The Lemon Law in Georgia

Georgia's lemon law covers new motor vehicles bought or leased for personal, family or household use, or as one of 10 or fewer vehicles a business buys or leases each year; it does not cover motorcycles, mopeds, ATVs, boats, trucks over 12,000 pounds or the living quarters of motor homes. The "lemon law rights period" is the first 24 months or 24,000 miles after delivery, whichever comes first. A reasonable number of repair attempts is deemed to have been made if, during that period, a serious safety defect was repaired once and not fixed, the same defect was repaired three times and not fixed, or the vehicle was out of service for repairs a total of 30 days. The consumer must then notify the manufacturer by certified mail or overnight delivery, and the manufacturer has 28 days for a final repair attempt. If the vehicle is a lemon, the manufacturer must replace or repurchase it.

1) Repair attempts: the reasonable number of repair attempts (generally three for the same defect, one for a serious safety defect, or 30 total days out of service) must happen within the Lemon Law rights period: two years or the first 24,000 miles after original delivery, whichever comes first. 2) Final repair attempt: after three failed repairs of the same defect (or one for a serious safety defect), the consumer must notify the manufacturer, by overnight delivery or certified mail, return receipt requested, at the address in the owner's manual, so it can make a final repair attempt; the Attorney General's office provides a Final Repair Opportunity Notice form. By the close of business on the 7th day after receiving the notice, the manufacturer must name a reasonably accessible repair facility (generally within 60 miles). 3) Request for repurchase or replacement: the consumer then sends the manufacturer a written request, again by overnight delivery or certified mail. 4) Arbitration: a state-operated arbitration panel, run by the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division, hears lemon law disputes; the AG's office says the certified manufacturer program step is currently not applicable. The consumer calls 404-458-3827 for an original application form and must submit it within one year after the Lemon Law rights period ends (or within 60 days after a certified manufacturer program ends, whichever is later). A hearing is scheduled within 40 days after the dispute is found eligible. The decision is final unless a party appeals to superior court within 30 days; a manufacturer that does not appeal must comply within 40 days.

Georgia's Lemon Law covers only motor vehicles purchased or leased new. The Attorney General notes there is no lemon law for used cars and no three-day right to cancel new or used car purchases, and advises having a used car checked by a mechanic before buying.