US buyer guide
How to check if a car is a lemon law buyback by VIN
A lemon law buyback is a car the manufacturer took back because it couldn’t fix a warranty defect, then repaired and resold. Here is how the brand is recorded, how to check a VIN for it, the decal and notices that should come with the car, and why some buybacks still look clean on paper.
Sample reports:2023 Ford F-1502022 Chevy Silverado2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee2021 BMW X32003 Honda Accord
What a buyback brand is
State lemon laws make a manufacturer replace a new vehicle or refund the buyer when it can’t fix a warranty defect after a reasonable number of attempts. The maker can then repair the car and sell it again as a used car. Many states mark the title so later buyers know. In the national title database (NMVTIS) the brand is one of these two codes:
| NMVTIS brand | What it means |
|---|---|
| 47 Manufacturer Buy Back | Bought back by the manufacturer under a state’s rules or laws, such as lemon laws. The definition gives two examples: a set number of repair attempts failed to fix a major problem on a new vehicle, or the new vehicle spent 30 or more days out of service for the same problem within a year of purchase. |
| 23 Warranty Return | Returned to the manufacturer because of a breach of the warranty. Texas, for example, records both this brand and 47 as MANUFACTURER BUYBACK on its own titles. |
A buyback brand is about a defect, not damage. A crash or flood history is a different brand; see salvage and rebuilt titles.
How states mark a buyback
| State | What goes on the title |
|---|---|
| California | “LEMON LAW BUYBACK” on the title and registration for vehicles reacquired on or after January 1, 1996, including ones registered in another state. Older reacquisitions are branded “WARRANTY RETURN” (sometimes “WARNTY RET”). |
| Utah | “MANUFACTURER BUYBACK NONCONFORMING VEHICLE” when a new vehicle is replaced or repurchased because of a nonconformity (Utah Code 41-3-406 to 414). |
| Wisconsin | “MANUFACTURER BUYBACK” when the maker, or a dealer it compensates, buys the vehicle back over an uncorrected nonconformity. Wisconsin also carries over every out-of-state brand NMVTIS recognizes. |
| Texas | MANUFACTURER BUYBACK, for vehicles arriving with either NMVTIS brand (47 or 23). |
| Georgia | No brand. A buyback first titled in Georgia gets a clean Georgia title, and an out-of-state buyback brand is not carried onto the Georgia title either. |
A sample, not every state. Wording and rules differ, so check the rules of the state where the car is titled now and where it was titled before.
How to check a VIN for a lemon law buyback
1. Get the right VIN. Match the 17 characters on the dashboard plate, the driver’s door label and the title, then decode the VIN to confirm the year and model.
2. Get an NMVTIS report. It lists the brand history from every reporting state with the date each brand was applied, plus the current and previous titling states. Look for Manufacturer Buy Back, Warranty Return or a state’s own wording. Once a state brands a vehicle, the brand stays in its NMVTIS record even if the car is retitled elsewhere. Fuller history reports, from those providers and others, can add data such as accident and repair records.
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3. Look at the title and the state record. Read the paper title for the brand. A manufacturer in the chain of ownership is another sign: California’s DMV notes the manufacturer always appears in a buyback’s ownership chain. NMVTIS holds only part of what states keep and suggests checking the current state’s full title record; each NMVTIS report links to how to request it.
4. Check the car itself. In California the manufacturer must put a decal on the left front door frame saying the title is inscribed “Lemon Law Buyback” (on the right door frame of vehicles with no left door, such as recreational vehicles), and knowingly removing or altering it is against the law. In Utah a buyback notice listing each defect goes on the lower windshield corner farthest from the driver.
5. Ask for the paperwork. A dealer selling a known buyback in California must have the buyer sign a disclosure, and the manufacturer’s Warranty Buyback Notice lists the problems the first owner reported and the repairs made. Utah requires a boxed notice in the sales contract that the buyer signs. Georgia requires a Lemon Law Notice for Reacquired Vehicles for the first buyer after the repair.
While you have the VIN, run the free recall check too: an open safety recall is a separate question from the buyback, and the repair is free.
Why some buybacks slip through
- Not every state brands buybacks. Georgia’s Attorney General explains that a Georgia buyback gets no title brand and an out-of-state buyback brand is dropped when the car is retitled in Georgia. Later buyers there may only learn of it from a vehicle history report.
- Notice rules differ. Utah requires any later seller, dealer or private, to disclose a buyback in writing, and California requires a signed disclosure whenever the title carries the Lemon Law Buyback notation. In Georgia the required notice goes only to the first buyer after the repair.
