Lemon Law Buybacks…

What are Lemon Law Buybacks? A Lemon Law Buyback Vehicle is a vehicle that has been reacquired by the vehicle manufacturer because of specified warranty defect(s). The vehicle must be registered in the manufacturer’s name prior to resale to a member of the public.

Manufacturer requirements:

Upon reacquiring a vehicle because of specified warranty defect(s), the manufacturer must:

• Request that the Certificate of Title and Registration Certificate be marked “Lemon Law Buyback”.

• Title the vehicle in the manufacturer’s name.

• Attach a decal to the vehicle, which reads, “Lemon Law Buyback”.  The decal will be affixed to the:

  • Left door frame, or

  • Frame of the major entry into the vehicle, such as the front right door frame of a motorhome, or

  • Left side of a vehicle without doors, such as a motorcycle.

Additional requirements: 

When a warranty return vehicle is sold, the seller must notify the buyer/transferee on letter size paper of the following:

• The year, make, model, and vehicle identification number.

• The fact that the vehicle title is marked, “Lemon Law Buyback”.

• The nature of each non-conformity reported by the vehicle’s original buyer or lessee.

• Any repairs made to the vehicle in an attempt to correct each non-conformity.

How to determine if a vehicle was a Lemon Law Buyback:

• Check for display of the decal described in the previous section.

• Look at the vehicle’s Certificate of Title and registration to see if it contains the notation, “Lemon Law Buyback”.

• Ask the dealer/seller if the vehicle was a Lemon Law Buyback. Law requires the dealer to disclose if it was.

What you need if you purchase a Lemon Law Buyback Vehicle:

Prior to buying a Lemon Law Buyback Vehicle, you must be notified in writing by the seller of the non- conformities stated by the original owner.

If you decide to purchase the vehicle, the usual transfer documents and associated fees will be required. This includes the:

• Certificate of Title properly endorsed for transfer.

• Transfer fee.

• Sales/use tax, if applicable.

• Smog certification, if applicable.

• Odometer Disclosure Statement.