{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/59.1-207.11.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/59.1-207.11.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/59.1-207.11.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/59.1-207.11.html"}],"law_id":56957,"edition_id":1,"section_id":56957,"structure_id":14923,"section_number":"59.1-207.11","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"1984, c. 773; 1988, c. 603; 1990, c. 772; 1998, c. 671; 2022, c. 411.","full_text":"As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:\n\t\t“Collateral charges” means any sales-related or lease-related charges including but not limited to sales tax, license fees, registration fees, title fees, finance charges and interest, transportation charges, dealer preparation charges or any other charges for service contracts, undercoating, rust proofing or installed options, not recoverable from a third party. If a refund involves a lease, “collateral charges” means, in addition to any of the above, capitalized cost reductions, credits and allowances for any trade-in vehicles, fees to another to obtain the lease, and insurance or other costs expended by the lessor for the benefit of the lessee.\n\t\t“Comparable motor vehicle” means a motor vehicle that is identical or reasonably equivalent to the motor vehicle to be replaced, as the motor vehicle to be replaced existed at the time of purchase or lease with an offset from this value for a reasonable allowance for its use.\n\t\t“Consumer” means the purchaser, other than for purposes of resale, or the lessee, of a motor vehicle used in substantial part for personal, family, or household purposes, and any person to whom such motor vehicle is transferred for the same purposes during the duration of any warranty applicable to such motor vehicle, and any other person entitled by the terms of such warranty to enforce the obligations of the warranty.\n\t\t“Incidental damages” shall have the same meaning as provided in \u00a7 8.2-715.\n\t\t“Lemon law rights period” means the period ending 18 months after the date of the original delivery to the consumer of a new motor vehicle. This shall be the period during which the consumer can report any nonconformity to the manufacturer and pursue any rights provided for under this chapter.\n\t\t“Lien” means a security interest in a motor vehicle.\n\t\t“Lienholder” means a person, partnership, association, corporation or entity with a security interest in a motor vehicle pursuant to a lien.\n\t\t“Manufacturer” means a person, partnership, association, corporation or entity engaged in the business of manufacturing or assembling motor vehicles, or of distributing motor vehicles to motor vehicle dealers.\n\t\t“Manufacturer’s express warranty” means the written warranty, so labeled, of the manufacturer of a new automobile, including any terms or conditions precedent to the enforcement of obligations under that warranty.\n\t\t“Motor vehicle” means only passenger cars, pickup or panel trucks, motorcycles, autocycles, self-propelled motorized chassis of motor homes and mopeds as those terms are defined in \u00a7 46.2-100 and demonstrators or leased vehicles with which a warranty was issued.\n\t\t“Motor vehicle dealer” shall have the same meaning as provided in \u00a7 46.2-1500.\n\t\t“Nonconformity” means a failure to conform with a warranty, a defect or a condition, including those that do not affect the driveability of the vehicle, which significantly impairs the use, market value, or safety of a motor vehicle.\n\t\t“Notify” or “notification” means that the manufacturer shall be deemed to have been notified under this chapter if a written complaint of the defect or defects has been mailed to it or it has responded to the consumer in writing regarding a complaint, or a factory representative has either inspected the vehicle or met with the consumer or an authorized dealer regarding the nonconformity.\n\t\t“Reasonable allowance for use” shall not exceed one-half of the amount allowed per mile by the Internal Revenue Service, as provided by regulation, revenue procedure, or revenue ruling promulgated pursuant to \u00a7 162 of the Internal Revenue Code, for use of a personal vehicle for business purposes, plus an amount to account for any loss to the fair market value of the vehicle resulting from damage beyond normal wear and tear, unless the damage resulted from nonconformity to any warranty.\n\t\t“Serious safety defect” means a life-threatening malfunction or nonconformity that impedes the consumer’s ability to control or operate the new motor vehicle for ordinary use or reasonable intended purposes or creates a risk of fire or explosion.\n\t\t“Significant impairment” means to render the new motor vehicle unfit, unreliable or unsafe for ordinary use or reasonable intended purposes.