STANDARDS OF THE TENNESSEE LEMON LAW
The following is a brief explanation of most relevant provisions of the Tennessee lemon
law. The complete text of the lemon law can be found at Tenn. Code Ann. 55-24-201
through 55-24-212.
VEHICLES COVERED
The Tennessee lemon law covers a passenger motor vehicle and a motorcycle that is sold
in Tennessee and is subject to registration and title in Tennessee or any other state.
The Tennessee lemon law does not cover motor homes used as a dwelling place, living
abode or sleeping place; garden tractors; recreational vehicles or off-road vehicles; and
vehicles over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.
CONSUMERS COVERED
The lemon law covers the following “consumers”:
1. The purchaser (other than for purposes of resale) or the lessee of a motor vehicle;
2. Any person to whom the motor vehicle is transferred during the duration of an
express warranty for that vehicle; or
3. Any other person entitled by the terms of the warranty to enforce its obligations.
The lemon law covers a subsequent transferee, but does not cover any governmental
entity or any business or commercial entity that registers three or more vehicles.
VEHICLE CONVERTERS
The lemon law does not apply to vehicle converters.
PROBLEMS COVERED
The lemon law covers any nonconformity to the warranty, defect or condition that
substantially impairs the motor vehicle. This is referred to as a nonconformity.
“Substantially impair” is defined to mean to render a vehicle unreliable or unsafe for
normal operation or to reduce its resale market value below the average resale value for
comparable vehicles.
It is an affirmative defense if the manufacturer can show that the alleged nonconformity
does not substantially impair the motor vehicle, or the nonconformity is the result of
abuse, neglect or unauthorized modifications or alterations of the vehicle by a
consumer.
More at: http://www.bbb.org/us/auto-line/state-lemon-laws/
