Nevada Lemon Law

Nevada's Lemon Law (Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 597.600–597.6881) covers new motor vehicles purchased or leased for personal, family, or household use. The defect must substantially impair the use and value of the vehicle and must be covered by the manufacturer's express warranty. You must give written notice of the nonconformity to the manufacturer before the express warranty expires OR within 1 year after original delivery, whichever occurs earlier. Subsequent owners and lessees who acquire the vehicle while the manufacturer's warranty is still in effect are also covered.

Under Nev. Rev. Stat. § 597.630, the manufacturer is presumed to have had a reasonable number of repair attempts when, within the warranty period or 1 year of delivery (whichever is earlier), either: (a) the same nonconformity has been subject to repair 4 or more times and continues to exist, OR (b) the motor vehicle has been out of service for repairs for a cumulative total of 30 or more calendar days. Both periods can be tolled if repair services were unavailable due to circumstances beyond the manufacturer's control (NRS 597.640).

Generally no — Nevada's Lemon Law applies to new motor vehicles. A used vehicle may still qualify if it is still within the original manufacturer's express warranty and the defect was reported within 1 year of delivery to the original buyer; the statute defines 'buyer' to include subsequent transferees during the warranty period. Nevada also has strict 'Lemon Law Buyback' rules: any vehicle the manufacturer reacquires under the Lemon Law must carry a permanent 'Lemon Law Buyback' title brand and a decal on the doorframe, and any reseller must disclose the lemon history in writing.

Yes. NRS 597.600 defines 'buyer' to include any person to whom the motor vehicle is transferred during the time a manufacturer's express warranty is in effect, which courts and regulators have read to include lessees. Lessees of new vehicles get the same 4-repair / 30-day presumption and the same right to a refund or replacement. The refund covers amounts actually paid under the lease plus taxes and registration fees, minus the use allowance, and is paid to the lessee and lessor in proportion to their interests.

Under Nev. Rev. Stat. § 597.650, any action brought pursuant to NRS 597.600 to 597.630 must be commenced within 18 months after the date of the original delivery of the motor vehicle to the buyer. This is a strict deadline and missing it can permanently bar your claim. Note that the express-warranty period for federal Magnuson-Moss claims runs separately under the Nevada UCC 4-year warranty SOL, so a Magnuson-Moss action may still be available even if the Nevada Lemon Law deadline has passed.

Yes, if the manufacturer has established or designated an informal dispute settlement procedure that substantially complies with FTC Rule 16 C.F.R. Part 703 (NRS 597.620). You must first submit your claim through that procedure before bringing any action. The decision is not binding on you. Importantly, NRS 597.660 makes void any provision in any agreement under which you purport to waive or forgo any Lemon Law rights or remedies — so manufacturer-imposed binding arbitration agreements that strip Lemon Law remedies are unenforceable.

If the manufacturer cannot conform the vehicle to warranty, you can choose between a comparable replacement vehicle OR a refund of the full purchase price including taxes and fees, minus a reasonable allowance for your use of the vehicle (NRS 597.630). For violations of the Lemon Law Buyback resale-disclosure rules, NRS 597.688 also allows actual damages, costs, reasonable attorney's fees, AND punitive damages — an unusual remedy among state lemon laws. A buyback vehicle must be retitled with a 'Lemon Law Buyback' brand and bear a permanent decal on the doorframe.