Maryland Lemon Law Statute of Limitations

Maryland’s timing rules provide solid runway across the three statutory bases.

The four deadlines

Statute	Deadline	Triggered by
Lemon Law Rights Period	24 months OR 18,000 miles OR end of warranty	Original delivery date
CPA	3 years from accrual	Date violation occurred
Magnuson-Moss / UCC	4 years from delivery	Original delivery date
Common-law warranty	4 years from delivery (UCC § 2-725)	Original delivery date

24-month / 18,000-mile Rights Period

This is the eligibility window for the Maryland Lemon Law — the defect must arise AND repair attempts must occur within 24 months / 18,000 miles.

CPA 3-year SOL

CPA actions are subject to Maryland’s general 3-year SOL under Md. Code Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101. Discovery rule applies — accrues at discovery of the violation.

Magnuson-Moss 4-year backstop

Magnuson-Moss borrows Md. Code Comm. Law § 2-725 UCC SOL of 4 years from delivery.

Practical strategy

Time since delivery	Best avenues
0 – 18 months	All open; document defects + repair attempts.
18 – 24 months / 0–18K mi	Lemon Law window closing; send notice + pursue BBB Auto Line.
24+ months / 18K+ mi	Lemon Law Rights Period closed; CPA + Magnuson-Moss still available.
2 – 3 years	CPA still open; Magnuson-Moss available.
3 – 4 years	CPA closed; Magnuson-Moss + UCC still available.
4+ years	All claims generally closed.

What to do if past the Lemon Law Rights Period

1. Don’t give up — CPA 3-year SOL and Magnuson-Moss 4-year SOL provide runway.
2. Check CPA discovery rule — if dealer/manufacturer concealed, discovery may be later.
3. Talk to a Maryland lemon-law attorney.

Bottom line

Maryland provides solid timing protection: 24 months / 18K Lemon Law, 3 years CPA, 4 years Magnuson-Moss / UCC. File Lemon Law claims while the Rights Period is open; pursue CPA + Magnuson-Moss for longer-running federal access.

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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.

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Maryland Lemon Law Statute (§ 14-1501)

Md. Code Comm. Law § 14-1501 et seq. — Maryland Automotive Warranty Enforcement Act. Core eligibility, 24-month / 18,000-mile Rights Period, discretionary § 14-1502 attorney fees.

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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.

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