lemon law

noun

: a law offering car buyers relief (as by repair, replacement, or refund) for defects detected during a specified period after purchase

Examples of lemon law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Lemon history: Find out if the vehicle has been included in the manufacturer's lemon law program. Elizabeth Rivelli, Car and Driver, 18 July 2023 But Wilson told the jury that the lemon law does not require a customer to stop driving a car that has significant problems, Law360 reported. Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, 17 Jan. 2023 The dollar amount awarded to Mejia was the maximum possible in the case, and marks the third time in three trials that a jury found Ford liable under the lemon law for alleged defects in Focus and Fiesta DPS6 PowerShift transmissions, noted Law360. Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, 17 Jan. 2023 Most lemon laws follow state guidelines, Gordon said, because the federal lemon law guidelines are too vague. Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 8 Aug. 2021 Of the nearly $215,000 the jury awarded Margeson under the lemon law, $72,564.04 was in compensatory damages that essentially repay Margeson for his truck, which was among the priciest on the market at the time. Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, 13 Oct. 2020 The jury award to Margeson included the maximum amount allowed for Ford’s violation of California’s lemon law, totaling $214,537.34, plus legal fees. Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, 13 Oct. 2020 Kovacs found a lawyer in Michigan who specializes in lemon law cases and negotiated a deal with Ford. Phoebe Wall Howard, Freep.com, 26 Dec. 2019 Convicted killer Drew Peterson’s former attorney will appeal after a federal judge slapped him with a $50,000 fine and ordered him to undergo anger management training for his scorched-earth tactics in a straightforward lemon law case. Steve Schmadeke, chicagotribune.com, 17 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lemon law.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1981, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lemon law was in 1981

Dictionary Entries Near lemon law

Cite this Entry

“Lemon law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lemon%20law. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

lemon law

noun
lem·​on law
: a statute that grants the purchaser of a car specific remedies (as a refund) if the car has a defect that impairs or significantly affects its use, value, or safety and that cannot be repaired within a specified period
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!