Statute of Limitations for Breach of Warranty in Tennessee

Overview

In Tennessee, the clock for bringing a claim for breach of warranty runs on a general, default statute of limitations (SOL) period of 1 year. Based on the jurisdiction data provided for this topic, no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found—so the 1-year rule operates as the default for breach of warranty claims in Tennessee.

DocketMath’s Statute of Limitations Calculator helps you translate that general rule into a concrete deadline by factoring in the date the claim accrued (often tied to when the breach happened or was discovered, depending on the underlying facts).

Limitation period

Default SOL: 1 year in Tennessee

Under the provided Tennessee statute baseline, the general SOL period is 1 year for breach of warranty. Practically, that means:

• If your claim accrues on January 15, 2026, your filing deadline would generally fall around January 15, 2027 (subject to day-counting rules and any exceptions).
• If you wait until after the 1-year mark, the claim may be time-barred—meaning the court may dismiss it as filed too late.

What to enter in DocketMath (and how output changes)

DocketMath’s /tools/statute-of-limitations workflow is designed to turn the SOL period into a deadline. Typically, you’ll provide inputs like:

• Jurisdiction: Tennessee (US-TN)
• Accrual date: The date the breach/warranty claim accrued (commonly the date the breach occurred or the date you discovered it, depending on the situation)
• Optional filing date: If you have a proposed or actual filing date, DocketMath can show whether it appears inside or outside the deadline

Because the SOL period is a fixed 1-year default here (with no additional claim-type-specific sub-rule identified in the provided jurisdiction data), the accrual date is the main driver of how the result changes. Move the accrual date forward by 30 days, and the deadline moves forward by roughly the same amount.

Checklist for using the calculator effectively:

Key exceptions

Even when a statute lists a clear SOL period, real deadlines can shift due to doctrines like tolling, accrual disputes, and procedural timing. Because this is a reference-page and not a case-specific determination, the safest way to think about exceptions is to recognize where your timeline may differ from a simple “accrual date + 1 year.”

1) Accrual-date disputes can change everything

The statute’s 1-year period runs from when the claim accrues. In warranty disputes, parties frequently contest:

• when the defect/breach occurred, and/or
• when the buyer discovered (or should have discovered) the breach

If your accrual date is earlier than the other side claims, your deadline may come sooner; if it’s later, it may come later.

2) Tolling may pause the clock (facts matter)

Tolling refers to situations where the SOL clock may be paused for some period. While this page does not provide a detailed list of every tolling doctrine, you should look for fact patterns that commonly trigger pauses, such as:

• delays caused by legal incapacity,
• ongoing proceedings affecting timing, or
• statutory reasons that interrupt the limitations period.

If tolling applies, the effective deadline may be later than the simple one-year calculation.

3) Procedural posture affects what “filing” means

SOL timing is often tied to when the complaint is filed (or sometimes when service is made, depending on procedural rules and circumstances). DocketMath’s deadline is most useful for planning filing by the latest date; if you’re close to the boundary, build in time for drafting, filing, and any required service steps.

Statute citation

Tennessee’s general rule for this limitation period is reflected in:

• Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-111(e)(2) (General SOL Period: 1 year)
  Source: https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-40/chapter-35/part-1/section-40-35-111/

This page uses that provided baseline as the default/general SOL for breach of warranty in Tennessee. The jurisdiction data indicates no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found, so the 1-year period is treated as the default for this topic.

Use the calculator

Use DocketMath to convert the Tennessee default 1-year SOL into a specific date you can plan around.

Primary CTA: /tools/statute-of-limitations

How to run it (practical steps)

1. Open /tools/statute-of-limitations.
2. Set:

   • Jurisdiction: Tennessee (US-TN)
   • Accrual date: your best-supported date the breach/warranty claim accrued
3. If available, add:

   • Proposed/actual filing date to compare against the computed deadline
4. Review:

   • the calculated latest filing date
   • whether your filing date falls within or outside the SOL window

What you should expect from the output

Because the default rule here is 1 year, the output should generally reflect:

• Latest filing date ≈ accrual date + 1 year
• Any changes come from exception handling (if supported by the calculator UI) or from differences in how accrual date is determined.

If you’re unsure about the accrual date, try running multiple scenarios (e.g., “earliest plausible accrual date” and “latest plausible accrual date”) and note the different deadlines. That approach helps you visualize risk without guessing.

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — Tool comparison
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — How-to guide
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — Tool comparison