Appliance Repair Laws Changed in 2026. Here's What Still Protects You

Texas's right-to-repair law took effect on September 1, 2026, following Washington's and Colorado's, whose requirements began on January 1, 2026. For anyone whose dishwasher or refrigerator fails early, these laws change who can get parts, repair manuals and diagnostic tools, not what the manufacturer owes you, and the Texas law leaves out home appliances with built-in electronics, such as refrigerators, ovens and microwaves. A free repair, replacement or refund still depends on the written warranty, the implied warranty of merchantability and, in California, the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act.

Key takeaways

The 2026 state laws make manufacturers offer parts, manuals and tools to owners and independent shops. They create no refund right, and in Texas and Washington only the attorney general can enforce them.
A warranty titled "full" must fix the product free within a reasonable time and, if repairs keep failing, let you choose a refund or replacement. A "limited" warranty delivers only what its text promises.
A seller who gives a written warranty, or sells a service contract within 90 days of the sale, cannot disclaim the implied warranty that the product is fit for ordinary use, though a limited warranty may cut it to the warranty's own length. Suits for breach are generally due within four years of delivery.
California adds a 30-day repair deadline, a replace-or-refund duty after a reasonable number of failed repairs, and a pause on the warranty clock during repairs.
Some credit cards extend warranties. One American Express benefit, for example, adds up to one year to manufacturer warranties of five years or less, capped at $10,000 per item; terms vary by card.

What it means for you

Still under warranty: check whether it says "full" or "limited," report the fault in writing and log every repair visit.
Just past the warranty: a card benefit may apply, and an implied-warranty claim against the seller may too, unless the warranty validly limited implied warranties to its own term; see the dated example below.
Paid by credit card: read the card's benefit guide before paying for a repair; notice deadlines are short.
Extended service contract: it has its own terms, it bars the seller from disclaiming implied warranties, and it can delay or cancel a card extension.
California: the Song-Beverly rules below apply on top of federal law; the 2024 lemon-law procedure changes cover motor vehicles only.
California, Minnesota, Washington, Colorado: repair laws reach household appliances made and sold new from mid-2021 on (in Minnesota, sold from July 1, 2021), so out-of-warranty parts and manuals should be easier to get. Texas and New York leave out major appliances with built-in electronics.
Renters: if the landlord owns the appliance, the warranty is the landlord's; your route is a written repair request under your lease and state law.

The new state repair laws

Right-to-repair laws require manufacturers to offer parts, tools and documentation to owners and independent shops on terms matching those given to authorized repairers. They govern access to repairs, not who pays for them.

State	In force	Major home appliances	Products covered
California (SB 244)	July 1, 2024	Covered, including refrigerators, ranges, washers, dryers, dishwashers and room air conditioners	Made and sold or used in California from July 1, 2021, wholesale $50+; materials for 3 years ($50–$99.99) or 7 years ($100+) after the model was last made
Minnesota	July 1, 2024	Covered (no appliance exclusion)	Sold on or after July 1, 2021
New York	Applies to equipment first sold or used from July 1, 2023	Not required for home appliances with embedded electronics, such as refrigerators, ovens, microwaves and heating and cooling units	Digital electronic equipment first made, and first sold or used in New York, from July 1, 2023
Colorado (HB24-1121)	January 1, 2026	Covered; the enacted text lists no home-appliance exemption	Made and first sold or used in Colorado from July 1, 2021
Washington (HB 1483)	January 1, 2026	Covered; the law's findings name appliances	First made and first sold or used in Washington from July 1, 2021
Texas (HB 2963)	September 1, 2026	Excluded: home appliances with embedded electronics, including refrigerators, ovens, microwaves, air conditioning and heating units; countertop and other small stand-alone appliances covered	First made available for sale in Texas from September 1, 2026, wholesale $50+; parts, tools and manuals due within a year of first sale there

Sources: California consumer guide, SB 244 record, Minnesota 325E.72 and its effective date, New York GBL 399-nn, Colorado HB24-1121 and its signed text, Washington session law, Texas HB 2963. The table covers these six states only; it is not a complete list of state repair laws.

