Louisiana Lemon Law rules at a glance
The Louisiana Motor Vehicle Warranties Law (Lemon Law) is La. R.S. 51:1941–1948.
| Rule | What Louisiana law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Statute | La. R.S. 51:1941–1948 | R.S. 51:1941 |
| Vehicles covered | New passenger and passenger-commercial vehicles sold in Louisiana and normally used for personal, family or household purposes; Leased vehicles; Personal watercraft and all-terrain vehicles used only for personal purposes | |
| Not covered | Vehicles of 10,000 lbs gross vehicle weight or more; Vehicles used only for commercial purposes | |
| Protection window | The express warranty term or 1 year from original delivery, whichever is earlier | R.S. 51:1942, 51:1943(A) |
| Four Repairs Test | The same nonconformity was subject to repair 4 or more times within the warranty term or the first year, whichever is earlier | R.S. 51:1943(A)(1) |
| 45 Days Out of Service Test | Out of service for repair a cumulative total of 45 or more calendar days | R.S. 51:1943(A)(1) |
| Written notice | Report the nonconformity to the manufacturer or any authorized dealer and make the vehicle available for repair before the warranty ends or within 1 year of delivery, whichever is earlier. If the manufacturer fails to respond or repair within the statutory periods, it waives its right to a final attempt to cure. | R.S. 51:1942, 51:1943(A)(2) |
| Dispute program first? | If the manufacturer has an informal dispute program that substantially complies with FTC Rule 703, you must use it before the refund or replacement provisions apply (R.S. 51:1944(D)). | |
| Deadline | File suit within 3 years of the purchase date or 1 year after the warranty period ends, whichever is longer | R.S. 51:1944(E) |
| Usage deduction | Louisiana deducts the use directly attributable to you before your first notice of the defect and during later periods when the car was not out of service for repair. The statute gives no fixed mileage formula. |
Four repairs or 45 days in Louisiana
Louisiana presumes the manufacturer had a reasonable number of attempts when, within the warranty or the first year after delivery (whichever is earlier):
Four Repairs Test
The same nonconformity was subject to repair 4 or more times within the warranty term or the first year, whichever is earlier.
R.S. 51:1943(A)(1)45 Days Out of Service Test
Out of service for repair a cumulative total of 45 or more calendar days.
R.S. 51:1943(A)(1)The defect has to substantially impair the use, market value or both. Louisiana also covers personal watercraft and all-terrain vehicles used only for personal purposes.
Notice to the manufacturer in Louisiana
Report the nonconformity to the manufacturer or any authorized dealer and make the vehicle available for repair before the warranty ends or within 1 year of delivery, whichever is earlier. If the manufacturer fails to respond or repair within the statutory periods, it waives its right to a final attempt to cure.
Dispute program first. If the manufacturer has an informal dispute program that substantially complies with FTC Rule 703, you must use it before the refund or replacement provisions apply (R.S. 51:1944(D)).
If the manufacturer fails to respond or to perform repairs within the statutory periods, it loses its right to a final attempt to cure (R.S. 51:1943(A)(2)).
Louisiana’s deadline: the longer of two dates
File suit within 3 years of the purchase date or 1 year after the warranty period ends, whichever is longer (R.S. 51:1944(E)).
| Event | Date | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle delivered | Mar 15, 2025 | The protection window starts |
| Protection window ends | March 15, 2026 | Repairs after this date do not count toward the tests |
| Sue by | March 15, 2029 | File suit within 3 years of the purchase date or 1 year after the warranty period ends, whichever is longer |
Because the deadline is the longer of two dates, an owner with a long warranty gets more time: the clock runs until 1 year after that warranty ends.
How to file a Louisiana lemon law claim
- Report the defect in timeTo the manufacturer or any authorized dealer, before the warranty ends or within 1 year of delivery, whichever is earlier, and make the car available for repair.
- Keep every repair orderThey prove the 4 repairs or the 45 days out of service.
- Use the manufacturer’s dispute program if it has oneIf it substantially complies with FTC Rule 703, Louisiana requires it before the refund or replacement provisions apply.
- Offer to transfer the titleThe manufacturer must provide the replacement or refund within 30 days of your offer, or of a program decision awarding one.
- Sue if neededWithin 3 years of purchase or 1 year after the warranty ends, whichever is longer. A consumer who wins recovers reasonable attorney fees.
Refund, replacement and the Louisiana deduction for use
| Remedy | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Replacement | A comparable new motor vehicle. The manufacturer chooses between replacement and refund. |
| Refund | The full purchase price plus amounts paid at the point of sale and all collateral costs (sales tax, license and registration fees), less a reasonable allowance for use. Paid within 30 days after you offer to transfer title. |
Louisiana deducts the use directly attributable to you before your first notice of the defect and during later periods when the car was not out of service for repair. The statute gives no fixed mileage formula.
Louisiana’s rental reimbursement rule
Separately from the lemon law remedy, R.S. 51:1948 makes the manufacturer pay you directly toward a rental vehicle, up to $20 a day for the repair period, when you take a vehicle under warranty back to the dealer that sold it and either:
- the repair takes more than 10 work days, counting the day you drop it off, or
- it is the third visit for the same defect.
| Rule | What the statute says |
|---|---|
| How long the duty lasts | The length of the express warranty or 2 years, whichever ends first |
| If the manufacturer does not pay | Damages and reasonable attorney fees, with damages of at least $200 |
| Not covered | Personal watercraft and all-terrain vehicles |
Louisiana deadline examples
| Warranty length | Sue by |
|---|---|
| 1 year | March 15, 2028 |
| 3 years | March 15, 2029 |
| 5 years | March 15, 2031 |
Time limits for the repairs and for the lawsuit are different. The repairs must happen in the warranty or the first year; only the lawsuit deadline stretches with the warranty.
Used vehicles under Louisiana law
A person to whom the vehicle is transferred during the manufacturer’s express warranty is a consumer under R.S. 51:1941(2)(b). Louisiana’s Lemon Law needs the manufacturer’s express warranty; Louisiana has no lemon law for used vehicles.
A buyer who gets a vehicle during the manufacturer’s express warranty is a consumer under R.S. 51:1941(2)(b). The Louisiana Used Motor Vehicle Commission confirms there is no separate lemon law for used vehicles.
To test your own dates and repair visits, run your Louisiana repair dates through the checker.
Louisiana Lemon Law FAQs
What qualifies as a lemon in Louisiana?
A new vehicle with a defect that substantially impairs its use or market value that is not fixed after 4 repairs, or that keeps the car out of service 45 or more days, within the warranty or the first year, whichever is earlier.
How long do I have to file a lemon law claim in Louisiana?
Three years from the purchase date or 1 year after the warranty period ends, whichever is longer (R.S. 51:1944(E)).
Does Louisiana have a lemon law for used cars?
No. The Louisiana Used Motor Vehicle Commission states there is no lemon law for used motor vehicles. A buyer during the manufacturer’s warranty can still be a consumer under the new-vehicle law.
Do I get a rental car during lemon law repairs in Louisiana?
The manufacturer must pay up to $20 a day toward a rental if a warranty repair takes more than 10 work days or it is the third visit for the same defect, during the warranty or 2 years, whichever ends first.
Who chooses refund or replacement in Louisiana?
The manufacturer. R.S. 51:1944(A) lets it replace the vehicle or, at its option, accept its return and refund the price.
Sources
Checked on October 13, 2026. We re-verify Louisiana rules when the legislature, the courts or the agency change them. Read how we check every rule in our editorial policy.