1502(k)).
Use offset in a buybackUp to 15% of the purchase price (§ 14-1502).
Vehicles coveredPassenger vehicles, motorcycles and some trucks registered in Maryland.
Used carsNot covered.
State pageno agency page
Level of readingread in the statute

From written notice to a decision

Certified mail, return receipt requested.

Earliest decisionbetween Nov 15, 2026 and Dec 25, 2026

23Today

  1. 1. Done · milestone

    Written notice reaches the manufacturer

    Oct 16, 2026

    Written notice by certified mail during the warranty period; the manufacturer has 30 days to correct.

    Md. Code, Com. Law §§ 14-1501 to 14-1504

  2. 2. In progress · 4 weeks

    Final repair window

    Nov 15, 2026

    30 days from receipt of the certified-mail notice to correct the defect (Md. Com. Law 14-1502).

    Md. Code, Com. Law §§ 14-1501 to 14-1504

  3. 3. Upcoming · 0 day – 6 weeks

    Dispute program decides

    Nov 15, 2026 – Dec 25, 2026

    A program that follows 16 CFR Part 703 must decide within 40 days of receiving your dispute. You may use a manufacturer procedure that complies with 16 CFR Part 703; it does not take away your other rights (§ 14-1502(i)).

    16 CFR 703.5(d)

  4. 4. Upcoming · milestone

    Accept, refuse or go further

    Nov 15, 2026 – Dec 25, 2026

    Lawsuit within 3 years of the original delivery (§ 14-1502(k)).

Maryland: each bar is proportional to the time the text gives for the step; a step with no time in the law is a milestone.

Questions people ask

How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Maryland?

The Maryland presumption starts at 4 attempts on the same defect, or 1 attempt for a serious safety defect, or 30 calendar days out of service in total, within 2 years or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first. Meeting a test creates a presumption, which the manufacturer can still contest before the program or the court. Count each visit with its repair order, and keep every order with its dates.

Does the Maryland lemon law cover used or leased cars?

Passenger vehicles, motorcycles and some trucks registered in Maryland. Used cars: Not covered. A used car sold with the rest of the manufacturer’s warranty still carries that warranty, which federal law enforces even where the state lemon law stops. Leases are covered where the text names lessees.

Must I go through arbitration before suing under the Maryland lemon law?

You may use a manufacturer procedure that complies with 16 CFR Part 703; it does not take away your other rights (§ 14-1502(i)). Time limit: Lawsuit within 3 years of the original delivery (§ 14-1502(k)). Under the federal rule, 16 CFR Part 703, a manufacturer program that a warranty requires you to use first must decide within 40 days, and its decision does not bind you if you go to court afterwards. The warranty booklet names any program the manufacturer offers.

Check next

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Compare state laws

Two states side by side, and the table of all 50 states and DC: period, attempts, days, dispute step, deadline.

Notice letter builder

Build the written notice to the manufacturer, with your state’s law cited; it is made in your browser and never sent.

Arbitration

State-run programs and manufacturer programs: which comes first in your state, the 40-day rule, and the timeline from notice to decision.

Deadline calculator

The last day to file a lemon law claim in your state, counted from delivery, the protection period or the warranty.

Laws and official pages behind this page

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State lemon laws 2026, read in each state code and on state consumer pages, last checked on