Utah · Lemon law · Updated Oct 2026
New Motor Vehicles Warranties Act (Utah Lemon Law) (Utah Code §§ 13-20-1 to 13-20-8) protects buyers of new vehicles that can't be fixed. Here is what counts as a lemon in Utah, the notice you must send and what you can get back.
Your vehicle is presumed a lemon if, within the warranty term or 1 year from delivery (whichever is earlier), the same defect has been repaired 4 or more times and still exists, or the vehicle has been out of service for repairs for a total of 30 or more business days. The defect must substantially impair the vehicle's use, market value or safety. Utah's statute does not give the manufacturer a separate final repair attempt.
Period: The term of the manufacturer's express warranty or 1 year from original delivery, whichever ends first. You must report the defect within that time.
The statute does not require a special written notice. You must report the defect to the manufacturer, its agent or a dealer within the warranty term or 1 year from delivery, whichever is earlier.
If the manufacturer has an informal dispute program that meets federal rules (16 CFR Part 703), you must use it before you can get a refund or replacement under the lemon law. Before you sue, the Utah Division of Consumer Protection must investigate and evaluate your claim.
The manufacturer must replace the vehicle with a comparable new one, or take it back and refund the full purchase price, including all collateral charges, minus a reasonable allowance for your use. The use allowance covers your use before you first reported the defect and any later time the vehicle was not out of service for repair. Refunds go to you and any lienholder or lessor as their interests appear.
Attorney fees: Yes, a court may award attorney fees to the prevailing party in a lawsuit you bring under the act (13-20-6(4)); note this can cut both ways.
Utah's lemon law covers only new vehicles. The Division of Consumer Protection notes there is no 3-day right to cancel a car purchase, and returns are allowed only if the seller's own policy permits them.
Most states require you to tell the manufacturer in writing and give it a last chance to fix the car. The statute does not require a special written notice. You must report the defect to the manufacturer, its agent or a dealer within the warranty term or 1 year from delivery, whichever is earlier. 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.
Official page · Official lemon law guide
Your vehicle is presumed a lemon if, within the warranty term or 1 year from delivery (whichever is earlier), the same defect has been repaired 4 or more times and still exists, or the vehicle has been out of service for repairs for a total of 30 or more business days. The defect must substantially impair the vehicle's use, market value or safety. Utah's statute does not give the manufacturer a separate final repair attempt.
The term of the manufacturer's express warranty or 1 year from original delivery, whichever ends first. You must report the defect within that time.
The statute does not require a special written notice. You must report the defect to the manufacturer, its agent or a dealer within the warranty term or 1 year from delivery, whichever is earlier.
If the manufacturer has an informal dispute program that meets federal rules (16 CFR Part 703), you must use it before you can get a refund or replacement under the lemon law. Before you sue, the Utah Division of Consumer Protection must investigate and evaluate your claim.
The manufacturer must replace the vehicle with a comparable new one, or take it back and refund the full purchase price, including all collateral charges, minus a reasonable allowance for your use. The use allowance covers your use before you first reported the defect and any later time the vehicle was not out of service for repair. Refunds go to you and any lienholder or lessor as their interests appear.
Utah's lemon law covers only new vehicles. The Division of Consumer Protection notes there is no 3-day right to cancel a car purchase, and returns are allowed only if the seller's own policy permits them.
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