Michigan Lemon Law Buyback Calculator

In Michigan, a lemon law buyback (repurchase) refunds what you paid for the vehicle minus an allowance for the use you got from it. Michigan Compiled Laws section 257.1403(2) sets that allowance as the purchase or lease price multiplied by a fraction: the miles driven by the consumer and any previous consumer before the first report of the defect, plus any miles a consumer drove beyond 25,000, divided by 100,000. Illustration only: 6,000 counted miles on a $35,000 price is an allowance of $2,100. Our calculator applies the 100,000-mile divisor to the mileage you enter for when the defect first appeared, so treat its figure as an estimate: the statute's own count of miles controls, and a licensed attorney can confirm how it applies to your purchase or lease.

Michigan 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 4 repair attempts, or if the vehicle is out of service for a cumulative 30 days, the vehicle is presumed to be a lemon. In Michigan the repair-attempt presumption counts 4 or more repairs made within 2 years of the date of the first repair attempt, and the out-of-service presumption counts 30 or more days during the term of the manufacturer's express warranty or within 1 year from the date of delivery to the original consumer, whichever is earlier (Michigan Compiled Laws section 257.1403(5)). The defect must first be reported during the express warranty term or within 1 year of delivery, whichever is earlier (section 257.1402).

Michigan'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.

Michigan's lemon law (Michigan Compiled Laws sections 257.1401 to 257.1410) states no deadline of its own for filing a lawsuit, so this page gives no single number. Michigan's Uniform Commercial Code requires an action for breach of any contract for sale to be commenced within 4 years after the cause of action accrues (Michigan Compiled Laws section 440.2725). A breach of warranty occurs when tender of delivery is made, unless the warranty explicitly extends to future performance and discovery of the breach must wait for that performance, in which case the claim accrues when the breach is or should have been discovered; the parties' original agreement may shorten the period to no less than 1 year. Which deadline applies to a claim under the lemon law itself is not settled by these statutes. Act promptly and while repair records are fresh, well within 4 years of the vehicle's delivery (sooner if the purchase agreement shortened the period); a licensed attorney can confirm which deadline applies to your vehicle. When a vehicle qualifies, Michigan requires the manufacturer to repurchase or replace it rather than keep attempting repairs. Michigan's lemon law lets the court award attorney fees to a consumer who wins (Michigan Compiled Laws 257.1407(2)); whether to award them is up to the court.