\n\t\t“Warranty” means any implied warranty or any written warranty of the manufacturer, or any affirmations of fact or promise made by the manufacturer in connection with the sale or lease of a motor vehicle that become part of the basis of the bargain. The term “warranty” pertains to the obligations of the manufacturer in relation to materials, workmanship, and fitness of a motor vehicle for ordinary use or reasonable intended purposes throughout the duration of the lemon law rights period as defined under this section.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":208597,"text":"As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:\n\t\t“Collateral charges” means any sales-related or lease-related charges including but not limited to sales tax, license fees, registration fees, title fees, finance charges and interest, transportation charges, dealer preparation charges or any other charges for service contracts, undercoating, rust proofing or installed options, not recoverable from a third party. If a refund involves a lease, “collateral charges” means, in addition to any of the above, capitalized cost reductions, credits and allowances for any trade-in vehicles, fees to another to obtain the lease, and insurance or other costs expended by the lessor for the benefit of the lessee.\n\t\t“Comparable motor vehicle” means a motor vehicle that is identical or reasonably equivalent to the motor vehicle to be replaced, as the motor vehicle to be replaced existed at the time of purchase or lease with an offset from this value for a reasonable allowance for its use.\n\t\t“Consumer” means the purchaser, other than for purposes of resale, or the lessee, of a motor vehicle used in substantial part for personal, family, or household purposes, and any person to whom such motor vehicle is transferred for the same purposes during the duration of any warranty applicable to such motor vehicle, and any other person entitled by the terms of such warranty to enforce the obligations of the warranty.\n\t\t“Incidental damages” shall have the same meaning as provided in \u00a7 8.2-715.\n\t\t“Lemon law rights period” means the period ending 18 months after the date of the original delivery to the consumer of a new motor vehicle. This shall be the period during which the consumer can report any nonconformity to the manufacturer and pursue any rights provided for under this chapter.\n\t\t“Lien” means a security interest in a motor vehicle.\n\t\t“Lienholder” means a person, partnership, association, corporation or entity with a security interest in a motor vehicle pursuant to a lien.\n\t\t“Manufacturer” means a person, partnership, association, corporation or entity engaged in the business of manufacturing or assembling motor vehicles, or of distributing motor vehicles to motor vehicle dealers.\n\t\t“Manufacturer’s express warranty” means the written warranty, so labeled, of the manufacturer of a new automobile, including any terms or conditions precedent to the enforcement of obligations under that warranty.\n\t\t“Motor vehicle” means only passenger cars, pickup or panel trucks, motorcycles, autocycles, self-propelled motorized chassis of motor homes and mopeds as those terms are defined in \u00a7 46.2-100 and demonstrators or leased vehicles with which a warranty was issued.\n\t\t“Motor vehicle dealer” shall have the same meaning as provided in \u00a7 46.2-1500.\n\t\t“Nonconformity” means a failure to conform with a warranty, a defect or a condition, including those that do not affect the driveability of the vehicle, which significantly impairs the use, market value, or safety of a motor vehicle.\n\t\t“Notify” or “notification” means that the manufacturer shall be deemed to have been notified under this chapter if a written complaint of the defect or defects has been mailed to it or it has responded to the consumer in writing regarding a complaint, or a factory representative has either inspected the vehicle or met with the consumer or an authorized dealer regarding the nonconformity.\n\t\t“Reasonable allowance for use” shall not exceed one-half of the amount allowed per mile by the Internal Revenue Service, as provided by regulation, revenue procedure, or revenue ruling promulgated pursuant to \u00a7 162 of the Internal Revenue Code, for use of a personal vehicle for business purposes, plus an amount to account for any loss to the fair market value of the vehicle resulting from damage beyond normal wear and tear, unless the damage resulted from nonconformity to any warranty.\n\t\t“Serious safety defect” means a life-threatening malfunction or nonconformity that impedes the consumer’s ability to control or operate the new motor vehicle for ordinary use or reasonable intended purposes or creates a risk of fire or explosion.\n\t\t“Significant impairment” means to render the new motor vehicle unfit, unreliable or unsafe for ordinary use or reasonable intended purposes.\n\t\t“Warranty” means any implied warranty or any written warranty of the manufacturer, or any affirmations of fact or promise made by the manufacturer in connection with the sale or lease of a motor vehicle that become part of the basis of the bargain. The term “warranty” pertains to the obligations of the manufacturer in relation to materials, workmanship, and fitness of a motor vehicle for ordinary use or reasonable intended purposes throughout the duration of the lemon law rights period as defined under this section.