New York lemon law help when your car keeps failing
Updated 1 Sep 2026
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A real person answers day or night, reviews your repair history for free, and a lemon law attorney takes it from there.
Is your car in New York back at the shop again, with the same problem still not fixed? Call now for a free look at your repair orders, and you owe nothing unless you win.
- Repair visits for one problem
- 3
- Days in the shop, added up
- 30days
- First failure within
- 24months or 18,000 mi
How many repair visits count in New York?
New York counts 3 repair visits for the same defect under New York's lemon law. Tell the service writer when a defect feels unsafe, and make sure it is on the order. Get a written repair order every time, even when the dealer says nothing was found.
How many days in the shop?
The other test is time in the shop: 30 days in total, and they do not have to be in a row. Write the drop-off date and the pick-up date on every visit. The repair log adds the days up for you.
The problem must first show up within 24 months or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first, per the New York rule. A car delivered on January 1, 2025 leaves that window on January 1, 2027. The window is when the defect must first appear; the deadline to file is a separate clock, and your attorney checks both on the call.
The time limit to file, in New York's own words: four years.
New York also asks for written notice to the carmaker. In the state's words: written notice to dealer within warranty period. Your attorney sends it the right way.
Does New York lemon law cover used cars?
In New York, the law covers your used car if you bought or leased it from a New York dealer. A used car sold with a written warranty can also go under the federal warranty law in every state.
What New York lemon law gives you back
In New York, you may get a full refund or a comparable replacement car. No charge for miles driven comes off, but finance, rental, storage and loss of use costs are not paid back. Your attorney works out the refund from your contract.
New York also has an arbitration option for owners. Your attorney tells you whether it helps your case or hurts it, so call before you file. More on lemon law arbitration.
Who pays your New York lemon law attorney?
The New York statute lets an owner who wins recover attorney fees from the carmaker. That is why the case review is free and there is no fee unless you win. More on what a lemon law lawyer costs. No. New York law lets an owner who wins recover attorney fees from the carmaker, so the case review is free and there is no fee unless you win. Get a repair order anyway. It still shows the date, the mileage and your complaint, and that is what an attorney counts. Every repair order, the sales or lease contract and the warranty booklet. The lemon law repair log puts the visits on one page.Questions owners ask
Does New York lemon law cost me anything?
What if the New York dealer says nothing was found?
What should I have ready when I call?
Statutes and data
What to do now
The first thing to do is call, with your repair orders in hand. New York only counts defects that first show up in the 24 months after delivery, so waiting can cost you.
Free New York case review. No fee unless you win. Answered day and night.