The Lemon Law in Tennessee

According to the Attorney General's Division of Consumer Affairs, Tennessee's lemon law applies if you bought a new vehicle, or one still under the manufacturer's warranty, that has a defect or condition making it unreliable or unsafe for normal operation, and the manufacturer or dealer cannot repair it after three attempts or the vehicle is out of service for repairs for a total of 30 or more days. In that case you may be entitled to return the vehicle and receive a refund of the full purchase price. Before receiving a refund, you must notify the manufacturer of the problem in writing by certified mail. Lawsuits must be brought within six months after one year from the original delivery date or the expiration of the express warranty, whichever is later.

1) Report the problem to the manufacturer, its agent or an authorized dealer during the term of protection (the express warranty term or one year after original delivery, whichever comes first). Keep the repair orders the dealer must give after each visit. 2) Written notice and final repair attempt: before seeking a refund or replacement, the consumer must send written notice by certified mail directly to the manufacturer that the defect needs repair. If the manufacturer's address is not in the owner's manual or warranty, the notice goes to an authorized dealer, which must forward it. If the repair presumption (three repairs or 30 days out of service) has already been met, the manufacturer gets one more chance of no more than 10 days after receiving the notice. 3) Arbitration: if the manufacturer has or takes part in an informal dispute settlement procedure that complies with federal rules (16 C.F.R. part 703) and the state law, and has the consumer notified of it, the consumer must use it first before the refund-or-replacement remedy applies. The Attorney General decides on application whether a program qualifies. Using the program does not prevent the consumer from going to court. The law does not create a state-run arbitration program or set a consumer fee. 4) Deadline to sue: a lawsuit must be filed within six months after the later of the end of the express warranty term or one year after original delivery. That deadline is paused from the day the dispute is submitted to the manufacturer's program until its decision (or the deadline for carrying it out, if later).