Maryland Lemon Law

Md. Code, Com. Law §§ 14-1501-1504 covers new passenger cars, light trucks (under 10,000 lbs GVWR), and motorcycles registered in Maryland and bought or leased for personal, family, or household use. Coverage runs for 24 months from delivery or the first 18,000 miles, whichever comes first. The defect must substantially impair use and market value. Vehicles used primarily for business, motor homes, off-road vehicles, and used vehicles are excluded from this statute, though Maryland separately requires dealer warranties on used vehicles under Transp. § 15-311.1.

Maryland presumes a reasonable number of repair attempts when, within the 24-month / 18,000-mile warranty period, the same nonconformity has been subject to repair four or more times and continues to exist, or the vehicle has been out of service for warranty repair for a cumulative 30 or more days (not necessarily consecutive). Critically, only ONE repair attempt is required if the defect is a failure of the braking or steering systems that causes the vehicle to fail Maryland's state safety inspection – and in that scenario, no use offset can be deducted from your refund.

Maryland's main lemon law (Com. Law §§ 14-1501-1504) covers only new vehicles. However, Maryland has a separate Used Car Warranty Act (Transp. § 15-311.1) requiring dealers to provide a 15- or 30-day implied warranty on most used vehicles depending on mileage and price, plus Maryland's Consumer Protection Act covers deceptive seller conduct. Used buyers also retain Magnuson-Moss rights on any active manufacturer warranty and can sue for breach of UCC implied warranties unless the sale was validly disclaimed 'as is.'

Yes – Maryland's lemon law expressly covers leased motor vehicles. Lessees of qualifying new vehicles get the same 24-month / 18,000-mile rights window and the same right to demand a comparable replacement vehicle or a full refund. The manufacturer refunds the lessee's down payment, taxes, registration fees, and lease payments made through the date of repurchase, and settles the residual value with the lessor so the lessee is released from any further lease obligation.

Md. Code, Com. Law § 14-1502 sets a three-year statute of limitations measured from the date of original delivery of the vehicle to the consumer. Federal Magnuson-Moss claims and UCC breach-of-warranty claims under Md. Code, Com. Law § 2-725 carry a separate four-year limitations period from the date of delivery. You must have first reported the defect to the manufacturer or dealer within the 24-month / 18,000-mile lemon-law rights period to invoke the statutory presumption.

Only if the manufacturer maintains an informal dispute settlement procedure that complies with the Magnuson-Moss federal regulations (16 C.F.R. Part 703). If they do, you must submit your claim to it before pursuing the statutory refund or replacement remedy. Maryland does not run a state-administered arbitration program. If the manufacturer's program is non-compliant or you reject the outcome, you can file directly in Circuit Court. Most major manufacturers run BBB AUTO LINE or similar Magnuson-Moss-compliant programs.

The consumer chooses between a comparable replacement vehicle and a full refund of the purchase price, including all license fees and registration fees, with collateral charges (taxes, finance charges) recoverable. A reasonable use offset may be deducted, but NOT for one-attempt safety-defect claims. The statute also requires the manufacturer to pay all reasonable attorney's fees of a prevailing consumer, plus filing fees and reasonable engineering expert fees. Manufacturers must notify the Maryland MVA within 15 days of any lemon-law repurchase, and any subsequent resale must disclose the prior buyback.