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14923,"edition_id":1,"name":"Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act","identifier":"17.3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12809,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:50:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:50:49","permalink":{"id":259877,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14923,"identifier":"17.3","token":"59.1\/17.3","url":"\/59.1\/17.3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12809,"edition_id":1,"name":"Trade and Commerce","identifier":"59.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:54","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:54","permalink":{"id":259521,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12809,"identifier":"59.1","token":"59.1","url":"\/59.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":73250,"structure_id":14923,"section_number":"59.1-207.10","catch_line":"Intent","url":"\/59.1-207.10\/","token":"59.1\/17.3\/59.1-207.10","metadata":false},{"id":56957,"structure_id":14923,"section_number":"59.1-207.11","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/59.1-207.11\/","token":"59.1\/17.3\/59.1-207.11","metadata":false},{"id":57765,"structure_id":14923,"section_number":"59.1-207.12","catch_line":"Conformity to all warranties","url":"\/59.1-207.12\/","token":"59.1\/17.3\/59.1-207.12","metadata":false},{"id":77825,"structure_id":14923,"section_number":"59.1-207.13","catch_line":"Nonconformity of motor vehicles","url":"\/59.1-207.13\/","token":"59.1\/17.3\/59.1-207.13","metadata":false},{"id":61176,"structure_id":14923,"section_number":"59.1-207.14","catch_line":"Action to enforce provisions of chapter","url":"\/59.1-207.14\/","token":"59.1\/17.3\/59.1-207.14","metadata":false},{"id":74065,"structure_id":14923,"section_number":"59.1-207.15","catch_line":"Informal dispute settlement procedure","url":"\/59.1-207.15\/","token":"59.1\/17.3\/59.1-207.15","metadata":false},{"id":57973,"structure_id":14923,"section_number":"59.1-207.16","catch_line":"Action to be brought within certain time","url":"\/59.1-207.16\/","token":"59.1\/17.3\/59.1-207.16","metadata":false},{"id":83652,"structure_id":14923,"section_number":"59.1-207.16:1","catch_line":"Disclosure of returned vehicles; penalty","url":"\/59.1-207.16_1\/","token":"59.1\/17.3\/59.1-207.16_1","metadata":false},{"id":83922,"structure_id":14923,"section_number":"59.1-207.9","catch_line":"Short title","url":"\/59.1-207.9\/","token":"59.1\/17.3\/59.1-207.9","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":73250,"structure_id":14923,"section_number":"59.1-207.10","catch_line":"Intent","url":"\/59.1-207.10\/","token":"59.1\/17.3\/59.1-207.10","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":57765,"structure_id":14923,"section_number":"59.1-207.12","catch_line":"Conformity to all warranties","url":"\/59.1-207.12\/","token":"59.1\/17.3\/59.1-207.12","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/59.1-207.11\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1984. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 773 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1984 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1988, chapter 603; in 1990, chapter 772; in 1998, chapter 671<\/a>; in 2022, chapter 411<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":60902,"section_number":"46.2-1571","catch_line":"Recall, warranty, maintenance and sales incentive obligations","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-1571\/"},{"id":77825,"section_number":"59.1-207.13","catch_line":"Nonconformity of motor vehicles","order_by":null,"url":"\/59.1-207.13\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":82691,"section_number":"46.2-100","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-100\/"},{"id":84929,"section_number":"46.2-1500","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-1500\/"},{"id":62991,"section_number":"8.2-715","catch_line":"Buyer's incidental and consequential damages","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.2-715\/"}],"permalink":{"id":259883,"object_type":"law","relational_id":56957,"identifier":"59.1-207.11","token":"59.1\/17.3\/59.1-207.11","url":"\/59.1-207.11\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/59.1-207.11\/","token":"59.1\/17.3\/59.1-207.11","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 59.1-207.11","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:\n\t\t“Collateral charges<\/span>” means any sales-related or lease-related charges including but not limited to sales tax, license fees, registration fees, title fees, finance charges and interest, transportation charges, dealer preparation charges or any other charges for service contracts<\/span>, undercoating, rust proofing or installed options, not recoverable from a third party<\/span>. If a refund involves a lease, “collateral charges<\/span>” means, in addition to any of the above, capitalized cost reductions, credits and allowances for any trade-in vehicles, fees to another to obtain the lease, and insurance or other costs expended by the lessor for the benefit of the lessee.