Lemon law in New Jersey

At a glance

Who qualifies

Which vehicles

Passenger cars, motorcycles, farm tractors and authorized emergency vehicles bought or leased in New Jersey or registered there are covered. The living quarters of motor homes are not covered.

“"Motor vehicle" means a passenger automobile, farm tractor, authorized emergency vehicle, or motorcycle as defined in R.S.39:1-1 which is purchased or leased in the State of New Jersey or which is registered by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, except the living facilities of motor homes.”

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Repair attempts

The car is presumed a lemon if the same defect has been repaired three or more times and still exists. You can send the required notice after two attempts, and the manufacturer's final repair try counts as the third.

“Substantially the same nonconformity has been subject to repair three or more times by the manufacturer, co-manufacturer, or post-manufacturing modifier, or its dealer or distributor”

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Serious safety defects

For a defect likely to cause death or serious injury, one repair attempt is enough, as long as the defect still exists (and the manufacturer then gets its final chance after your notice).

“A nonconformity which is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury if the vehicle is driven has been subject to examination or repair at least once by the manufacturer”

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Days out of service

A total of 20 or more calendar days out of service for repairs (45 or more for a motor home) makes the presumption, if a defect still exists.

“The motor vehicle is out of service by reason of repair for one or more nonconformities for a cumulative total of 20 or more calendar days, or in the case of a motorhome, 45 or more calendar days”

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Used vehicles

The lemon law also protects a person who gets the car while its warranty is still in effect. A separate used car law (N.J.S.A. 56:8-67 and following) requires dealers to give a written warranty on used cars, with length based on mileage.

“It shall be an unlawful practice for a dealer to sell a used motor vehicle to a consumer without giving the consumer a written warranty”

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Leased vehicles

Yes. Leased vehicles are covered.

“"Consumer" means a buyer or lessee, other than for purposes of resale or sublease, of a motor vehicle”

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Deadlines

Protection period

The first 24,000 miles or two years after the original delivery date, whichever comes first.

“"Term of protection" means within the first 24,000 miles of operation or the two years following the original date of delivery of the motor vehicle to the consumer, whichever is the earlier date.”

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Time limit to file

The law does not say.

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. The first 24,000 miles or two years after the original delivery date, whichever comes first.
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

Yes. You must notify the manufacturer in writing by certified mail, return receipt requested, and it gets one last chance to fix the defect within 10 calendar days after receiving the notice.

“by certified mail return receipt requested, of a potential claim pursuant to the provisions of this act and has had one opportunity to repair or correct the defect or condition within 10 calendar days following receipt of the notification”

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Arbitration

The state runs its own program: the Division of Consumer Affairs Lemon Law Unit sends accepted claims to a summary hearing at the Office of Administrative Law. You do not have to use the manufacturer's dispute program first, and you may sue in Superior Court instead.

“A consumer shall have the option of submitting any dispute arising under section 4 of this act to the division for resolution”

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What you get

The manufacturer must take the car back and give a full refund of the purchase price, including trade-in credit, options added within 30 days, taxes, fees, finance charges, towing and rental costs, minus a reasonable allowance for your use of the car.

“the manufacturer shall provide the consumer with a full refund of the purchase price of the original motor vehicle including any stated credit or allowance for the consumer's used motor vehicle”

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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 (New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Lemon Law Unit), 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 New Jersey. 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 New Jersey Lemon Law (N.J.S.A. 56:12-29 to 56:12-49; N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26), 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 New Jersey

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 New Jersey's lemon law

Find a New Jersey lemon law lawyer

Yes. If you win in court or in the state hearing, you get reasonable attorney fees, expert witness fees and costs.

“a prevailing consumer shall be awarded reasonable attorney's fees, fees for expert witnesses and costs.”

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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 New Jersey cases like yours. The firm contacts you, and you decide whether to hire them.

Sources

• N.J.S.A. 56:12-29 to 56:12-49; N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26, New Jersey Lemon Law
• New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Lemon Law Unit
• 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.