The lemon law is a highly beneficial law for car buyers, but it can be a real hassle for sellers. What's more is that lemon law can vary from state to state, making it difficult to know exactly what your state does and doesn't cover. To help you better understand your state's lemon law, read this guide that breaks down the differences from state to state.
The lemon law is a law made to protect consumers who purchase "lemon" cars with nonconformities or defects that can't be fixed within a reasonable period of time. For a car to be deemed a lemon, the following criteria need to be met:
Additionally, most (but not all) lemon laws only cover smaller cars and trucks. Large trucks, off-road vehicles, RVs, and two-wheelers are rarely protected.
If a car meets these criteria, the current owner can send a letter to the manufacturer or seller and demand the nonconformity be fixed. If the manufacturer or seller can't fix the defect or the car is out of service for too long, the current owner can seek compensation in the form of monetary reimbursement or a vehicle replacement.
The lemon law isn't a federal law, but all 50 states have their own version of it. While the core of the law remains the same from state to state, each state's lemon law has minor differences that set them apart.
Do you want to sell a car but are worried about the buyer finding fault in it and seeking reimbursement? Learning how the lemon law works in your state can help you understand your risk. Below, we explain how the lemon law differs in the East Coast states.
In Maine, the lemon law covers new and leased cars, but not used ones. Owners can make a claim on any car under three years old or with fewer than 18K miles. One thing unique to Maine's law is that it costs nothing to argue a case in front of an arbitrator if a car is deemed a lemon.
The New Hampshire lemon law covers new and leased vehicles, but only those still under warranty. If a car isn't fixed after three attempts or is out of service for more than a month, the owner can seek reimbursement.
Maryland's lemon law covers vehicles under two years old or with fewer than 18K miles on the odometer. If a nonconformity can't be fixed and puts a car out of service for over a month, the owner can get a new vehicle or a refund.
The Massachusetts lemon law covers new and leased cars. Massachusetts is also one of the only states to cover used cars. In this case, the law covers vehicles with less than 125K miles clocked at the time of purchase. If a car has a defect that negatively affects its functionality or safety, the owner can ask for a refund or replacement.
New and leased cars that are under a year old or have fewer than 15K miles on the odometer are covered under Rhode Island's lemon law. The law also covers used cars that are unsuccessfully serviced three times or are out of service for 15 days at some point within their dealer warranty period. If the owner of a lemon car wants reimbursement, they need to submit a formal complaint to the Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board to discuss the issue.
In Connecticut, a lemon is any new or leased car or motorcycle with a nonconformity that decreases its value or makes it unsafe or hard to use. The vehicle also needs to be under two years old or have fewer than 24K miles. If a vehicle meets the criteria, the dealership or seller needs to provide a replacement or refund the full price to the owner.
The New York lemon law covers new and leased vehicles under two years old and with fewer than 18K miles on the odometer and used cars with a written warranty. If a car has a defect, the owner is entitled to reimbursement not for the car itself but for the money they spent attempting to repair the issue.
In New Jersey, the lemon law covers new and leased cars that are under two years old or under 24K miles. It also applies to used cars that cost more than $3,000 dollars, are under seven years old, and have fewer than 100K miles.
The Delaware lemon law protects all new and leased vehicles, except for motor homes, that are under a year old. If a defect is found and isn't fixable, the owner can get a comparable replacement or the full purchase price back.
In Florida, owners can seek reimbursement for new and leased cars that are under two years old and that have a defect that compromises their safety or functionality.
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