Montgomery Lemon Law

Montgomery-area lemon law claims are filed in the Montgomery County Circuit Court (15th Judicial Circuit), located at 251 S. Lawrence Street, Montgomery, AL 36104. Before suing under Alabama's Motor Vehicle Lemon Law, Ala. Code 8-20A-3 requires you to first use any qualifying informal dispute settlement procedure the manufacturer participates in (typically BBB AUTO LINE) if that program substantially complies with 16 C.F.R. Part 703. The arbitrator's decision is non-binding on the consumer, so you can reject it and file suit within the three-year limitations period set by Ala. Code 8-20A-6.

Ala. Code 8-20A-2(d) presumes a reasonable number of repair attempts when the same defect has been subject to repair three or more times within 24 months or 24,000 miles, with at least one attempt during the 12-month/12,000-mile lemon-law rights period, plus a final repair attempt by the manufacturer. The presumption also applies if the vehicle has been out of service for repairs for 30 or more cumulative calendar days. Save every repair order from your Montgomery-area dealer; the same complaint must appear on each invoice.

No. The fact that Hyundai builds Sonata, Elantra, Tucson, and Santa Cruz at the Montgomery plant does not change your rights as a consumer under Ala. Code 8-20A. The statute applies to all manufacturers of new motor vehicles sold and registered in Alabama. Hyundai participates in BBB AUTO LINE, so you must typically arbitrate first before suing; Kia also participates. Both manufacturers have been frequent lemon-law defendants nationally for Theta II engine issues, GDI carbon buildup, and ICCU/OBC failures on Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 EVs.

No. Ala. Code 8-20A-1 limits coverage to new motor vehicles purchased and registered in Alabama. Used cars, demonstrators not titled to you as new, and second-owner vehicles fall outside the statute. If you bought a used vehicle in Montgomery with serious warranty issues, you may still have remedies under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act if the vehicle came with a written warranty, under the Alabama Deceptive Trade Practices Act, or under common-law breach-of-warranty claims. Some certified pre-owned vehicles still under the original factory warranty may also qualify for those federal remedies.

Usually yes. If the manufacturer of your vehicle participates in an informal dispute settlement procedure that substantially complies with 16 C.F.R. Part 703, Ala. Code 8-20A-3 requires you to use that procedure before suing for refund or replacement. Most major manufacturers (including Hyundai, Kia, Ford, GM, Honda, and Toyota) route Alabama disputes through BBB AUTO LINE. The arbitration is free to consumers and non-binding on you; if you reject the outcome, you can file in Montgomery County Circuit Court.

Under Ala. Code 8-20A-2, the defect must substantially impair the use, value, or safety of the vehicle and not be the result of owner abuse, neglect, or unauthorized modification. Common qualifying defects in Montgomery cases include transmission shudder or harsh shifting, engine stalling or knocking, electrical failures, brake malfunctions, persistent check-engine codes, and ADAS or safety system warnings that recur after multiple dealer repair attempts. Cosmetic flaws or minor inconveniences typically do not meet the 'substantial impairment' standard.