Three limits matter. Texas states that its law creates no private right to sue, and Washington's can be enforced only by the attorney general. Texas also covers only equipment first made available for sale there on or after September 1, 2026, the date the law took effect. And repair access is not warranty liability: Minnesota, Washington, Colorado and Texas say the manufacturer is not liable for damage caused by an owner's or independent shop's repair, so a botched outside repair can still be excluded from coverage. In California, anyone paid to repair appliances must also be licensed by the Bureau of Household Goods and Services, which takes complaints.

Warranty rules that still apply

Full or limited: the label matters

Per the FTC's guide to federal warranty law, written warranties on consumer products over $10 must be titled "full" or "limited." A full warranty doesn't limit implied warranties, covers anyone who owns the product during the term, is free, offers a refund or replacement if repairs fail, and asks nothing of you beyond notice unless the duty is shown to be reasonable. Miss any of these and the warranty is limited.

Under 15 U.S.C. 2304, a full warrantor must fix the product within a reasonable time and without charge, and after a reasonable number of failed attempts you choose a refund or a free replacement. A limited warranty can cover parts only, charge for labor or require shipping.

The implied warranty behind it

A merchant seller implicitly promises that goods are fit for the ordinary purposes they are used for. Under 15 U.S.C. 2308, a seller who gives a written warranty, or sells a service contract at the sale or within 90 days, cannot disclaim it. A limited warranty may shorten it to the written warranty's length if that is reasonable, conscionable and stated clearly and prominently.

Two clocks run here. The implied warranty concerns the product's condition at sale, while the deadline to sue is generally four years from delivery, shortenable by contract to no less than one year. A compressor that dies in month 30 doesn't automatically give you a claim; you would need to show the defect existed from the start. And if the written warranty validly limited implied warranties to its own term, a defect that first shows up after that term generally falls outside them; in California, implied warranties on new goods last at most one year.

Registration cards and repair conditions

The FTC treats a registration-card requirement as an unreasonable duty a full warranty cannot impose; a limited warranty can require one, and the FTC's consumer page on warranties notes that some warranties do. In California, under Civil Code 1793.1, the card must say clearly that not returning it doesn't reduce your rights. And in warning letters sent July 3, 2024, the FTC said making coverage depend on specific parts or repairers is generally prohibited unless the company supplies them free or holds an FTC waiver.

Extra rules in California

30 days to repair. Where the manufacturer has in-state service facilities, Civil Code 1793.2 requires repair within 30 days unless you agree otherwise in writing; delays beyond its control extend this.
Replace or refund. After a reasonable number of failed attempts, the manufacturer must replace the item or refund the price, less an amount for your use before the defect appeared.
Implied warranty length. Under Civil Code 1791.1, it matches the express warranty but runs at least 60 days and at most one year for new goods.
Fees and penalties. A winning buyer recovers reasonable attorney's fees and costs and, for willful violations, may get a civil penalty of up to twice actual damages (Civil Code 1794). The penalty is not available in class actions or for claims based only on the implied warranty.

AB 1755, the 2024 lemon-law overhaul, applies to cases over motor vehicles, not appliances.

After the warranty runs out

American Express's extended warranty coverage lengthens an eligible US manufacturer's warranty by its own length, up to one extra year, on warranties of five years or less. It pays up to the amount charged to the card, capped at $10,000 per item and $50,000 per calendar year, pays only after other coverage, excludes physical damage such as power surges unless the original warranty covers it, excludes motorized devices that are permanent fixtures of a home, doesn't pay shipping, installation or service charges, and asks for notice within 30 days. With a purchased service contract, the extension starts when the contract ends; if warranty plus contract exceed five years, there is no card coverage. Terms vary by card and change over time.

Illustrative example. A $1,200 freestanding refrigerator is bought and delivered on March 2, 2026, with a one-year limited warranty, and paid with a card carrying the coverage above.

