Tennessee Lemon Law

Tennessee’s lemon law — codified at Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-24-101 et seq. (“Motor Vehicle Warranty Act”) — pairs a 1-year Rights Period with a 3-attempt or 30-calendar-day OOS threshold. Layered on top is the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) under Tenn. Code § 47-18-101 et seq., which provides discretionary treble damages and mandatory attorney fees for willful or knowing deceptive practices. The combination is meaningfully consumer-favorable — though the 1-year TCPA SOL under § 47-18-110 is one of the shortest UDAP SOLs in the country and is a serious deadline trap.

Tennessee is distinctive in five ways:

1. 1-year Rights Period — among the shortest in the country (joins Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, Massachusetts). Tight window demands fast action.
2. 3-attempt threshold under § 55-24-105 — one attempt fewer than the standard 4-attempt states, more consumer-favorable. Joins Georgia and Massachusetts at the 3-attempt tier.
3. TCPA mandatory attorney fees + discretionary treble damages under § 47-18-109 — treble for willful or knowing violations + mandatory § 47-18-109(e)(1) fees on prevailing.
4. DANGEROUSLY SHORT 1-year TCPA SOL under Tenn. Code § 47-18-110 — among the shortest UDAP SOLs in the country (joins Arizona’s 1-year CFA SOL as the shortest tier). Filing past 1 year from TCPA violation forecloses the strongest fee/damages enhancement.
5. Three home-state manufacturer defendants — Nissan (Smyrna — largest Nissan plant in North America), VW (Chattanooga — Atlas, ID.4), GM (Spring Hill — Cadillac LYRIQ, GMC Acadia). Tennessee is unusual in hosting three major OEM manufacturing operations.

This page is the hub for our Tennessee coverage. Use the topic guides for deeper reading:

• The Law — § 55-24-101 Lemon Law, TCPA, Magnuson-Moss, repair-attempt presumption (3 attempts / 30 days OOS), and statute of limitations.
• The Process — Documented repair attempts, written notice, manufacturer IDS (BBB Auto Line), court action, and TCPA-parallel claims.
• Remedies — Refund, replacement, TCPA damages, § 55-24-108 + TCPA § 47-18-109(e)(1) attorney fees.
• Qualifying Defects — Defect categories that meet Tennessee’s “substantially impair use, market value, or safety” test under § 55-24-101.
• Vehicle Types — Used vehicles, leases, EVs (VW ID.4 / GM LYRIQ home-state), motorcycles, RVs, commercial.
• Manufacturers — Common case patterns by brand in the TN market (Nissan / VW / GM are home-state defendants).
• FAQ — Common questions about TN lemon-law claims.

Who’s protected

Tennessee’s Lemon Law (Tenn. Code § 55-24-101) covers:

• New motor vehicles purchased or leased in Tennessee for personal, family, or household use.
• Demonstrators sold under new-vehicle warranties.
• Subsequent transferees during the Rights Period.

The statute excludes vehicles purchased for commercial use only, motor homes (except chassis), and vehicles weighing more than 10,000 lbs GVWR.

The 1-year Rights Period — distinctively short

Tennessee’s eligibility window under § 55-24-105 is 1 year from original delivery OR end of express warranty, whichever first. Among the shortest combined Rights Periods in the country:

• 1-year states: Tennessee, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, Massachusetts
• 18-month: Virginia
• 2-year states: Ohio, Minnesota
• 2-year / 24K: Connecticut, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Texas, Washington, Arizona

The short window means document defects and act quickly. The repair attempts that establish your case must all occur within the 1-year window.

Outside the 1-year window, TCPA (1-year SOL — also short!) and Magnuson-Moss (4-year UCC SOL) remain available.

The “reasonable number of attempts” test

Tennessee applies thresholds under § 55-24-105:

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

The 3-attempt threshold is more consumer-favorable than standard 4-attempt states. See our repair-attempt presumption article.

Manufacturer IDS — BBB Auto Line

Under § 55-24-106, if the manufacturer maintains a certified IDS procedure (16 C.F.R. Part 703 compliant), the consumer must first use that procedure. Most major manufacturers’ IDS in Tennessee is BBB Auto Line.

After IDS, the consumer may file court action — Tennessee does NOT have a separate state-administered Lemon Law arbitration board (unlike CT, FL, WA, NJ, MA, GA, MN).

What you can recover

A successful Tennessee Lemon Law case typically produces:

• Refund — purchase price, sales tax, license fees, plus incidental costs, minus reasonable use deduction.
• Replacement — comparable new vehicle.
• PERMISSIVE § 55-24-108 attorney fees (“may be allowed by the court”).
• TCPA actual damages + discretionary treble + mandatory § 47-18-109(e)(1) fees for willful/knowing violations.
• Reimbursement of incidental damages.

What to do next

1. Document everything. See our evidence guide.
2. Move FAST — the 1-year Rights Period and 1-year TCPA SOL both run quickly.
3. Identify the 3rd repair attempt (or 30 cumulative OOS days) within the 1-year window.
4. Send written notice with the final repair opportunity.
5. Use manufacturer’s IDS (BBB Auto Line) if certified — required first.
6. File court action with parallel TCPA + Magnuson-Moss claims for treble damages.
7. Get a free case review from a Tennessee lemon-law attorney.

Explore Tennessee lemon law

Topic

The Law: Tennessee Lemon Law, TCPA, and Magnuson-Moss

The statutes behind a Tennessee lemon-law claim — § 55-24-101 Lemon Law, TCPA (§ 47-18-101 et seq.) treble damages and 1-year SOL, Magnuson-Moss, and timing rules.

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The Process: Filing a Tennessee Lemon Law Claim

The step-by-step Tennessee lemon-law process — repair attempts, written notice, BBB Auto Line IDS, court action, and TCPA-parallel claims.

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Remedies: What You Can Recover Under Tennessee Lemon Law

Refund, replacement, TCPA treble damages, and the § 55-24-108 + § 47-18-109(e)(1) attorney fees recovery.

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Qualifying Defects: What Counts as a Lemon in Tennessee

Defect categories that meet Tennessee's 'substantially impair use, market value, or safety' test under § 55-24-101.

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Vehicle Types Covered Under Tennessee Lemon Law

How Tennessee's Lemon Law applies to used vehicles, leases, EVs (VW Chattanooga and GM Spring Hill plants!), motorcycles, RVs, and commercial vehicles.

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Manufacturer Case Patterns in Tennessee

Common Tennessee lemon-law case patterns by manufacturer — Nissan (Smyrna home plant), VW (Chattanooga ID.4 plant), GM (Spring Hill LYRIQ plant), Ford, Stellantis, Toyota.

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Tennessee Lemon Law FAQ

Common Tennessee lemon-law questions — when is a car a lemon, the 1-year SOL trap, do I need a lawyer, what about used cars.

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