Grapevine Lemon Law

Grapevine consumers file with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) Enforcement Division in Austin, not in Tarrant County district court. The complaint is submitted online through TxDMV's Motor Vehicle Dealer Online Complaint System with a $35 filing fee that is refundable if you prevail. A TxDMV hearings examiner conducts mediation followed, if needed, by an administrative hearing — often held by video conference — and issues a written order. Either party may seek judicial review of that order in a Texas district court.

Hail damage itself is comprehensive-insurance work, not Lemon Law. But North Texas hail events frequently force ADAS sensor replacement and recalibration under warranty, and when those manufacturer repairs fail to restore proper lane-keep, automatic-emergency-braking, or adaptive-cruise operation, the underlying recurring defect can support a TxDMV claim. The four-repair test counts repeat attempts to fix the same covered defect, not the original hail event. Keep every dated repair order and calibration sheet — TxDMV examiners focus on whether the manufacturer actually cured the warranted ADAS system.

If your vehicle has been out of service at a franchised dealer for a cumulative 30 or more days during the first 24 months or 24,000 miles due to repair of a covered defect, you may meet one of the three statutory tests. At least two of those repair attempts must occur during the first 12 months or 12,000 miles. Time spent waiting for parts, diagnosis, or technician availability all counts, regardless of which Grapevine, Bedford, Hurst, or Lewisville franchised dealer holds the vehicle. Loaner agreements, dated repair orders, and tow records corroborate the day count.

Texas has one of the shortest Lemon Law deadlines in the country. Under Tex. Occ. Code Section 2301.606, you must file with TxDMV within six months of the earliest of (a) the express factory warranty expiring, (b) 24 months from delivery, or (c) reaching 24,000 miles. Grapevine commuters who run heavy TX-121 and TX-114 mileage frequently hit 24,000 miles before the 24-month mark. Missing the six-month window forfeits the TxDMV remedy. Separate claims under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act or the Texas DTPA carry longer limitations but must be filed in court.

Yes. Battery electric vehicles, including Teslas serviced through North Dallas Tesla service centers and mobile rangers, qualify under the Texas Lemon Law to the same extent as gasoline vehicles. The four-repair-attempt, two-attempt-serious-safety, and 30-day-out-of-service tests all apply. EV owners should document every mobile-service visit, service-center visit, and over-the-air update intended to address a defect, because TxDMV examiners count those as repair attempts. Recurring battery-thermal, charge-port, and drive-unit defects in the warranty period are common bases for repurchase or replacement orders.

No. The Texas Lemon Law authorizes only repurchase, replacement, additional repair, and incidental costs — not treble or punitive damages. Consumers seeking enhanced damages typically pair a TxDMV complaint with a separate court action under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which allows up to three times economic damages plus attorneys' fees for knowing violations, or the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which provides attorneys' fees and added damages. An attorney can file the TxDMV complaint and the court claim in parallel so the deadlines and evidence align across both forums.

Yes. Leased vehicles are covered under the Texas Lemon Law to the same extent as purchased vehicles, and lessees can file directly with TxDMV. If TxDMV orders repurchase, it can terminate the lease and apportion the refund — including a reasonable allowance for your use — between you, the lessor (often the manufacturer's captive finance company), and any lienholder. You still must meet one of the three repair tests, give the manufacturer written notice and a final opportunity to cure, and file within the six-month deadline measured from the earliest of warranty expiration, 24 months, or 24,000 miles.