New Mexico Lemon Law Summary

• Eligibility: 4 unsuccessful repairs or 30 business days out of service within shorter of 1 year or warranty.
• Resolution Attempt: Written notice + opportunity to repair to manufacturer, agent or dealer.
• State has certified guidelines for arbitration.

If your recently purchased vehicle is constantly in the shop for defects or other issues that need repair, then Geronimo! You probably own a lemon. Not to fear, New Mexico has countless lemon laws in place should you find yourself with an unreliable car.

The first thing you need to do is make sure your vehicle qualifies as a lemon. For New Mexico, the lemon law covers cars, pickup trucks, motorcycles and vans. These cars must be non-commercial and were either sold or registered in the state. The lemon law does not cover vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds.

If your vehicle falls into this category and has also been through 4 unsuccessful repairs or out of service for 30 business days, then your lemon law claim has merit. A written notice must be presented to the manufacturer or related dealer, along with an additional opportunity for them to correct the defect.

Should the defect still exist, the state has arbitration guidelines in place so that the manufacturer can work with you to get you either a replacement or refund.

For more information, contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at (800) 678-1508.