Maryland Lemon Law Statute (§ 14-1501)

Md. Code, Comm. Law § 14-1501 et seq. — the Maryland Automotive Warranty Enforcement Act — is the core Maryland Lemon Law. It provides refund or replacement for vehicles that don’t conform to express manufacturer warranties despite a reasonable number of repair attempts, plus discretionary attorney fees under § 14-1502 (“the court may award”).

Core eligibility

Under § 14-1501, the statute covers:

• New motor vehicles purchased, leased, or registered in Maryland.
• Vehicle classes: Class A (passenger), Class D (motorcycle), Class M (multipurpose), and Class E (truck) with a 3/4-ton or less manufacturer’s rated capacity.
• Weight test: rated capacity (the 3/4-ton truck limit), not a flat 10,000-lb GVWR cap.
• Excluded: motor homes (entirely — no chassis carve-out) and fleet purchases of five or more vehicles.

The 24-month / 18,000-mile Rights Period

§ 14-1502(a) establishes the eligibility window:

• 24 months from original delivery, OR
• 18,000 miles, OR
• End of express written warranty, whichever first.

Maryland’s 24/18K combination is distinctive — same time as standard 2-year states but tighter mileage than 24/24K jurisdictions.

Repair-attempt thresholds

Under § 14-1502(c), the “reasonable number of attempts” presumption applies when:

• Four or more repair attempts for the same nonconformity within the Rights Period, OR
• 30 or more cumulative calendar days out of service.

See our repair-attempt presumption article.

Pre-suit written notice requirement

§ 14-1502(d) requires written notice to the manufacturer with at least one final opportunity to repair before the Lemon Law applies.

Discretionary § 14-1502 attorney fees

§ 14-1502 provides that a prevailing consumer may recover attorney fees — but the statute reads that “the court may award reasonable attorney’s fees,” making the award discretionary, not mandatory. (Maryland’s reliably mandatory fee recovery comes from the parallel CPA § 13-408(b) and Magnuson-Moss claims.)

Remedies

§ 14-1502(e) requires manufacturer to either:

• Refund: full purchase price + sales tax + registration + finance charges + incidental + minus reasonable use offset, OR
• Replacement: comparable new vehicle.

Consumer chooses between refund and replacement.

Manufacturer IDS required first

Under § 14-1502(d), if the manufacturer has a certified IDS procedure (16 C.F.R. Part 703 compliant), the consumer must first complete that procedure before court action. Most major manufacturers’ IDS in Maryland is BBB Auto Line.

Maryland does NOT have a state-administered Lemon Law arbitration board.

Bottom line

Maryland’s § 14-1501 provides a 24-month / 18,000-mile Rights Period, 4-attempt / 30-calendar-day OOS thresholds (plus a single-attempt braking/steering safety rule), and discretionary § 14-1502 fees. Combined with Maryland CPA (mandatory § 13-408(b) fees) and Magnuson-Moss, the framework provides solid consumer protection.

Related

Article

Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act in Maryland

How the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. § 2301) overlays Maryland's § 14-1501 Lemon Law and provides federal-court access through D. Md.

Read → Article

Maryland Consumer Protection Act (CPA)

Md. Code Comm. Law § 13-101 et seq. — Maryland CPA actual damages and mandatory § 13-408(b) attorney fees for deceptive practices. 3-year SOL.

Read → Article

Maryland's Repair-Attempt Presumption (4 Attempts / 30 Days OOS / 1 Safety)

How Md. Code Comm. Law § 14-1502(c) establishes 'reasonable number of attempts' — 4-attempt or 30-day OOS thresholds within the 24-month / 18,000-mile Rights Period.

Read → Article

Maryland Lemon Law Statute of Limitations

Maryland's timing rules — the 24-month / 18,000-mile Rights Period, 3-year CPA SOL, and 4-year Magnuson-Moss / UCC backstop.

Read →