At Rockpoint Law, lemon law is all we do. We help Pennsylvania drivers hold manufacturers accountable when a new vehicle keeps coming back to the dealership with the same defect. Pennsylvania's window is shorter than most states, so the timing of your claim matters more here than almost anywhere else.
Start with a free case evaluation and find out whether your vehicle qualifies under Pennsylvania's Automobile Lemon Law.
Get Your Free Case Evaluation →Pennsylvania's Lemon Law is the Automobile Lemon Law, found at 73 P.S. § 1951 and following. It covers new vehicles bought or leased and registered in Pennsylvania, and it runs for the first 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first.
That window is shorter than most states. Texas gives owners 24 months and California's presumption runs 18 months. Pennsylvania gives you one year, and once it closes, the state statute closes with it. Waiting is the most expensive thing you can do with a Pennsylvania claim.
To qualify, the defect has to substantially impair the use, value, or safety of the vehicle. A rattling trim panel is not a lemon. A transmission that slips into neutral at highway speed is a different conversation.
Send us your repair orders and we'll tell you honestly whether you have a claim.
Talk to Rockpoint Law →The defect has to appear within the first 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. This is the shortest common lemon law window in the country, which is why acting early matters so much.
The manufacturer or its authorized dealer has tried three times to fix the same defect and it is still there. Three attempts at three different problems does not count; it has to be the same defect coming back.
The vehicle has been in the shop for 30 days total during the coverage period. The days do not have to be consecutive. Four separate visits of eight days each will get you there.
| Requirement | What It Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the 12/12 Window | The defect must appear within 12 months or 12,000 miles, and the vehicle must be new and registered in Pennsylvania. | Transmission failure at month 8, 9,000 miles |
| Same Defect, Three Repairs | The same problem has gone through three authorized repair attempts and still is not fixed. | Check-engine condition repaired three times, still returning |
| Or 30 Days Out of Service | The vehicle has spent 30 cumulative days in the shop during the coverage period. | Four repair visits adding up to 32 days |
| Final Repair Notice | You must notify the manufacturer in writing and allow one last repair attempt before filing. | Certified-mail notice sent before the claim |
Any defect that substantially impairs use, value, or safety can qualify. In Pennsylvania claims we see these most often, and Pennsylvania winters and road salt make water intrusion and corrosion worse than they would be elsewhere.
Collect every repair order, the purchase or lease agreement, and the warranty booklet. In a Pennsylvania claim the repair orders carry the case, so read each one before you leave the dealer and make sure it records the complaint you actually made.
We review the history and tell you honestly whether you have a claim. If the repair orders do not support one, we say so rather than filing something that goes nowhere.
Pennsylvania requires you to notify the manufacturer in writing and allow one final repair attempt before filing. Skip that step and the claim has a hole in it the manufacturer's counsel will find immediately. Send it certified mail.
We open negotiations with the manufacturer's counsel. Most Pennsylvania lemon claims resolve here, without a courtroom.
If the manufacturer will not deal, arbitration or litigation follows. Pennsylvania consumers are not required to use a manufacturer's arbitration program before going to court.
Under the Pennsylvania statute, the choice between a refund and a replacement belongs to you, not the manufacturer. A manufacturer that tells you replacement is the only option available is stating a preference, not the law.
Our Philadelphia office handles Pennsylvania lemon law matters. We know which manufacturers settle and which ones make you file, and that knowledge changes how a demand letter gets written.
We take these cases on the statute's fee-shifting provision, so you do not pay us out of pocket to bring the claim. Send us your repair orders and we will tell you what you have. If the answer is that you do not have a case, that is what we will tell you.
The information provided on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this content or contacting Rockpoint Law does not create an attorney-client relationship. Lemon law cases vary depending on the facts of each situation and applicable Pennsylvania state law (73 P.S. § 1951 et seq.). For advice regarding your specific legal matter, please contact Rockpoint Law directly to schedule a consultation with a qualified attorney.
