BBB Auto Line: Tennessee's Manufacturer-Certified IDS

BBB Auto Line is the certified informal dispute settlement (IDS) procedure used by most major manufacturers (Toyota, Honda, Ford, GM, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Mercedes, VW) in Tennessee. Under § 55-24-106, if the manufacturer’s IDS is certified (16 C.F.R. Part 703 compliant), the consumer must use that procedure first before court action.

Why BBB Auto Line matters in Tennessee

Tennessee does NOT have a state-administered Lemon Law arbitration board (unlike CT/FL/WA/NJ/MA/GA/MN). The procedural choice is:

• Manufacturer’s certified IDS (BBB Auto Line for most) — required first.
• Court action — Tennessee Circuit Court or D. Tenn.

BBB Auto Line process

Step	Detail
Filing	Online at bbbprograms.org/programs/all-programs/bbbautoline
Filing fee	$0 (manufacturer pays)
Acknowledgment	Within 5-10 days
Manufacturer response	14-30 days
Hearing	In-person, telephonic, or document review
Decision	Within 40 days of filing
Acceptance/rejection	Consumer has 14 days to accept or reject

Manufacturers using BBB Auto Line

• Toyota / Lexus
• Honda / Acura
• Ford / Lincoln
• General Motors (Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, Cadillac)
• Nissan / Infiniti
• Hyundai / Genesis
• Kia
• BMW / Mini
• Mercedes-Benz
• Volkswagen / Audi / Porsche
• Subaru
• Volvo
• Stellantis (Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler) — varies by year

Tesla and Rivian generally do NOT participate in BBB Auto Line — consumers go directly to court.

What BBB can award

• Refund of purchase price + tax + fees + incidental damages, minus reasonable use offset.
• Replacement vehicle.
• Repair (rare — usually consumer has already exhausted repair).

What BBB cannot award

• TCPA treble damages — court only.
• Attorney fees — § 55-24-108 fees apply only in court action.
• Punitive damages.

Acceptance vs. rejection

• Accept the BBB award → binding on both parties; manufacturer must comply within 30 days.
• Reject the BBB award → court action available with de novo review.

The BBB decision does not preclude court action — even if BBB denies, you can proceed in court.

When BBB Auto Line is the right path

• Clean refund/replacement case without TCPA exposure.
• Quick resolution preferred (40 days).
• Don’t want to litigate discovery + depositions.

When to skip BBB Auto Line

• TCPA / willful violation case — court only.
• Dealer fraud / misrepresentation — court only.
• Manufacturer not in BBB Auto Line (Tesla, Rivian) — court direct.
• Complex damages beyond statutory refund.

Tennessee strategy

For most Tennessee Lemon Law cases, the sequence is:

1. BBB Auto Line filing (required if manufacturer is certified).
2. Accept BBB award if favorable, OR
3. File court action (Circuit Court or D. Tenn.) with parallel TCPA + Magnuson-Moss claims for treble damages.

Bottom line

BBB Auto Line is the gateway for most Tennessee Lemon Law cases — required first under § 55-24-106. Use it for clean refund/replacement claims. For TCPA exposure, dealer fraud, or punitive damages, file court action directly (Tesla/Rivian cases) or after BBB rejection.

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