Colorado Lemon Law Statute of Limitations

Colorado’s lemon-law timing rules involve an eligibility (Rights) window, a Lemon Law statute of limitations, plus two civil-court runways. SB24-192 (effective August 7, 2024) reset all of the Lemon Law figures.

The deadlines

Statute	Deadline	Triggered by
Colorado Lemon Law (§ 42-10-103) Rights Period	2 years OR 24,000 miles, whichever first	Original delivery date
Colorado Lemon Law statute of limitations (§ 42-10-107)	30 months from delivery	Original delivery date
CCPA (C.R.S. § 6-1-115)	3 years from accrual	Date violation occurred
Magnuson-Moss / C.R.S. § 4-2-725	4 years from delivery	Original delivery date

2-year / 24,000-mile Rights Period

This is the eligibility window during which the qualifying defect and repair attempts must occur for the Colorado Lemon Law.

The 30-month statute of limitations

Separately from the Rights Period, C.R.S. § 42-10-107 requires any Lemon Law action to be commenced within 30 months of original delivery. The limitations period is tolled while the consumer is in arbitration under § 42-10-106 or while the vehicle is out of service for repair. This is the actual filing deadline — distinct from the 2-year / 24,000-mile window in which the defect must arise.

CCPA’s 3-year limitations period

CCPA claims — 3 years from accrual under C.R.S. § 6-1-115. Extends beyond the Lemon Law’s 30-month limit.

Magnuson-Moss / C.R.S. § 4-2-725 4-year limit

Magnuson-Moss — 4 years from delivery under Colorado UCC. The longest formal limitations runway.

Practical strategy

Time since delivery	Best avenues
0 – 18 months	All open; pursue Lemon Law with parallel CCPA + Magnuson-Moss.
18 – 24 months / approaching 24K mi	Rights Period closing; file promptly (30-month SOL still open).
24 – 30 months	Rights Period likely closed; file any Lemon Law action before the 30-month SOL, plus CCPA + Magnuson-Moss.
30 months – 3 years	Lemon Law SOL closed; pursue CCPA + Magnuson-Moss in court.
3 – 4 years	CCPA closed; Magnuson-Moss still available in federal court.
4+ years	Few viable options.

What to do if past the Lemon Law

1. Don’t give up — CCPA’s 3-year window with mandatory § 6-1-113(2)(b) fees, $500 penalty, and bad-faith treble damages remains available.
2. Document the timeline carefully.
3. Talk to a Colorado lemon-law attorney.

Bottom line

Colorado’s Lemon Law now runs on a 2-year / 24,000-mile Rights Period with a 30-month filing deadline (§ 42-10-107), and the 3-year CCPA SOL and 4-year Magnuson-Moss runway provide additional backup. The CCPA’s mandatory fees plus statutory penalty plus bad-faith treble damages make CCPA particularly important in Colorado cases past the Lemon Law window.

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The Colorado Lemon Law (C.R.S. § 42-10-101)

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