\n\t\t“Comparable motor vehicle<\/span>” means a motor vehicle that is identical or reasonably equivalent to the motor vehicle to be replaced, as the motor vehicle to be replaced existed at the time of purchase or lease with an offset from this value for a reasonable allowance for its use.\n\t\t“Consumer<\/span>” means the purchaser, other than for purposes of resale, or the lessee, of a motor vehicle used in substantial part for personal, family, or household purposes, and any person to whom such motor vehicle is transferred for the same purposes during the duration of any warranty<\/span> applicable to such motor vehicle, and any other person entitled by the terms of such warranty<\/span> to enforce the obligations of the warranty<\/span>.\n\t\t“Incidental damages<\/span>” shall have the same meaning as provided in \u00a7 8.2-715<\/a>.\n\t\t“Lemon law rights period<\/span>” means the period ending 18 months after the date of the original delivery to the consumer<\/span> of a new motor vehicle. This shall be the period during which the consumer<\/span> can report any nonconformity<\/span> to the manufacturer<\/span> and pursue any rights provided for under this chapter.\n\t\t“Lien<\/span>” means a security interest in a motor vehicle.\n\t\t“Lienholder<\/span>” means a person, partnership, association, corporation or entity with a security interest in a motor vehicle pursuant to a lien<\/span>.\n\t\t“Manufacturer<\/span>” means a person, partnership, association, corporation or entity engaged in the business of manufacturing or assembling motor vehicles<\/span>, or of distributing motor vehicles<\/span> to motor vehicle dealers.\n\t\t“Manufacturer<\/span>’s express warranty<\/span>” means the written warranty<\/span>, so labeled, of the manufacturer<\/span> of a new automobile, including any terms or conditions precedent<\/span> to the enforcement of obligations under that warranty<\/span>.\n\t\t“Motor vehicle” means only passenger cars, pickup or panel<\/span> trucks, motorcycles, autocycles, self-propelled motorized chassis of motor homes and mopeds as those terms are defined in \u00a7 46.2-100<\/a> and demonstrators or leased vehicles with which a warranty<\/span> was issued.\n\t\t“Motor vehicle dealer” shall have the same meaning as provided in \u00a7 46.2-1500<\/a>.\n\t\t“Nonconformity<\/span>” means a failure to conform with a warranty<\/span>, a defect or a condition, including those that do not affect the driveability of the vehicle, which significantly impairs the use, market value, or safety of a motor vehicle.\n\t\t“Notify<\/span>” or “notification<\/span>” means that the manufacturer<\/span> shall be deemed to have been notified under this chapter if a written complaint of the defect or defects has been mailed to it or it has responded to the consumer<\/span> in writing regarding a complaint, or a factory representative has either inspected the vehicle or met with the consumer<\/span> or an authorized dealer regarding the nonconformity<\/span>.\n\t\t“Reasonable allowance for use” shall not exceed one-half of the amount allowed per mile by the Internal Revenue Service, as provided by regulation, revenue procedure, or revenue ruling promulgated pursuant to \u00a7 162 of the Internal Revenue Code, for use of a personal vehicle for business purposes, plus an amount to account for any loss to the fair market value of the vehicle resulting from damage beyond normal wear and tear, unless the damage resulted from nonconformity<\/span> to any warranty<\/span>.\n\t\t“Serious safety defect<\/span>” means a life-threatening malfunction or nonconformity<\/span> that impedes the consumer<\/span>’s ability to control or operate the new motor vehicle for ordinary use or reasonable intended purposes or creates a risk of fire or explosion.\n\t\t“Significant impairment<\/span>” means to render the new motor vehicle unfit, unreliable or unsafe for ordinary use or reasonable intended purposes.\n\t\t“Warranty<\/span>” means any implied warranty<\/span> or any written warranty<\/span> of the manufacturer<\/span>, or any affirmations of fact<\/span> or promise made by the manufacturer<\/span> in connection with the sale or lease of a motor vehicle that become part of the basis of the bargain. The term “warranty<\/span>” pertains to the obligations of the manufacturer<\/span> in relation to materials<\/span>, workmanship, and fitness of a motor vehicle for ordinary use or reasonable intended purposes throughout the duration of the lemon law rights period<\/span> as defined under this section.