Jonesboro Lemon Law

Civil actions by Jonesboro residents are filed in Craighead County Circuit Court, Jonesboro District, at 511 South Main Street, after completion of any required certified informal dispute settlement procedure under Ark. Code Ann. 4-90-409. Venue is proper in Craighead County for residents of Jonesboro, Brookland, Bay, Bono, and Lake City. Residents of surrounding Delta counties (Mississippi, Poinsett, Greene, Crittenden) typically file in their county of residence, although venue against a non-resident manufacturer can sometimes be laid in Craighead County where the vehicle was sold or serviced.

Only if the truck is used primarily for personal, family, or household purposes and weighs less than 10,000 pounds. A half-ton pickup used for personal commuting and occasional family farm chores typically qualifies. A heavy-duty F-250/F-350, RAM 2500/3500, or Silverado 2500/3500 HD usually exceeds the weight cap. A truck titled to a farming entity (LLC, partnership, sole-proprietor DBA) and used principally for that operation falls outside Ark. Code Ann. 4-90-401 et seq. Federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act claims remain available for any written warranty breach on business-use vehicles within the warranty term.

Hail damage itself is not a lemon law defect (that's an insurance claim), but recurring hail exposure often surfaces underlying ADAS calibration defects that the dealer cannot permanently resolve. If your forward camera, front radar, blind-spot sensor, or 360 camera repeatedly malfunctions after weather events even after dealer recalibration or replacement, that pattern can establish a covered nonconformity under Ark. Code Ann. 4-90-406. Document every repair attempt, photograph dash warnings, and request copies of TSBs covering the sensor or module. After three attempts for the same defect, the statutory presumption applies.

Yes if the manufacturer participates in a program certified by the Arkansas Attorney General, which covers essentially every major automaker selling vehicles in the state. Under Ark. Code Ann. 4-90-409 you must file with the program within two years of first reporting the defect. The arbitrator's decision is non-binding on you. If you reject it you can sue in Craighead County Circuit Court for the same statutory refund or replacement remedies plus attorney's fees and costs. If the manufacturer has no certified program or failed to give the required notice, you can file in court immediately.

No-problem-found visits still count as repair attempts under Arkansas law. Insist that the dealer write the customer complaint exactly as you describe it on the repair order, and demand a signed copy at pickup. If the dealer refuses or won't acknowledge the complaint, send written notice to the manufacturer by certified mail describing the defect and demanding repair, which preserves your record under Ark. Code Ann. 4-90-406. After three documented attempts for the same defect, or 30 cumulative days out of service, the statutory presumption applies regardless of what the technician wrote about the diagnosis.

Under Ark. Code Ann. 4-90-404 you can elect a comparable replacement vehicle or a refund of the full purchase price plus Arkansas sales tax, title, registration, and license fees paid in Craighead County. Reasonable incidental costs like towing and rental cars are also recoverable. The refund is reduced by a mileage offset of (purchase price x consumer miles) divided by 120,000. Prevailing consumers recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs, and the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (Ark. Code Ann. 4-88-113) allows treble damages where the manufacturer's conduct was willful or deceptive.

Ark. Code Ann. 4-90-406 contains a uniquely strong provision: for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, the manufacturer is allowed only one repair attempt before the statutory presumption applies. Common rural-road examples include unintended acceleration, loss of power steering, brake failures, airbag deployment defects, and unintended engine shutoff at highway speeds on US-63 or US-49. A single documented unsuccessful repair attempt for a serious safety defect is enough to qualify, without waiting for the third attempt or 30-day threshold.