Vehicle Types Covered by Michigan Lemon Law

Michigan’s Lemon Law (MCL § 257.1401 et seq.) covers new motor vehicles — defined by body type, not weight — sold or leased in Michigan for personal, family, or household use. Coverage reaches passenger vehicles, SUVs, pickup trucks, and vans, but not motor homes, buses, trucks other than pickups/vans, or vehicles on fewer than 4 wheels (motorcycles). There is no GVWR weight cap.

Topics in this section

• Used vehicles
• Leased vehicles
• Electric vehicles
• Motorcycles
• Recreational vehicles (RVs)
• Commercial vehicles

What’s distinctive about Michigan

Michigan defines coverage by vehicle type. The “motor vehicle” definition in MCL § 257.1401 explicitly excludes motor homes, buses, trucks other than pickup trucks and vans, and vehicles designed to travel on fewer than 4 wheels (motorcycles). For these excluded vehicles, Magnuson-Moss provides federal-court remedies with mandatory attorney fees — and MCPA may apply with the narrowing caveat.

How to know if your vehicle is covered

For most Michigan consumers, the answer is yes within the 1-year reporting window. Exceptions:

• Defect not reported within 1 year of delivery (Magnuson-Moss only).
• Motorcycles and other vehicles on fewer than 4 wheels (Magnuson-Moss only).
• Motor homes and buses (Magnuson-Moss only for the coach side).
• Trucks other than pickup trucks and vans (Magnuson-Moss only).
• Primarily commercial use.

The “consumer” definition

MCL § 257.1401(b) defines “consumer” to include:

• The purchaser of the vehicle (other than for resale).
• Any person to whom the vehicle is transferred during the express warranty period.
• Any person entitled by the warranty to enforce its obligations.

This means leases qualify and warranty assumptions qualify.

The 1-year reporting window applies to all vehicle types

The reporting deadline cuts across all vehicle types. Even within the standard coverage categories (cars, light trucks, SUVs), defects must be reported within 1 year of delivery to preserve the Lemon Law claim. This is the most common Michigan eligibility issue.

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Michigan Lemon Law — Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the most-asked questions about Michigan's Lemon Law, the narrowed MCPA, and federal Magnuson-Moss claims.

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Michigan Lemon Law Cases by Manufacturer

How the Michigan Lemon Law applies to specific manufacturers, including the Detroit Three (GM, Ford, Stellantis) on their home ground.

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The Michigan Lemon Law Process

Step-by-step: how a Michigan lemon-law case moves through repair attempts, certified-mail notice, mandatory informal dispute settlement procedure, court action, and settlement.

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Qualifying Defects Under Michigan Lemon Law

What kinds of vehicle defects qualify for a Michigan Lemon Law refund — the substantial-impairment test under MCL § 257.1401(g).

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Michigan Lemon Law Remedies

What you can recover under Michigan's lemon-law framework — refund, replacement, cash-and-keep, narrowed MCPA damages, and § 257.1407(2) discretionary attorney-fee recovery plus Magnuson-Moss mandatory fees.

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The Law: Michigan Lemon Law, MCPA, and Magnuson-Moss

The statutes behind a Michigan lemon-law claim — the New Motor Vehicle Warranty Act (MCL § 257.1401), the narrowed Michigan Consumer Protection Act (MCL § 445.901), federal Magnuson-Moss, and timing rules.

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