Tennessee Lemon Law Statute of Limitations

Tennessee’s timing rules are distinctive for two 1-year deadlines that can foreclose claims. Consumers must act quickly.

The four deadlines

Statute	Deadline	Triggered by
Lemon Law Rights Period (eligibility)	1 year OR end of warranty	Original delivery date
Lemon Law action filing (§ 55-24-107)	6 months after the later of: warranty-term expiration, or 1 year from delivery	End of term of protection
TCPA	1 year from discovery	Discovery of deceptive practice
Magnuson-Moss / UCC	4 years from delivery	Original delivery date
Common-law warranty	4 years from delivery (UCC § 2-725)	Original delivery date

Lemon Law Rights Period vs. the filing window

Two separate clocks apply to a Tennessee Lemon Law claim:

1. Eligibility window (term of protection) — the defect must arise AND repair attempts must occur within 1 year of delivery or the warranty term, whichever first.
2. Action filing window (§ 55-24-107) — an action must be commenced within 6 months following the later of (a) expiration of the express warranty term, or (b) 1 year following original delivery.

So Tennessee does provide a filing window that runs past the eligibility period — up to 6 months after the term of protection ends. It is still shorter than Connecticut’s 4-year action filing window, but the claim is not foreclosed the instant the Rights Period closes.

TCPA 1-year SOL — danger zone

§ 47-18-110 sets a 1-year SOL from discovery for TCPA claims. This is:

• Among the shortest UDAP SOLs in the country (joins Arizona CFA at 1 year).
• Discovery rule applies — runs from when consumer knew or should have known.
• Foreclosed late — filing past 1 year forecloses TCPA treble + mandatory fees.

For comparison:

• Pennsylvania UTPCPL: 6-year SOL.
• Minnesota Private AG Statute: 6-year SOL.
• Connecticut CUTPA: 3-year SOL.

Magnuson-Moss / UCC — 4-year backstop

Magnuson-Moss borrows Tenn. Code § 47-2-725 UCC SOL of 4 years from delivery. This is the critical backstop:

• 4x longer than TCPA.
• Provides federal-court access via D. Tenn.
• Applies to express + implied warranties.

Where TCPA has expired, Magnuson-Moss + UCC remain available.

Practical strategy

Time since delivery	Best avenues
0 – 6 months	All open; document defects + repair attempts. Identify 3rd attempt or 30 OOS days.
6 – 9 months	Lemon Law window closing; file notice with manufacturer; pursue IDS.
9 – 12 months	Lemon Law Rights Period running out; reach the threshold and prepare to file.
12 – 18 months	Eligibility window closed, but the § 55-24-107 filing window runs up to 6 months past the term of protection; TCPA and Magnuson-Moss also available.
18 – 24 months	TCPA SOL closing (depending on discovery); Magnuson-Moss still strong.
2 – 4 years	TCPA generally closed; Magnuson-Moss + UCC available.
4+ years	All federal/state warranty claims closed.

Equitable tolling considerations

Tennessee courts apply tolling in limited cases:

• Manufacturer concealment — both Lemon Law and TCPA SOLs may toll where manufacturer concealed the defect.
• Discovery rule for TCPA — accrues at discovery of the deceptive practice, not necessarily at the practice.
• Ongoing violations — TCPA SOL may accrue separately for each occurrence.

Bottom line

Tennessee has two 1-year deadlines that can be brutal traps:

1. The 1-year Lemon Law Rights Period.
2. The 1-year TCPA SOL from discovery.

But Magnuson-Moss / UCC provides a 4-year backstop. File Lemon Law + TCPA claims aggressively within their windows; pursue Magnuson-Moss as the longer-running federal claim. Act quickly — Tennessee deadlines are unforgiving.

Related

Article

Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act in Tennessee

How the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. § 2301) overlays Tennessee's § 55-24-101 Lemon Law and provides federal-court access through D. Tenn. divisions.

Read → Article

Tennessee's Repair-Attempt Presumption (3 Attempts / 30 Days OOS)

How Tenn. Code § 55-24-105 establishes 'reasonable number of attempts' — 3-attempt or 30-day OOS thresholds within the 1-year Rights Period.

Read → Article

Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)

Tenn. Code § 47-18-101 et seq. — TCPA discretionary treble damages under § 47-18-109(a)(3), mandatory § 47-18-109(e)(1) attorney fees, and the dangerous 1-year SOL.

Read → Article

Tennessee Lemon Law Statute (§ 55-24-101)

Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-24-101 et seq. — the Tennessee Motor Vehicle Warranty Act. Core eligibility, 1-year Rights Period, permissive § 55-24-108 attorney fees.

Read →