- Database gaps. NMVTIS says a search can return a false “clean” result until every state and reporter takes part, and that private history databases have the same kind of gaps.
- Wrong tool. NICB VINCheck searches insurer theft and total-loss records, so a clean VINCheck says nothing about a buyback.
If the car is a lemon law buyback
A buyback is not automatically a bad car. In Georgia, for example, the maker may resell it after repairing the defect and must warrant that repair to the next buyer. Find out what the defect was and whether the fix held.
- Get the defect list and repair records. The buyback notice is the best source. If the seller doesn’t have it, ask why.
- Ask what warranty is left. In Georgia the 12-month or 12,000-mile warranty on the repaired defect covers only the first buyer after the repair. California’s notice promises a one-year warranty against the listed problems. After that, repairs are on you.
- Pay for an independent inspection. The Georgia AG and the FTC both advise having a mechanic not tied to the seller inspect the car before you sign or pay. Ask the mechanic to look at the system named in the buyback notice.
- Price it as a branded car. A brand can follow the car to the next buyer, so factor that into what you pay, and ask your insurer and lender how they treat it.
Everything else to check before buying, including mileage and accident history, is in our used car checklist by VIN.
FAQ
Is a lemon law buyback the same as a salvage title?
No. Salvage means the car was damaged or written off. A buyback brand means the manufacturer took the car back over a warranty defect it could not fix, usually with no damage at all. NMVTIS gives them separate brand codes: 47 Manufacturer Buy Back and 23 Warranty Return, against 11 and others for salvage.
Can I check if a car was a lemon for free?
Partly. The door decal, the title and any buyback notice cost nothing to check. A brand history search goes through an NMVTIS report, which approved providers sell for a small fee (NMVTIS says $8 to $12.99 per report as of May 2020). Fuller paid history reports from those providers and others add more records.
Does a buyback brand ever come off the title?
It is meant to be permanent. California’s required disclosure says the title has been permanently branded, and once any state brands a vehicle the brand stays in its NMVTIS record. But states set their own rules: Georgia does not brand buybacks or carry over another state’s buyback brand, so a Georgia paper title can look clean.
Can I find out what was wrong with a lemon?
Often, yes. In California the manufacturer’s Warranty Buyback Notice lists each problem the original owner reported and the repairs made, and the buyer signs it. Utah requires each nonconformity on a numbered line in the contract notice and on a windshield notice. Ask the seller for these papers.
Does the lemon warranty transfer to me?
It depends on the state and on whether you are the first buyer after the buyback. In Georgia the 12-month or 12,000-mile warranty on the repaired defect covers only the first consumer to buy or lease the car after the repair and cannot be transferred. California’s notice says the manufacturer must warrant the car free of the listed problems for one year.
Sources
- Texas DMV: NMVTIS Guide (Oct 2023), NMVTIS brand codes incl. 23 Warranty Return and 47 Manufacturer Buy Back, and the Texas brand each maps to
- NMVTIS: For consumers (five key indicators, coverage gaps, total-loss meaning)
- NMVTIS: Frequently asked questions (what a report contains)
- NMVTIS (U.S. Department of Justice): research vehicle history and approved data providers
- California DMV: 2.040 Lemon Law Buybacks and Warranty Returns (title brand, door-frame decal, buyer disclosure)
- California Civil Code 1793.23: “Lemon Law Buyback” title notation, decal and signed disclosure statement
- California Civil Code 1793.24: the Warranty Buyback Notice (defects reported, repairs made, one-year warranty)
- California Vehicle Code 11713.12: where the buyback decal goes; removing it is prohibited
- Utah DMV (MVED): Motor Vehicle Buyback Disclosure (title brand, contract and windshield notices)
- Wisconsin DMV: vehicle brand FAQs (Manufacturer Buyback brand, out-of-state NMVTIS brands carried over)
- Georgia Attorney General Consumer Protection Division: Purchasing a manufacturer buyback vehicle (May 2, 2023)
- FTC: Buying a used car from a dealer (Buyers Guide, independent inspection)
Published 2026-10-23. Car Codebook is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Spotted an error? Email hello@carcodebook.com.
Related
- How to check for a salvage or rebuilt title by VINWhat each title brand means, the free and low-fee VIN checks, title washing, and what to do if the car is branded.
- How to check a car’s accident history by VINWhat free checks and paid history reports show about past crashes, what they miss, and the signs to look for in person.
- Used car buying checklist: what to check with the VINTen checks before you pay: VIN match, decode, recalls, title brands, theft, odometer, sticker and inspection.