Franklin Lemon Law

Most Williamson County lemon-law cases are filed in the Williamson County Circuit Court at 135 4th Avenue South in downtown Franklin. Tennessee venue rules under Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-24-101 et seq. generally permit filing in the consumer's county of residence or in any county where the manufacturer or selling dealer transacts business. For Franklin owners, that typically means Williamson County Circuit Court (or Chancery Court for equitable relief) is the natural venue. Cases are docketed across the Twenty-First Judicial District.

Recurring electronics faults — including iDrive or MBUX freezes, ADAS sensor errors, infotainment reboots, HV-battery cooling complaints, and 12-volt battery drain — are among the most common Tennessee Lemon Law fact patterns in Williamson County given the area's heavy luxury and EV concentration. If you have three or more documented repair attempts for the same nonconformity within the warranty period or one year, or 30 cumulative days out of service, you likely meet the statutory presumption. Bring every repair order, mobile-service ticket, and customer-assistance email.

Yes. Tennessee venue rules allow filing in the consumer's county of residence, so Franklin owners can almost always file in Williamson County Circuit Court even when the vehicle was purchased in Nashville or Brentwood. If the manufacturer or selling dealer transacts business in Davidson County, that venue is also proper, and an attorney may weigh case-management calendars and judge assignments before choosing where to file.

Tennessee presumes a reasonable number of attempts has been made if the same nonconformity has been subject to repair three or more times within the term of protection (the warranty period or one year from delivery, whichever ends first), or the vehicle has been out of service for repair for a cumulative 30 or more days. After hitting either threshold, you must give the manufacturer written notice and a final opportunity to cure before filing. Keep every repair order from Cool Springs and Brentwood dealers — each documented visit counts, even those marked 'no problem found.'

Tennessee's lemon law statute of limitations under Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-24-107 is unusually short: an action must be commenced within six months after the expiration of the express warranty term, or within one year after original delivery to the consumer, whichever is later. Time spent in an informal dispute settlement procedure (such as BBB AUTO LINE) tolls the deadline. A separate Magnuson-Moss federal warranty claim borrows Tennessee's four-year UCC limitations period, giving Franklin owners a parallel federal option if the lemon-law clock has expired.

Yes, if your manufacturer has an informal dispute settlement program that substantially complies with 16 C.F.R. Part 703 (such as BBB AUTO LINE), you must submit your dispute there before invoking the statutory refund or replacement remedy. The arbitration decision is typically not binding on the consumer, and the lemon-law statute of limitations is tolled while the case is pending. Tesla and some other manufacturers also include binding arbitration clauses in purchase contracts; an attorney can evaluate enforceability for your specific contract.

If your vehicle qualifies, the manufacturer must either replace it with a comparable motor vehicle or refund the full purchase price (including sales tax, registration, and finance charges), minus a use offset. Tennessee uniquely caps the offset at one-half the IRS standard business mileage rate per mile driven before your first report of the defect — important for the high-mileage commuter fleet between Franklin and Nashville. Tennessee's Lemon Law itself does not provide a multiplier penalty, but pairing the claim with the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act under Tenn. Code Ann. § 47-18-101 et seq. allows treble damages and attorney fees for willful violations.