The Lemon Law in Connecticut

Connecticut's lemon law covers new passenger and commercial-passenger motor vehicles and motorcycles sold or leased in Connecticut. Defects reported within two years or the first 24,000 miles, whichever ends first, must be repaired. If the manufacturer cannot fix a defect that substantially impairs use, safety or value after a reasonable number of attempts, it must replace the vehicle with one acceptable to the consumer, or take it back and refund the full contract price, collateral charges (such as sales tax and registration), certain finance charges and incidental damages, minus a reasonable allowance for use. A reasonable number of attempts is presumed after four or more repairs of the same defect, or 30 or more calendar days out of service, in that period; for a defect that is a serious safety hazard, two repair attempts within the warranty term or one year is enough. The consumer must give the manufacturer written notice only if the manufacturer clearly disclosed that requirement in the warranty or owner's manual.

1) Written notice: under the statute, a consumer has to notify the manufacturer in writing only if the manufacturer clearly disclosed in the warranty or owner's manual that written notice is required, and gave a name and address for it. The Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) separately asks applicants to notify the manufacturer by mail or email of their intent to file under the lemon law and to upload a copy of that letter with the application. Lessees must send a certified or registered letter to the leasing company. 2) Final repair attempt: no separate final-repair step is described. 3) Arbitration: DCP runs a state arbitration program for consumers whose manufacturer does not have an Attorney General-certified dispute program. Applications are accepted online only, through the state eLicense portal. The consumer pays a $50 filing fee, refunded if DCP finds the complaint does not allege a lemon law violation; the manufacturer pays $250. The arbitrator is to decide within 60 days, and the decision is final and binding, subject only to court review. If the manufacturer does have a certified program, the consumer must use it first before the refund/replacement remedy applies, and can ask for a new DCP arbitration if that program did not follow the required procedures. 4) Deadline: the repair-reporting period is 2 years or 24,000 miles from original delivery, whichever ends first; the statute sections reviewed do not state a separate deadline to file for arbitration or to sue.

A dealer selling a used car with a cash price of $3,000 or more may not disclaim implied warranties. Cars priced $3,000 to under $5,000 must come with a written warranty covering full parts and labor for at least 30 days or 1,500 miles; cars priced $5,000 or more, at least 60 days or 3,000 miles, whichever comes first. Phrases like "50-50" or "drive train only" cannot limit these warranties. The rules do not apply to cars under $3,000, sales between dealers, or vehicles seven model years old or older. A buyer may waive the warranty only for a specific defect the dealer discloses, in a conspicuous written waiver signed before the sale.