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Lemon Law Demand Letter — Maryland

In Maryland, a new vehicle is presumed a lemon if, within the manufacturer’s warranty period — the earlier of the vehicle’s first 18,000 miles or 24 months after original delivery, it has had four repair attempts for the same defect, the vehicle out of service a cumulative 30 or more days, or one repair attempt on a brake or steering failure that still doesn’t meet Maryland’s safety inspection standard. Below is a ready-to-edit lemon law demand letter with Maryland's statute — the Maryland Lemon Law — already cited; add your vehicle and repair history, then send it to the manufacturer.

Maryland at a glance

  • Coverage window: the manufacturer’s warranty period — the earlier of the vehicle’s first 18,000 miles or 24 months after original delivery.
  • The tests: four repair attempts for the same defect, the vehicle out of service a cumulative 30 or more days, or one repair attempt on a brake or steering failure that still doesn’t meet Maryland’s safety inspection standard.
  • What this letter does: statutorily required — written notice to the manufacturer or factory branch by certified mail, return receipt requested; the manufacturer then has 30 days from receipt to complete the correction.
  • Where it escalates: Maryland’s consumer dispute resolution process (or the manufacturer’s own certified program), or a civil lawsuit.
  • Maryland’s statute requires this notice to go to the manufacturer or factory branch by certified mail, return receipt requested.

Lemon Law Demand Letter

Copy the letter below into the editor, replace the text in [brackets] with your details, and PostPal will print and mail it for you.

Subject: Lemon Law Notice — Demand for Repurchase or Replacement
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, Maryland ZIP Code]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email]

[Date]

[Manufacturer Name] — Customer Relations / Owner Relations
[Manufacturer Address — listed in your warranty booklet or owner's manual]

RE: Written notice under the Maryland Lemon Law (Md. Code, Com. Law § 14-1502)
Vehicle: [Year] [Make] [Model], VIN [VIN]

Dear [Manufacturer Name] Owner Relations,

I am the [owner / lessee] of a [Year] [Make] [Model], VIN [VIN], purchased [or leased] new on [Purchase Date] from [Dealer Name] in [City], Maryland.

Since delivery, the vehicle has exhibited the following defect: [describe the defect and how it impairs the vehicle's use, value, or safety]. The vehicle has been presented to your authorized dealer for repair of this defect on the following occasions:

• [Date] — [Repair order #] — [What was done]
• [Date] — [Repair order #] — [What was done]
• [Date] — [Repair order #] — [What was done]

In total, the defect has been subject to [number] repair attempts, and the vehicle has been out of service for [number] days. The defect remains uncorrected.

Under the Maryland Lemon Law (Md. Code, Com. Law §§ 14-1501 to 14-1504), a manufacturer that cannot correct a nonconformity, defect, or condition after a reasonable number of attempts must replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price. A reasonable number of attempts is presumed where the same nonconformity has been subject to repair four or more times, the vehicle has been out of service a cumulative 30 or more days, or a brake or steering failure has been repaired once and the vehicle still doesn’t meet Maryland’s safety inspection standard — all within the manufacturer’s warranty period (the earlier of 18,000 miles or 24 months). Under § 14-1502, written notice to the manufacturer or factory branch by certified mail, return receipt requested, is required, and the correction must be completed within 30 days of receipt.

This letter is my written notice, by certified mail, of the nonconformity, defect, or condition described above. You have 30 days from receipt of this notice to complete the correction at no charge to me. If it is not corrected, I intend to pursue replacement or a refund through the applicable dispute resolution process, or in court, without further notice to you.

Copies of my repair orders are available on request. Please respond in writing to the address above.

Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]

What your lemon law demand letter must include

  • Your full name, address, and contact details
  • The vehicle’s year, make, model, and VIN, plus the purchase/lease date and selling dealer
  • A clear description of the defect and how it impairs the vehicle’s use, value, or safety
  • The full repair history: dates, repair-order numbers, and days out of service (Maryland looks for four repair attempts for the same defect, the vehicle out of service a cumulative 30 or more days, or one repair attempt on a brake or steering failure that still doesn’t meet Maryland’s safety inspection standard)
  • What you are demanding — a repurchase (refund) or a comparable replacement vehicle
  • Proof of the mailing method — Maryland requires this notice to go by certified mail, return receipt requested

Frequently asked questions

When does a car qualify as a lemon in Maryland?

The defect must substantially impair the vehicle's use, value, or safety, and the manufacturer must have had a reasonable chance to fix it — in Maryland that is presumed within the manufacturer’s warranty period — the earlier of the vehicle’s first 18,000 miles or 24 months after original delivery, after four repair attempts for the same defect, the vehicle out of service a cumulative 30 or more days, or one repair attempt on a brake or steering failure that still doesn’t meet Maryland’s safety inspection standard. Keep every repair order; the paper trail is the claim.

Do I need to use an official form?

No official form. Maryland’s law requires the notice itself to go to the manufacturer or factory branch by certified mail, return receipt requested — this letter satisfies the content requirement; the mailing method is what the statute is strict about.

Who do I send the letter to — the dealer or the manufacturer?

The manufacturer. Lemon law obligations run against the vehicle manufacturer, not the selling dealer — send it to the manufacturer’s customer/owner relations address listed in your warranty booklet or owner’s manual (PostPal’s where-to-mail directory also lists head-office addresses for major automakers like Ford, General Motors, and Tesla). Keep dealing with the dealer for the repairs themselves.

What happens after I send it?

The manufacturer has 30 days from receiving your notice to complete the correction, at no charge, even if that’s after the warranty period ends. If it doesn’t, you can pursue Maryland’s consumer dispute resolution process or the manufacturer’s own certified program, and if that doesn’t resolve it, take the matter to court.

More lemon law demand letter templates for other states

Facts verified against official sources on September 3, 2026: codes.findlaw.com, oag.maryland.gov.

This template is provided for convenience only. It is not legal advice and does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Court limits and rules change — confirm anything time-sensitive on the official page, and consult a qualified legal professional for advice specific to your situation.