Scenario	Who covers a defect	Coverage ends
Fails January 2027	Manufacturer's warranty	March 2, 2027
Fails November 2027	Card benefit: 1 + 1 = 2 years, up to $1,200	March 2, 2028
3-year contract starting when the warranty ends	Contract to year 4 (1 + 3), then card for 1 year	March 2, 2031
5-year contract starting when the warranty ends	1 + 5 = 6 years, over the limit: no card coverage	March 2, 2032
Fails 2029, no contract	Possibly an implied-warranty claim against the seller, only if the defect existed at sale and implied warranties weren't limited to the one-year term (in California they last at most a year)	Suit generally due by March 2, 2030

A 4-year contract (1 + 4 = 5 years, within the limit) plus the card's extra year also reaches March 2, 2032, so in this example the fifth contract year buys nothing. Many plans start at purchase and overlap the warranty, so check both documents. The FTC also notes that a service contract may duplicate repairs the warranty already covers.

When the manufacturer stalls

The FTC's advice is to contact the seller first, then write to the manufacturer by certified mail with a return receipt. If repairs still drag on:

Demand a remedy in writing. List the defect and each repair date, and name the remedy: under a full warranty, refund or replacement after repeated failures; in California, repair within 30 days or replacement or refund.
File complaints at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and with your state consumer protection office, which handles complaints against businesses. Suspected repair-law violations go to the attorney general.
Use small claims court. Limits vary; in California individuals can sue for up to $12,500, and lawyers can't represent you at the hearing.
Know the federal backstop. 15 U.S.C. 2310 lets you sue for breach of a written or implied warranty, after giving the company a reasonable opportunity to fix the problem. If you win, the court may award attorney's fees unless it finds them inappropriate. Claims under $50,000 go to state court, not federal court.

This is general information, not legal advice; for a large or disputed claim, a consumer attorney or legal aid office can explain how your state's rules apply.

Frequently asked questions

Can the manufacturer deny service because an independent shop worked on it?

Not for that reason alone. Federal law generally bars conditioning coverage on brand-name parts or service unless the company provides them free or holds an FTC waiver. The FTC's business guide does let a warrantor exclude defects or damage caused by outside parts or service, so the question becomes what caused the failure.

Is the store or the manufacturer responsible for an early failure?

Both can be. The written warranty is the manufacturer's promise, but the implied warranty of merchantability comes from a merchant seller under UCC 2-314, which is why the FTC suggests starting with the seller. A store that gives no written warranty of its own and sells no service contract may be able to disclaim implied warranties by selling "as is" where state law allows. A store's return window is a separate store policy.

Can my credit card issuer help if the seller won't fix or refund it?

Possibly. Under 12 CFR 1026.12(c), if you tried in good faith to resolve the dispute with the merchant, and the purchase was over $50 and made in your home state or within 100 miles of your billing address, you can assert those claims against the issuer. You can withhold only the credit still outstanding for that purchase, so it helps most before the balance is paid off.

Who pays to move a heavy appliance for warranty service?

A full warrantor can't charge you for costs it incurs providing the remedy. In California, if size, weight or installation makes delivery impractical, written notice obliges the manufacturer to repair at your home or collect the item, paying reasonable transport costs. A limited warranty may make you pay shipping or labor.

Does the warranty clock pause while the appliance is in for repair?

In California, yes. For goods costing $50 or more, Civil Code 1795.6 pauses the warranty from the day you deliver the item or report the defect until the item is returned or you are told it is ready. If a repair fails and you tell the manufacturer or seller within 60 days, the warranty is not treated as expired. Elsewhere, check the warranty's terms and keep dated proof of every report.

Your claim checklist

Gather the receipt, delivery date, model and serial numbers, and the warranty; note "full" or "limited."
Photograph or film the fault; stop using the appliance if it leaks, overheats or trips breakers.
Report the defect to the seller and manufacturer in writing, keeping copies and proof of delivery.
Log each service visit: date, technician, work done, and whether the fault returned.
If you paid by card, check the benefit guide and give notice within its deadline, often 30 days.
Before paying for a repair yourself, request a free repair, replacement or refund in writing with a response date.