South Carolina lemon law help when your new car keeps failing
Statute reviewed Sep 1, 2026
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A real person answers day or night, reviews your repair history for free, and hands your case to a lemon law attorney.
Is your new car in South Carolina back at the shop for the same defect again and again? Call with the repair orders in hand; the review costs nothing, and the fee is zero unless you win.
- Repair visits for one problem
- 3
- Days in the shop, added up
- 30days
- First failure within
- 12months or 12,000 mi
How many repair visits count in South Carolina?
South Carolina counts 3 repair visits for the same defect under South Carolina's lemon law. Tell the service writer when a defect feels unsafe, and make sure it is on the order. Get a written repair order every time, even when the dealer says nothing was found.
How many days in the shop?
The other test is time in the shop: 30 days in total, and they do not have to be in a row. Write the drop-off date and the pick-up date on every visit. The repair log adds the days up for you.
The problem must first show up within 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first, per the South Carolina rule. A car delivered on January 1, 2026 leaves that window on January 1, 2027. The window is when the defect must first appear; the deadline to file is a separate clock, and your attorney checks both on the call.
South Carolina also asks for written notice to the carmaker. In the state's words: written notice to manufacturer during warranty term. Your attorney sends it the right way.
Does South Carolina lemon law cover used cars?
South Carolina's lemon law covers only new vehicles bought and registered in South Carolina. A used car is not covered by this state law. A used car sold with a written warranty can also go under the federal warranty law in every state.
What South Carolina lemon law gives you back
The maker chooses whether to replace your car or take it back and refund your money. A refund is the full purchase price, minus a fair charge for the miles you drove. Your attorney works out the refund from your contract.
South Carolina also has an arbitration option for owners. Your attorney tells you whether it helps your case or hurts it, so call before you file. More on lemon law arbitration.
Who pays your South Carolina lemon law attorney?
The South Carolina statute lets an owner who wins recover attorney fees from the carmaker. That is why the case review is free and there is no fee unless you win. More on what a lemon law lawyer costs. No. South Carolina law lets an owner who wins recover attorney fees from the carmaker, so the case review is free and there is no fee unless you win. Get a repair order anyway. It still shows the date, the mileage and your complaint, and that is what an attorney counts. Every repair order, the sales or lease contract and the warranty booklet. The lemon law repair log puts the visits on one page.Questions owners ask
Does South Carolina lemon law cost me anything?
What if the South Carolina dealer says nothing was found?
What should I have ready when I call?
Statutes and data
What to do now
Call now and keep your repair orders in hand when you do. The defect must first show up in the first 12 months after delivery, so do not wait.
Free South Carolina case review. No fee unless you win. Answered day and night.