Vehicle Types Covered by Virginia Lemon Law

Virginia’s Lemon Law (Va. Code § 59.1-207.9 et seq.) covers new motor vehicles up to 10,000 lbs GVWR sold or leased in Virginia for personal, family, or household use.

Topics in this section

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

What’s distinctive about Virginia

Virginia’s Lemon Law covers all motorcycles (no engine-displacement floor under Va. Code § 59.1-207.11) but excludes motor homes, mobile homes, and commercial vehicles. For excluded vehicles, VCPA and Magnuson-Moss provide alternative civil-court remedies.

How to know if your vehicle is covered

For most Virginia consumers, the answer is yes within the 18-month window. Exceptions:

• Vehicles past the 18-month window (VCPA + Magnuson-Moss only).
• Motor homes (VCPA + Magnuson-Moss only).
• Mobile homes (VCPA + Magnuson-Moss only).
• Vehicles over 10,000 lbs GVWR.
• Primarily commercial use.

The “consumer” definition

Va. Code § 59.1-207.10 defines “consumer” to include:

• The original purchaser of the vehicle.
• Any subsequent transferee during the warranty period.
• Any other person entitled by the warranty to enforce its obligations.

This means leases and warranty assumptions both qualify.

Related

Topic

Virginia Lemon Law — Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the most-asked questions about Virginia's Lemon Law and Consumer Protection Act.

Read → Topic

Virginia Lemon Law Cases by Manufacturer

How the Virginia Lemon Law and VCPA apply to specific manufacturers.

Read → Topic

The Virginia Lemon Law Process

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

Read → Topic

Qualifying Defects Under Virginia Lemon Law

What kinds of vehicle defects qualify for a Virginia Lemon Law refund — the substantial-impairment test under Va. Code § 59.1-207.11.

Read → Topic

Virginia Lemon Law Remedies

What you can recover under Virginia's lemon-law framework — refund, replacement, cash-and-keep, VCPA treble damages for willful violations, and mandatory § 59.1-207.14 attorney-fee recovery.

Read → Topic

The Law: Virginia Lemon Law and VCPA

The statutes behind a Virginia lemon-law claim — the Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act (Va. Code § 59.1-207.9), the Virginia Consumer Protection Act (§ 59.1-196), Magnuson-Moss, and timing rules.

Read →