New York Lemon Law: Your Rights

Last reviewed: June 29, 2026

New York has both a new-car lemon law and a strong used-car lemon law. Under the new-car law, if a substantial defect under warranty can't be fixed after a reasonable number of attempts, you're entitled to a refund or comparable replacement, with no deduction for the first 12,000 miles. The used-car law requires dealers to provide a written warranty by mileage tier on cars sold for at least $1,500 and driven under 100,000 miles.

New York 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 York sources

Verify the current rules with these authoritative sources:

• New York Attorney General, New Car Lemon Law
• New York General Business Law 198-a (New Car Lemon Law)