Massachusetts Lemon Law

Massachusetts has TWO lemon laws. The New Car Lemon Law (M.G.L. c. 90, § 7N1/2) covers new motor vehicles bought or leased in Massachusetts for personal/family/household use, with coverage running one year or 15,000 miles from delivery. The Used Vehicle Warranty Law (M.G.L. c. 90, § 7N1/4) covers used vehicles sold by dealers for at least $700 with fewer than 125,000 miles at the time of sale, with warranty length tiered by mileage at sale. Both laws cover passenger cars, light trucks, and motorcycles; both exclude vehicles used primarily for business and off-road vehicles.

For new vehicles under § 7N1/2, three repair attempts for the same defect or 15 business days out of service for any combination of warranty defects within the 1-year / 15,000-mile term of protection triggers the lemon-law remedy. After hitting either threshold, you must give the manufacturer a final 7-business-day repair opportunity by written notice. For used vehicles under § 7N1/4, three repair attempts for the same defect or 10 business days out of service during the dealer's tiered warranty period triggers the right to a refund.

Yes – Massachusetts is the only state with a true used-car lemon law. M.G.L. c. 90, § 7N1/4 requires any dealer selling a used vehicle for $700+ with under 125,000 miles to provide a written express warranty: 90 days or 3,750 miles for vehicles under 40,000 miles at sale; 60 days or 2,500 miles for 40,000-79,999 miles; 30 days or 1,250 miles for 80,000-124,999 miles. If the dealer can't repair a substantial defect after three attempts or 10 business days out of service, you are entitled to a full refund (less $0.15 per mile driven). Private (non-dealer) sales have a separate, narrower 30-day warranty.

Yes – the New Car Lemon Law expressly defines lessees as consumers, so leased new vehicles get the same 1-year / 15,000-mile rights window and the same refund or replacement remedy. If a replacement is provided, an identical model must be supplied for the remainder of the original lease term. The manufacturer pays the lessor for the residual and refunds the lessee's down payment and lease payments, less the contract-price-times-miles-divided-by-100,000 use allowance. Lessees are released from any further obligation under the original lease.

For new vehicles, you must apply for state arbitration within 18 months of original delivery – this is the deadline that requires the manufacturer's mandatory participation. For used vehicles under § 7N1/4, civil actions must be filed within two years of the original delivery date. Pure c. 93A unfair-practices claims carry a four-year statute of limitations. The state arbitration program issues decisions within 45 days of accepting an application, and you can use it even if you previously tried a manufacturer-run program.

Massachusetts offers a state-certified arbitration program through the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR), and manufacturers are required to participate in new-car cases if you apply within 18 months of delivery. The state program is 'all or nothing' – the arbitrator either grants the full lemon-law remedy or denies it. Unlike most states, Massachusetts lets you use the state program even after going through a manufacturer-sponsored arbitration. Used-car cases also have a separate state arbitration track. You may also bypass arbitration and sue directly under c. 93A.

Massachusetts gives you the strongest consumer remedies in the country by combining the lemon laws with M.G.L. c. 93A. A lemon-law violation is per se unfair and deceptive under c. 93A, and if the violation was willful or knowing – or the manufacturer refused a reasonable settlement offer in bad faith – the court must award double to triple actual damages, plus reasonable attorney's fees and costs. Magnuson-Moss is a broader federal warranty statute with attorney's fees too, but it lacks Massachusetts's automatic damages multiplier and does not require the manufacturer to participate in a free state arbitration program. Most Massachusetts cases plead all three.