Lemon law in Maine

At a glance

Who qualifies

Which vehicles

Cars, trucks, vans, motorcycles and RVs bought or leased in Maine that are still under the manufacturer's express warranty. Vehicles used mainly for commercial purposes weighing 8,500 pounds or more are excluded, and businesses that register 3 or more vehicles and government bodies are not covered.

“except that the term "motor vehicle" does not include any vehicle used primarily for commercial purposes with a gross vehicle weight of 8,500 pounds or more”

legislature.maine.gov

Repair attempts

The car is presumed a lemon if the same defect has been through 3 or more repair attempts and still exists.

“The same nonconformity has been subject to a repair attempt 3 or more times by the manufacturer or its agents or authorized dealers within the express warranty term”

legislature.maine.gov

Serious safety defects

One repair attempt is enough if the defect caused a serious failure of the brakes or steering.

“The same nonconformity has resulted in a serious failure of either the braking or steering systems in the vehicle and has been subject to a repair attempt one or more times”

legislature.maine.gov

Days out of service

The car is presumed a lemon if it has been out of service for repairs a total of 15 or more business days during the protection period.

“for a cumulative total of 15 or more business days during that warranty term or the appropriate time period, whichever occurs earlier”

legislature.maine.gov

Used vehicles

Used cars are covered only if they are still under the manufacturer's express warranty and within the 3-year or 18,000-mile period.

“The Maine Lemon Law applies to any new or used car, motorcycle, van, truck, or RV that a consumer[i] has bought or leased in Maine and that is still covered by an express warranty.”

maine.gov

Leased vehicles

Yes. A person who leases a vehicle has the same rights as a buyer.

“The lessee of a motor vehicle has the same rights under this chapter against the manufacturer and any person making express warranties that the lessee would have under this chapter if the vehicle had been purchased by the lessee.”

legislature.maine.gov

Deadlines

Protection period

You must report the defect within the warranty term and within 3 years of original delivery or the first 18,000 miles, whichever comes first.

“within a period of 3 years following the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle to a consumer or during the first 18,000 miles of operation of that motor vehicle, whichever occurs earliest”

legislature.maine.gov

Time limit to file

You must request state arbitration within 3 years of original delivery or within the warranty term, whichever comes first. After an arbitration decision, either side has 21 days to appeal to Superior Court.

“All manufacturers shall submit to state-certified motor vehicle arbitration if arbitration is requested by the consumer within 3 years from the date of original delivery to the consumer of a motor vehicle or within the term of the express warranties, whichever comes first”

legislature.maine.gov

Steps

1. Keep every repair order. Each visit to the dealer should give you a work order with the date, the mileage, what you reported and what they did. Ask for one every time, even when they find nothing. These papers are your case.
2. Check the dates. You must report the defect within the warranty term and within 3 years of original delivery or the first 18,000 miles, whichever comes first. You must request state arbitration within 3 years of original delivery or within the warranty term, whichever comes first. After an arbitration decision, either side has 21 days to appeal to Superior Court.
3. Tell the manufacturer in writing. The law asks for written notice. See written notice below.
4. Use the dispute program if one is required. See arbitration below for whether you must go there before court.
5. Ask for a refund or a replacement, or file. Send the letter, then file before the time limit if the manufacturer will not buy the vehicle back or replace it.

Written notice

You must notify the manufacturer or dealer in writing that you want a refund or replacement, and the manufacturer then gets 7 business days for a final repair attempt. This notice is only required if the manufacturer clearly disclosed it in the warranty or owner's manual.

“For the 7 business days following receipt by the dealer or the manufacturer of this notice, the manufacturer has a final opportunity to correct or repair any nonconformities.”

legislature.maine.gov

Arbitration

If the manufacturer has a qualifying dispute program, you must first use it or the state program before claiming a refund or replacement. The Attorney General runs a free State Lemon Law Arbitration Program that manufacturers must take part in.

“the provisions of section 1163, subsection 2 , concerning refunds or replacement shall not apply to any consumer who has not first resorted to that procedure or to state-certified arbitration”

legislature.maine.gov

What you get

The manufacturer must replace the car or refund it, and you may refuse a replacement and take a refund. The refund includes the full price or lease payments, finance charges, taxes and fees, and towing, storage and rental costs, minus a capped allowance for your use.

“The consumer may reject any offered replacement and receive instead a refund.”

legislature.maine.gov

Do it yourself

You can bring a lemon law claim without a lawyer. It takes letters, records and patience. The usual route:

1. Put your repair orders in date order and count the attempts and the days out of service.
2. Send the manufacturer the letter below, by a tracked method, to the address in your owner's manual or warranty booklet.
3. If it offers a final repair, let it try within the time the law gives it.
4. If it refuses or does not answer, file with the manufacturer's dispute program or the state program (Maine Attorney General, State Lemon Law Arbitration Program), then court if you need to.
5. Do not sell or trade in the vehicle while the claim is open.

[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]

[Manufacturer name]
[Address from your owner's manual or warranty booklet]

Re: Lemon law claim, [year make model], VIN [VIN]

I bought (or leased) this vehicle on [date] from [dealer], in Maine. It has a defect that the dealer has not been able to fix: [describe it in one or two sentences].

It has been in for repair of this defect [number] times, on [dates], and out of service for a total of [number] days. Copies of the repair orders are enclosed.

Under Maine Lemon Law (10 M.R.S. §§ 1161-1169), I ask you to repurchase or replace the vehicle. Please reply in writing within 15 days. I can bring the vehicle in for a final repair attempt if the law gives you one.

[Your name]
[Phone and email]

What a buyback pays in Maine

The law asks for a reasonable allowance for your use without a fixed formula. Makers and courts often use the one several states write into law: the price times the miles driven before the first repair visit for the defect, divided by 120,000. For a $40,000 car with 6,000 miles at the first repair and 15,000 now, that is about $2,000.

Estimate your buyback

Questions people ask about Maine's lemon law

Find a Maine lemon law lawyer

Yes. A court may award reasonable attorney fees and costs if you win.

“In the case of a consumer's successful action to enforce any liability under this chapter, a court may award reasonable attorney's fees and costs incurred in connection with the action.”

legislature.maine.gov

Because the manufacturer usually pays the lawyer's fees when you win, most lemon law lawyers charge you nothing up front. A lawyer also knows what the manufacturer offers in cases like yours and what the use deduction should be.

Send the free case check below and we find a lemon law firm that takes Maine cases like yours. The firm contacts you, and you decide whether to hire them.

Sources

• 10 M.R.S. §§ 1161-1169, Maine Lemon Law
• Maine Attorney General, State Lemon Law Arbitration Program
• Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2310, the federal warranty law that also lets owners recover attorney fees.

Each quote above is copied from the page it links to, checked 2026-10-26. If a page has moved, the citation still finds the law.