Vehicle Types Covered by Massachusetts Lemon Law

Massachusetts’s New Car Lemon Law (§ 7N½) covers new motor vehicles up to 10,000 lbs GVWR sold or leased in Massachusetts for personal, family, or household use. Used vehicles are covered under a separate statute — the Used Car Lemon Law (§ 7N¼) — with a sliding-scale warranty.

Topics in this section

• Used vehicles (separate § 7N¼ statute)
• Leased vehicles
• Electric vehicles
• Motorcycles
• Recreational vehicles (RVs)
• Commercial vehicles

What’s distinctive about Massachusetts

• Used vehicles get their own separate Used Car Lemon Law under § 7N¼ — joining New Jersey’s Used Car Lemon Law (§ 56:8-67) as one of the few states with a dedicated used-car statute.
• Motorcycles are explicitly covered with no displacement floor.
• Motor homes are excluded from § 7N½ — Chapter 93A and Magnuson-Moss remain.
• Strong electric vehicle market — particularly Tesla, Rivian, and OEM EVs in Greater Boston.

How to know if your vehicle is covered

For most Massachusetts consumers, the answer is yes within the 1-year / 15,000-mile window for new vehicles, OR under § 7N¼ for used vehicles. Exceptions:

• Vehicles past the 1-year / 15,000-mile window (Chapter 93A + Magnuson-Moss only).
• Motor homes (Chapter 93A + Magnuson-Moss only).
• Vehicles over 10,000 lbs GVWR.
• Primarily commercial use.

The “consumer” definition

§ 7N½ defines “consumer” to include:

• The original purchaser of the vehicle.
• A lessee.
• Any subsequent transferee during the warranty period.
• Any other person entitled by the warranty to enforce its obligations.

This means leases and warranty assumptions both qualify.

The Used Car Lemon Law (§ 7N¼) sliding-scale warranty

Massachusetts is unusual in providing a statutory warranty on used vehicles sold by dealers, with terms based on mileage at sale:

Mileage at sale	Statutory warranty
Under 40,000 miles	90 days / 3,750 miles
40,000-79,999 miles	60 days / 2,500 miles
80,000-124,999 miles	30 days / 1,250 miles
125,000+ miles	No statutory warranty

The warranty covers defects that impair use, market value, or safety. See used vehicles article.

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