Virginia Lemon Law: Your Rights

Last reviewed: June 29, 2026

Virginia's lemon law, the Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act, covers new vehicles. If a substantial defect under warranty can't be fixed after a reasonable number of attempts during the rights period, the manufacturer must replace the vehicle with a comparable one or refund the full contract price plus collateral charges and incidental damages, less a reasonable allowance for use.

Virginia lemon law at a glance

What these rules mean for you

If your vehicle has a substantial defect that the manufacturer cannot fix after the repair attempts above, or it has been out of service for the listed time, you may have a lemon law claim. The remedy is usually a refund (a buyback) or a replacement vehicle. The details turn on your documentation, so keep every repair order from the first visit on. See what to document for a defect or lemon law claim.

A recall is not required for a claim, and recall repair attempts can count toward your total. For the full picture, read the pillar guide, recall vs. lemon law, and learn how many repair attempts before lemon law applies and how a buyback, replacement, or cash settlement compares.

Official Virginia sources

Verify the current rules with these authoritative sources:

• Virginia Attorney General, Lemon Law
• Virginia Code Chapter 17.3 (Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act)