How to File a New Hampshire Lemon Law Claim

Filing a New Hampshire claim under RSA 357-D follows a defined sequence, anchored by documented repair attempts, the New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board, and the one-year filing deadline.

Step 1 — Document repair attempts

Within the protected period (warranty term plus one year):

• 3 or more attempts for the same defect; OR
• 30 or more cumulative business days out of service.

Keep every repair order, ideally from the same dealer (RSA 357-D:3, VIII) — and document good cause if you switch. See documenting evidence.

Step 2 — File with the Arbitration Board

File a complaint with the New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board:

• Within one year of warranty expiration or the last repair attempt (RSA 357-D:11).
• The Board holds a hearing within 40 days and decides within 30 days after.

Step 3 — Allow the final repair

After you file, the manufacturer is entitled to one final repair attempt within 40 days (RSA 357-D:4, V). Cooperate, but keep the repair order — a failed final repair strengthens your case.

Step 4 — The hearing and your election

Present your full case at the Board hearing (appeal is narrow, so the hearing is decisive). If the Board finds for you, elect refund or replacement within 30 days of the decision.

Step 5 — Appeal or pursue the CPA

• Appeal to Superior Court within 30 days — but only on a narrow standard (fraud, partiality, exceeding authority), not a retrial.
• CPA action — actual damages or $1,000, doubled-to-trebled for willful conduct, mandatory fees; a manufacturer that ignores a Board decision commits a per se CPA violation.
• Magnuson-Moss — federal fee hook (D.N.H.).

Common filing mistakes

• Switching dealers without good cause — can weaken the same-dealer presumption.
• Missing the one-year filing deadline.
• Not presenting the full case at the Board hearing — appeal won’t give you a second bite.

Bottom line

Document attempts (3 or 30 business days) with same-dealer repair orders, file with the Arbitration Board within one year, allow the 40-day final repair, win at the hearing, and elect your remedy — with the CPA in reserve for stonewalling. Get a free case review.

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