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 59.1-207.11)\n\nAs used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:\n\t\t“Collateral charges” means any sales-related or lease-related\ncharges including but not limited to sales tax, license fees, registration fees,\ntitle fees, finance charges and interest, transportation charges, dealer\npreparation charges or any other charges for service contracts, undercoating,\nrust proofing or installed options, not recoverable from a third party. If a\nrefund involves a lease, “collateral charges” means, in addition to\nany of the above, capitalized cost reductions, credits and allowances for any\ntrade-in vehicles, fees to another to obtain the lease, and insurance or other\ncosts expended by the lessor for the benefit of the lessee.\n\t\t“Comparable motor vehicle” means a motor vehicle that is identical\nor reasonably equivalent to the motor vehicle to be replaced, as the motor\nvehicle to be replaced existed at the time of purchase or lease with an offset\nfrom this value for a reasonable allowance for its use.\n\t\t“Consumer” means the purchaser, other than for purposes of resale,\nor the lessee, of a motor vehicle used in substantial part for personal, family,\nor household purposes, and any person to whom such motor vehicle is transferred\nfor the same purposes during the duration of any warranty applicable to such\nmotor vehicle, and any other person entitled by the terms of such warranty to\nenforce the obligations of the warranty.\n\t\t“Incidental damages” shall have the same meaning as provided in \u00a7\n8.2-715.\n\t\t“Lemon law rights period” means the period ending 18 months after\nthe date of the original delivery to the consumer of a new motor vehicle. This\nshall be the period during which the consumer can report any nonconformity to\nthe manufacturer and pursue any rights provided for under this chapter.\n\t\t“Lien” means a security interest in a motor vehicle.\n\t\t“Lienholder” means a person, partnership, association, corporation\nor entity with a security interest in a motor vehicle pursuant to a lien.\n\t\t“Manufacturer” means a person, partnership, association,\ncorporation or entity engaged in the business of manufacturing or assembling\nmotor vehicles, or of distributing motor vehicles to motor vehicle dealers.\n\t\t“Manufacturer’s express warranty” means the written\nwarranty, so labeled, of the manufacturer of a new automobile, including any\nterms or conditions precedent to the enforcement of obligations under that\nwarranty.\n\t\t“Motor vehicle” means only passenger cars, pickup or panel trucks,\nmotorcycles, autocycles, self-propelled motorized chassis of motor homes and\nmopeds as those terms are defined in \u00a7 46.2-100 and demonstrators or leased\nvehicles with which a warranty was issued.\n\t\t“Motor vehicle dealer” shall have the same meaning as provided in\n\u00a7 46.2-1500.\n\t\t“Nonconformity” means a failure to conform with a warranty, a\ndefect or a condition, including those that do not affect the driveability of\nthe vehicle, which significantly impairs the use, market value, or safety of a\nmotor vehicle.\n\t\t“Notify” or “notification” means that the manufacturer\nshall be deemed to have been notified under this chapter if a written complaint\nof the defect or defects has been mailed to it or it has responded to the\nconsumer in writing regarding a complaint, or a factory representative has\neither inspected the vehicle or met with the consumer or an authorized dealer\nregarding the nonconformity.\n\t\t“Reasonable allowance for use” shall not exceed one-half of the\namount allowed per mile by the Internal Revenue Service, as provided by\nregulation, revenue procedure, or revenue ruling promulgated pursuant to \u00a7 162\nof the Internal Revenue Code, for use of a personal vehicle for business\npurposes, plus an amount to account for any loss to the fair market value of the\nvehicle resulting from damage beyond normal wear and tear, unless the damage\nresulted from nonconformity to any warranty.\n\t\t“Serious safety defect” means a life-threatening malfunction or\nnonconformity that impedes the consumer’s ability to control or operate\nthe new motor vehicle for ordinary use or reasonable intended purposes or\ncreates a risk of fire or explosion.\n\t\t“Significant impairment” means to render the new motor vehicle\nunfit, unreliable or unsafe for ordinary use or reasonable intended purposes.\n\t\t“Warranty” means any implied warranty or any written warranty of\nthe manufacturer, or any affirmations of fact or promise made by the\nmanufacturer in connection with the sale or lease of a motor vehicle that become\npart of the basis of the bargain. The term “warranty” pertains to\nthe obligations of the manufacturer in relation to materials, workmanship, and\nfitness of a motor vehicle for ordinary use or reasonable intended purposes\nthroughout the duration of the lemon law rights period as defined under this\nsection.\n\nHISTORY: 1984, c. 773; 1988, c. 603; 1990, c. 772; 1998, c. 671; 2022, c. 411.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}