New Hampshire Lemon Law

New Hampshire’s lemon law — RSA 357-D — is built around a state-run arbitration program: the New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board, a governor-appointed panel administratively attached to the Division of Motor Vehicles. The law is notably consumer-favorable in three ways — it covers motorcycles, OHRVs, and snowmobiles (not just cars), it runs the use-offset on a 100,000-mile basis (a low deduction), and the consumer elects refund or replacement. The Consumer Protection Act (RSA 358-A) adds treble damages and mandatory fees when a manufacturer defies a Board decision.

New Hampshire is distinctive in five ways:

1. A state-run arbitration board. Disputes go to the New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board (RSA 357-D:5) — a five-member, governor-appointed panel (a new-car dealer, a mechanic, and three consumer representatives). A hearing within 40 days, a decision within 30 days after that. See state arbitration board.
2. Coverage is warranty term + 1 year. The protected period runs through the manufacturer’s express warranty plus one additional year (RSA 357-D:3) — a longer reach than most states.
3. Recreational vehicles are covered. Beyond cars and light trucks (≤11,000 lbs), RSA 357-D covers motorcycles, OHRVs, and snowmobiles — fitting New Hampshire’s trail and powersports culture. (Mopeds and tractors are excluded.)
4. A consumer-favorable use offset. The mileage deduction uses a 100,000-mile denominator and counts only miles before the first repair attempt — so a New Hampshire refund stays close to the full price.
5. Consumer-elected remedy with CPA teeth. The consumer chooses refund or replacement; and a manufacturer that ignores a Board decision commits a per se Consumer Protection Act violation — exposing it to double-to-treble damages and mandatory fees.

This page is the hub for our New Hampshire coverage. Use the topic guides for deeper reading:

• The Law — RSA 357-D, the CPA, Magnuson-Moss, the presumption, and deadlines.
• The Process — Documented repair attempts, the Arbitration Board, and court action.
• Remedies — Refund (with the 100,000-mile offset), replacement, CPA damages, and attorney fees.
• Qualifying Defects — Defect categories, from transmissions to EV batteries.
• Vehicle Types — Used, leased, EVs, motorcycles, RVs, commercial.
• Manufacturers — Common case patterns by brand in the New Hampshire market.
• FAQ — Common questions about New Hampshire lemon-law claims.

Who’s protected

RSA 357-D:2 covers a new motor vehicle sold or leased in New Hampshire — a four-wheel vehicle of 11,000 lbs GVWR or less (excluding tractors and mopeds), plus motorcycles, off-highway recreational vehicles (OHRVs), and snowmobiles. Leased vehicles are covered.

Coverage runs through the express-warranty term plus one year (RSA 357-D:3). The defect must substantially impair the use, market value, or safety of the vehicle.

The presumption: 3 attempts or 30 business days

Under RSA 357-D:3, VII, within the warranty term (plus the extra year):

• 3 or more repair attempts for the same defect, and it persists; OR
• 30 or more cumulative business days out of service for warranty repairs.

Repairs should be documented by repair orders from the same dealer, unless there is “good cause” to switch (RSA 357-D:3, VIII). Unlike Maine or Idaho, New Hampshire has no one-attempt safety rule — even a serious defect uses the 3-attempt / 30-business-day track. See the repair-attempt presumption guide.

What you can recover

A successful New Hampshire claim typically produces:

• Refund — full purchase price plus collateral charges and incidental/consequential damages, minus a use offset on a 100,000-mile basis (counting only miles before the first repair); or replacement — the consumer elects within 30 days of the Board decision.
• Arbitration Board decision — hearing in 40 days, decision in 30.
• Consumer Protection Act damages — actual damages or $1,000 (whichever greater), doubled to trebled for a willful violation (including ignoring a Board decision), plus mandatory fees.
• Magnuson-Moss § 2310(d)(2) fees.

New Hampshire’s climate and market

• Heavy snow + road salt — long winters and aggressive salting drive electrical, brake-line, and frame corrosion; seacoast salt air (Portsmouth) adds to it.
• Snowmobile and OHRV culture — New Hampshire’s vast trail network makes the statute’s powersports coverage meaningful.
• Cold-weather stress — hard on EV range, batteries, and cold-start systems.
• No sales tax — New Hampshire has no general sales tax, so a refund has no sales-tax component (registration fees still apply).
• Markets: Manchester (largest), Nashua, Concord, Portsmouth (seacoast), the Lakes Region, and the White Mountains; strong Subaru/AWD and truck demand.

What to do next

1. Document every repair attempt and day out of service — 3 attempts or 30 business days is the trigger. See our evidence guide.
2. Use the same dealer where possible (or document good cause to switch).
3. File with the Arbitration Board within the deadline (one year after warranty expiration or the last repair attempt).
4. Invoke the Consumer Protection Act if the manufacturer stonewalls or ignores a Board decision.
5. Get a free case review from a New Hampshire lemon-law attorney.

Explore New Hampshire lemon law

Topic

The Law: New Hampshire Lemon Law and the Consumer Protection Act

The statutes behind a New Hampshire lemon-law claim — the Lemon Law (RSA 357-D), the New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board, the Consumer Protection Act (RSA 358-A), and Magnuson-Moss.

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The Process: Filing a New Hampshire Lemon Law Claim

Step by step through a New Hampshire lemon-law claim — documented repair attempts, the final repair opportunity, the New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board, and court action.

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Remedies Under the New Hampshire Lemon Law

What you can recover in a New Hampshire lemon-law claim — consumer-elected refund or replacement, the 100,000-mile use offset, CPA treble damages, and mandatory attorney fees.

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Qualifying Defects Under the New Hampshire Lemon Law

Which defects qualify under New Hampshire's lemon law — transmission, engine, brakes, electrical, steering, infotainment, EV — under the 3-attempt / 30-business-day presumption, with road-salt and cold-weather factors.

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Vehicle Types Under the New Hampshire Lemon Law

How New Hampshire's lemon law applies across vehicle types — used, leased, EV, motorcycles, OHRVs, snowmobiles, RVs, and commercial — under the 11,000-lb threshold.

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New Hampshire Lemon Law Cases by Manufacturer

How the New Hampshire Lemon Law and the Consumer Protection Act apply to specific manufacturers across the Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and seacoast markets.

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New Hampshire Lemon Law FAQ

Common questions about New Hampshire lemon-law claims — qualifying, the Arbitration Board, hiring a lawyer, cost, used vehicles, denied claims, repair shops, and deadlines.

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