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Lemon Law Demand Letter — Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, a new vehicle is presumed a lemon if, within the first 12 months after delivery or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first, it has had three repair attempts for the same defect, or the vehicle out of service for repairs a cumulative 30 or more calendar days. Below is a ready-to-edit lemon law demand letter with Pennsylvania's statute — the Automobile Lemon Law — already cited; add your vehicle and repair history, then send it to the manufacturer.

Pennsylvania at a glance

  • Coverage window: the first 12 months after delivery or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first.
  • The tests: three repair attempts for the same defect, or the vehicle out of service for repairs a cumulative 30 or more calendar days.
  • What this letter does: not itself a statutory precondition — Pennsylvania puts the certified-mail notice duty on your dealer, who must notify the manufacturer by certified mail after your second repair visit for the same problem — but sending your own written demand creates a dated record of your repair history and demand before you use the manufacturer’s certified dispute-settlement program or sue.
  • Where it escalates: the manufacturer’s certified informal dispute settlement program (if it maintains one under 16 C.F.R. Part 703), or a civil action in the court of common pleas, where a successful consumer recovers attorney’s fees and costs.
  • Certified mail with return receipt gives you your own dated proof the manufacturer received your demand, separate from your dealer’s certified-mail notice duty.
  • Pennsylvania is unusual: the certified-mail notice duty runs to your dealer (who must relay it to the manufacturer after your second repair visit), not to you directly — sending your own letter is still the standard practical step before arbitration or suit.

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, Pennsylvania 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: Demand for refund or replacement under Pennsylvania’s Automobile Lemon Law
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], Pennsylvania.

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 Pennsylvania’s Automobile Lemon Law (73 P.S. §§ 1951–1963), a manufacturer that cannot conform a new motor vehicle to its warranty after a reasonable number of repair attempts must replace it or refund the purchase price. A reasonable number of attempts is presumed where the same defect has been subject to repair three or more times, or the vehicle has been out of service for repairs a cumulative 30 or more calendar days, within the first 12 months or 12,000 miles.

This letter is my written demand that you replace the vehicle with a comparable new vehicle or refund the full purchase price. If this is not resolved promptly, I intend to pursue the matter through your certified dispute settlement program or in the court of common pleas, where the Law entitles a successful consumer to attorney’s fees and costs, 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 (Pennsylvania looks for three repair attempts for the same defect, or the vehicle out of service for repairs a cumulative 30 or more calendar days)
  • What you are demanding — a repurchase (refund) or a comparable replacement vehicle
  • A deadline for the manufacturer to respond, and where to send its response

Frequently asked questions

When does a car qualify as a lemon in Pennsylvania?

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 Pennsylvania that is presumed within the first 12 months after delivery or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first, after three repair attempts for the same defect, or the vehicle out of service for repairs a cumulative 30 or more calendar days. Keep every repair order; the paper trail is the claim.

Do I need to use an official form?

No official form for this letter. Pennsylvania’s law does require a certified-mail notice — but that duty falls on your dealer, who must notify the manufacturer by certified mail after your second repair visit for the same problem (not on you). This letter is your own written record of the defect, the repair history, and your demand, which matters if the manufacturer maintains a certified dispute-settlement program or if you go to court.

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?

If the manufacturer maintains a certified informal dispute settlement program meeting federal Magnuson-Moss standards, you can use it before suing. Otherwise — or if you’re unhappy with that outcome — you can sue in the court of common pleas. Pennsylvania’s law is consumer-friendly here: if you win, the manufacturer pays your reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs on top of the refund or replacement.

More lemon law demand letter templates for other states

Facts verified against official sources on September 3, 2026: attorneygeneral.gov, legis.state.pa.us.

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.