Maine Lemon Law Guide: Your Rights Under Maine Lemon Law

What Is the Maine Lemon Law? Maine’s Lemon Law Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 10, § 1161 et seq. is a consumer protection statute that gives buyers of new motor vehicles a remedy when a substantial defect or condition cannot be repaired after a reasonable number of attempts. The statute sets specific thresholds for repair attempts and days out of service, establishes a coverage window measured by time and mileage, and requires manufacturers to make an arbitration program available for resolving disputes. The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division provides consumer guidance and oversight for manufacturer arbitration programs.See the Maine AG consumer pagehttps://www.maine.gov/ag/consumer/. The law is designed to balance consumer protection with an allowance for manufacturers to correct problems. When the statutory thresholds are met and the defect substantially impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle, the consumer may be entitled to a refund or replacement vehicle under the statutory remedies. For the governing statutory language, see Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 10, § 1161 et seq. Maine Lemon Law. Which Vehicles Qualify Under Maine Lemon Law? Maine’s Lemon Law applies to new motor vehicles only. It does not cover used vehicles, vehicles purchased for resale, or vehicles used primarily for rental or commercial fleet purposes unless specifically included under a manufacturer’s warranty. Coverage begins on the date of original delivery to the first retail purchaser and continues for the shorter of 18 months from delivery or 18,000 miles on the odometer. This means that if you purchased a used car, even with a manufacturer’s remaining warranty, the Maine Lemon Law statutory protections are not available. However, other legal avenues—such as claims under the express warranty, breach of contract, fraud, or state unfair trade practices laws—might still be available; consult an attorney for those options. How Many Repair Attempts Are Required in Maine? Maine law establishes objective thresholds that, when met, create a presumption that the manufacturer has failed to repair the vehicle. The primary thresholds are three repair attempts for the same defect or the vehicle being out of service for a cumulative total of 15 calendar days while under repair for warranty-covered defects during the coverage period. | Threshold Type | Requirement | |---|---:| | Repair attempts for the same defect | 3 separate attempts | | Cumulative days out of service | 15 calendar days | | Coverage period | 18 months or 18,000 miles whichever comes first | | Vehicle eligibility | New vehicles only used vehicles excluded | | Manufacturer arbitration program | Required by statute | These thresholds are statutory markers indicating when relief should be available; consumers should document every repair visit and the number of days the vehicle is in the shop. The repair attempts must relate to the same defect or condition that substantially impairs the use, value, or safet