Georgia Lemon Law Buyback Calculator

A Georgia lemon law buyback centers on the vehicle's purchase price, reduced only by a mileage offset for pre-defect use. That offset is generally figured as (miles at first repair attempt ÷ 120,000) × purchase price. For a $40,000 truck with 9,000 miles when the defect first appeared, the offset is about $3,000, leaving roughly $37,000 in refundable purchase price before incidental damages such as sales tax, license fees, and finance charges are added back.

Georgia recognizes a "lemon presumption" that shifts the burden to the manufacturer once your repair history crosses set thresholds. If the dealer cannot fix the same substantial, warranty-covered defect after 3 repair attempts, or if the vehicle is out of service for a cumulative 30 days, the vehicle is presumed to be a lemon. This presumption generally applies within the first 24 months or 24,000 miles of ownership.

Georgia's state lemon law generally covers new vehicles purchased with a manufacturer's warranty. If your vehicle is used or falls outside the state statute, you may still have a claim under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which applies to written warranties nationwide.

Georgia's lemon law requires a consumer to exhaust the remedies in the statute before a civil action (O.C.G.A. section 10-1-788). An application for state arbitration must be filed with the Attorney General no later than 1 year from the date the lemon law rights period expires, or 60 days from the conclusion of a certified informal dispute settlement proceeding, whichever occurs later (section 10-1-786(a)). The rights period ends 2 years after the vehicle's original delivery or after the first 24,000 miles of operation, whichever occurs first (section 10-1-782), so without a certified proceeding the application is due no later than 3 years after original delivery. A licensed attorney can confirm which deadline applies to your vehicle. When a vehicle qualifies, Georgia requires the manufacturer to repurchase or replace it rather than keep attempting repairs. Georgia's lemon law works through state arbitration. The arbitrators may award attorney's fees to a consumer who prevails (Official Code of Georgia 10-1-786(e)), and if the manufacturer appeals and the consumer prevails, the recovery includes the attorney's fees the consumer incurred during or because of the appeal (10-1-787(c)).