Hawaii Lemon Law: Your Rights
Last reviewed: June 28, 2026
Hawaii's new motor vehicle lemon law is administered by the DCCA's Regulated Industries Complaints Office, which runs a State Certified Arbitration Program. If a substantial defect under warranty can't be fixed after a reasonable number of attempts, you can choose a replacement vehicle or a full refund. Hawaii also has a separate used-car sales warranty law that requires dealers to warrant certain used vehicles by mileage tier.
Hawaii lemon law at a glance
| Time / mileage window | The warranty term, or 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever is earliest |
|---|---|
| Repair attempts (presumption) | 3 or more for the same defect, or 1 for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury |
| Days out of service | 30 or more business days |
| Covers new vehicles | Yes |
| Used-car lemon law | Yes |
What these rules mean for you
If your vehicle has a substantial defect that the manufacturer cannot fix after the repair attempts above, or it has been out of service for the listed time, you may have a lemon law claim. The remedy is usually a refund (a buyback) or a replacement vehicle. The details turn on your documentation, so keep every repair order from the first visit on. See what to document for a defect or lemon law claim.
A recall is not required for a claim, and recall repair attempts can count toward your total. For the full picture, read the pillar guide, recall vs. lemon law, and learn how many repair attempts before lemon law applies and how a buyback, replacement, or cash settlement compares.
Official Hawaii sources
Verify the current rules with these authoritative sources: