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Lemon Law Demand Letter — Texas

In Texas, a new vehicle is presumed a lemon if, within the first 24 months after delivery or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first, it has had four repair attempts for the same defect, two attempts for a serious safety hazard, or the vehicle out of service for warranty repairs 30 days or more. Below is a ready-to-edit lemon law demand letter with Texas's statute — the Texas Lemon Law — already cited; add your vehicle and repair history, then send it to the manufacturer.

Texas at a glance

  • Coverage window: the first 24 months after delivery or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first.
  • The tests: four repair attempts for the same defect, two attempts for a serious safety hazard, or the vehicle out of service for warranty repairs 30 days or more.
  • What this letter does: a statutory prerequisite — before the Texas DMV can order a repurchase or replacement, you must have given the manufacturer written notice of the defect and at least one opportunity to cure it.
  • Where it escalates: a Lemon Law complaint with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles ($35 filing fee), which must be filed within 6 months of the earliest of: the express warranty expiring, 24 months after purchase, or 24,000 miles.
  • The TxDMV itself says to send the notice “preferably by certified mail” so you can prove the manufacturer received it.

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, Texas 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 of defect under the Texas Lemon Law — opportunity to cure
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], Texas.

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 Texas Lemon Law (Tex. Occ. Code ch. 2301), a manufacturer must repurchase or replace a new motor vehicle with a defect that substantially impairs its use or market value, or creates a serious safety hazard, when a reasonable number of repair attempts has been made — presumed after four attempts for the same defect within the first 24 months or 24,000 miles (two attempts for a serious safety hazard), or 30 or more days out of service.

Please treat this letter as my written notice of the defect required by the Lemon Law and as your opportunity to cure it. If the defect is not permanently corrected promptly, I will file a Lemon Law complaint with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and request repurchase or replacement of the vehicle, 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 (Texas looks for four repair attempts for the same defect, two attempts for a serious safety hazard, or the vehicle out of service for warranty repairs 30 days or more)
  • 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 Texas?

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 Texas that is presumed within the first 24 months after delivery or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first, after four repair attempts for the same defect, two attempts for a serious safety hazard, or the vehicle out of service for warranty repairs 30 days or more. Keep every repair order; the paper trail is the claim.

Do I need to use an official form?

Not for this letter. The written notice to the manufacturer is free-form — this letter satisfies it. The later step, a Lemon Law complaint to the Texas DMV, does use the DMV’s complaint process and a $35 filing fee, but that is a separate filing after the manufacturer has had its chance to cure.

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 doesn’t fix the defect, file a Lemon Law complaint with the Texas DMV — online or by mail, with the $35 fee. Watch the deadline: it must be filed within 6 months of the earliest of your warranty expiring, 24 months from purchase, or 24,000 miles. A DMV examiner (and if needed a hearing) can order repurchase, replacement, or repair.

More lemon law demand letter templates for other states

Facts verified against official sources on September 2, 2026: txdmv.gov, statutes.capitol.texas.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.