Hiring a Lemon Law Lawyer in Arizona
The Arizona lemon law for new cars, the rules for used cars, where to file a complaint, how to check a lawyer's license, and free help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Arizona: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Under Arizona's ER 1.5 (Arizona Supreme Court Rule 42), the scope of representation and the basis or rate of the fee must be communicated to the client in writing, and contingency fee agreements must be signed by the client and meet ER 1.5(c). Contingency fees are not permitted in most family law matters or in any criminal defense case. If a fee is called nonrefundable or earned on receipt, the client must be told in writing that they may discharge the lawyer at any time and may be entitled to a refund. The bar's guidance also notes a contingency agreement cannot let the lawyer also take court-awarded fees or collect more than a statute allows. |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The State Bar of Arizona's Fee Arbitration Program is free and voluntary for clients who dispute a lawyer's fee; the amount in dispute must be $1,000 or more and no litigation over the fee can be pending. Clients do not need a lawyer to take part. If both sides agree to arbitrate, the award is binding. Phone: 602-340-7379. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | Arizona's Client Protection Fund, created by the Arizona Supreme Court in 1961, can reimburse losses caused by an Arizona lawyer's dishonest conduct (theft, embezzlement, conversion, failure to refund unearned fees when no work was done, or intentional dishonesty) toward a client or in a qualifying fiduciary role. The lawyer generally must have been suspended for more than six months, disbarred, placed on interim suspension or disability inactive status, have died, or been convicted of a related felony. Negligence, malpractice and fee disputes where some work was done are not covered. The Trustees may pay up to $100,000 on one claim and up to $250,000 total in claims against one lawyer; payment is discretionary. Claims must be filed within five years of when the claimant knew or should have known of the dishonest conduct. |
Arizona rules to know first
| Lemon law for new cars | Arizona's lemon law covers new motor vehicles bought or leased by consumers (not vehicles over 10,000 pounds declared gross weight or bought at public auction; for motor homes, only the vehicle and chassis). Defects must be reported during the express warranty or within two years or 24,000 miles of delivery, whichever is shorter. If the manufacturer cannot fix a defect that substantially impairs use and value after a reasonable number of attempts, it must replace the vehicle or refund the full purchase price, including collateral charges, minus a reasonable allowance for use. A reasonable number of attempts is presumed after four or more repairs of the same problem, or 30 or more calendar days out of service, in that period, but only if the manufacturer received direct written notice and a chance to fix the defect. A lawsuit must be filed within six months after the warranty or two-year/24,000-mile period ends, and a winning consumer gets reasonable costs and attorney fees. If the manufacturer has an informal dispute program meeting 16 C.F.R. Part 703, the consumer must use it before seeking a refund or replacement (§ 44-1265). Re-verified 2026-10-27. Source: A.R.S. §§ 44-1261 to 44-1265 |
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| Used cars | A used motor vehicle dealer may not disclaim the implied warranty of merchantability until 15 days or 500 miles after delivery, whichever comes first. During that time the vehicle must be safe and substantially free of defects that significantly limit its use for ordinary transportation. The buyer must give the dealer notice and a reasonable chance to repair, and pays half the cost of each of the first two repairs, up to $25 per repair. The dealer's liability is capped at the purchase price. The buyer can waive the warranty only for a specific defect the dealer discloses in writing on the first page of the sales agreement. A "used motor vehicle dealer" is someone who sold four or more used vehicles in the previous 12 months. The Attorney General notes Arizona has no cooling-off period or three-day right to cancel a car sale. Re-verified 2026-10-27. Source: A.R.S. § 44-1267 |
| How to make a lemon law claim | 1) Written notice: the presumption that the manufacturer had a reasonable number of repair attempts (four or more repairs of the same problem, or 30 or more calendar days out of service, within the warranty term or 2 years/24,000 miles, whichever is earlier) does not apply unless the manufacturer has received prior direct written notice of the defect from or on behalf of the consumer and has had an opportunity to cure it. 2) Final repair attempt: no separate final-repair step is described beyond that opportunity to cure. 3) Arbitration: Arizona has no state-run lemon law arbitration program. If the manufacturer has set up or takes part in an informal dispute settlement program that fully complies with federal rules (16 C.F.R. Part 703), the refund/replacement section does not apply to a consumer who has not first used that program. 4) Deadline: a lawsuit must be started within six months after the earlier of the end of the express warranty term or 2 years/24,000 miles from original delivery. A consumer who wins is awarded reasonable costs and attorney fees. The written-notice rule is in § 44-1264(C): https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01264.htm. The statute does not mention a fee for the manufacturer's program. Re-verified 2026-10-27. |
| Where to file a consumer complaint | File an online consumer complaint with the Attorney General's Consumer Information and Complaints Unit, or mail, email or fax a printed complaint form (English or Spanish) to the Phoenix or Tucson office. The unit runs an informal process between the consumer and the business to try to resolve disputes. Include copies of contracts, receipts, advertisements and other documents, and keep the originals. Phone: Phoenix 602-542-5763, Tucson 520-628-6648. |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The State Bar of Arizona offers an online Find an Attorney member directory but does not describe a statewide lawyer referral service. The Arizona courts' Self-Service Center lists the county bar referral services instead: the Maricopa County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, (602) 257-4434, which charges a small consultation fee, and the Pima County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, (520) 623-4625, which offers a 30-minute consultation for a fee. State Bar public page: https://www.azbar.org/for-the-public/ |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The State Bar of Arizona's Member Directory lets you search lawyers by name or by legal need, with filters such as certified specialization, city, county, language and firm. Results show membership status, a State Bar admission-related date, practice area, professional liability insurance status, board-certified specializations and section memberships. Legal paraprofessionals and alternative business structures can also be looked up. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Complaints ("bar charges") about Arizona lawyers, legal paraprofessionals and alternative business structures go to the State Bar of Arizona's Intake Department. The bar encourages calling the Intake Hotline (602-340-7280 or 800-319-0514 ext. 7280) before submitting a written charge, which can be filed with the online charge form. An Intake Bar Counsel reviews it, usually contacts the lawyer, and the matter may be dismissed, referred to diversion, or sent for screening investigation. The bar's "Check Legal Professional Discipline" link goes to its Member Directory. |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Arizona has three LSC-funded legal aid organizations that give free civil legal help to eligible low-income people: Community Legal Services, (800) 852-9075 (Maricopa, Mohave, La Paz, Yavapai and Yuma counties and some nearby towns); DNA-People's Legal Services, (800) 789-5781 (Coconino County and the Navajo and Hopi Nations); and Southern Arizona Legal Aid, (800) 248-6789 (Pima and other southern and central counties and 11 Native American communities). Step Up to Justice offers free civil legal help to low-income residents of Pima County. LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
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All legal help in Arizona · Background guide
Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.