New Jersey Lemon Law: Your Rights

Last reviewed: June 29, 2026

New Jersey has both a new-car lemon law and a used-car lemon law, both handled by the Division of Consumer Affairs' Lemon Law Unit. Under the new-car law, if a substantial defect under warranty can't be fixed after a reasonable number of attempts, you may be entitled to a refund or replacement. Under the used-car law, dealers must provide a warranty by mileage tier and can be ordered to repurchase the vehicle.

New Jersey lemon law at a glance

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 New Jersey sources

Verify the current rules with these authoritative sources:

• New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Lemon Law Unit
• New Jersey Lemon Law (N.J.S.A. 56:12-29 et seq.)