Alaska · Lemon law · Updated Oct 2026
Alaska Motor Vehicle Warranties Act (Alaska Lemon Law) (Alaska Stat. §§ 45.45.300 – 45.45.360) protects buyers of new vehicles that can't be fixed. Here is what counts as a lemon in Alaska, the notice you must send and what you can get back.
Within the warranty term or 1 year from delivery (whichever ends first), your car is presumed a lemon if: (1) the same defect was repaired 3 or more times and still exists; or (2) the car was out of service for repairs a total of 30 or more business days (delays beyond the manufacturer's or dealer's control, like strikes or natural disasters, do not count). The defect must substantially impair the car's use or market value. After your notice, the manufacturer has 30 days to make one final repair attempt.
Period: The term of the manufacturer's express warranty or 1 year from delivery to the original owner, whichever ends first. There is no mileage limit in the law itself.
To claim a refund or replacement, send written notice by certified mail to the manufacturer and to its dealer or repair shop. Send it no later than 60 days after the warranty or the 1-year period ends, whichever ends first. The notice must say the car has a defect, describe it, say a reasonable number of repair attempts have been made, and demand a refund or replacement on the 60th day after you mail it. The Attorney General also advises including the year, make, model, VIN, and your name, address, and phone number.
Alaska has no state-run program. If the manufacturer has an informal dispute program (or offers arbitration or mediation after your notice) that is binding on the manufacturer but not on you and is approved by the Attorney General, you must use it first to get a refund or replacement. If the program is not approved, you may skip it and go to court.
Your choice of a new comparable vehicle or a refund of the full purchase price, which includes costs added to the retail price such as original registration fees, transportation fees, dealer preparation, and dealer-installed options. The manufacturer may subtract a reasonable allowance for your use, capped at straight-line depreciation over 7 years for the time you had the car, plus depreciation from owner neglect or abuse or body damage not caused by the defect. The manufacturer must also repay reasonable costs of shipping the car to and from the nearest authorized repair facility. According to the Attorney General, a refund does not include finance charges.
Attorney fees: The lemon law itself does not provide for attorney fees; a manufacturer that wrongly refuses a refund or replacement is presumed to have committed an unfair trade practice under AS 45.50.471, which may open other remedies.
The Attorney General says the lemon law does not apply to used vehicles.
Most states require you to tell the manufacturer in writing and give it a last chance to fix the car. To claim a refund or replacement, send written notice by certified mail to the manufacturer and to its dealer or repair shop. Send it no later than 60 days after the warranty or the 1-year period ends, whichever ends first. The notice must say the car has a defect, describe it, say a reasonable number of repair attempts have been made, and demand a refund or replacement on the 60th day after you mail it. The Attorney General also advises including the year, make, model, VIN, and your name, address, and phone number. Fill this in, copy the letter, sign it and send it by certified mail with return receipt. Keep a copy. Nothing you type here is sent to us; the letter is made in your browser.
Within the warranty term or 1 year from delivery (whichever ends first), your car is presumed a lemon if: (1) the same defect was repaired 3 or more times and still exists; or (2) the car was out of service for repairs a total of 30 or more business days (delays beyond the manufacturer's or dealer's control, like strikes or natural disasters, do not count). The defect must substantially impair the car's use or market value. After your notice, the manufacturer has 30 days to make one final repair attempt.
The term of the manufacturer's express warranty or 1 year from delivery to the original owner, whichever ends first. There is no mileage limit in the law itself.
To claim a refund or replacement, send written notice by certified mail to the manufacturer and to its dealer or repair shop. Send it no later than 60 days after the warranty or the 1-year period ends, whichever ends first. The notice must say the car has a defect, describe it, say a reasonable number of repair attempts have been made, and demand a refund or replacement on the 60th day after you mail it. The Attorney General also advises including the year, make, model, VIN, and your name, address, and phone number.
Alaska has no state-run program. If the manufacturer has an informal dispute program (or offers arbitration or mediation after your notice) that is binding on the manufacturer but not on you and is approved by the Attorney General, you must use it first to get a refund or replacement. If the program is not approved, you may skip it and go to court.
Your choice of a new comparable vehicle or a refund of the full purchase price, which includes costs added to the retail price such as original registration fees, transportation fees, dealer preparation, and dealer-installed options. The manufacturer may subtract a reasonable allowance for your use, capped at straight-line depreciation over 7 years for the time you had the car, plus depreciation from owner neglect or abuse or body damage not caused by the defect. The manufacturer must also repay reasonable costs of shipping the car to and from the nearest authorized repair facility. According to the Attorney General, a refund does not include finance charges.
The Attorney General says the lemon law does not apply to used vehicles.
Car not covered, or the period has passed? Federal warranty law may still help, and small claims court can handle smaller repair bills.
Federal warranty law