New Mexico Lemon Law FAQ
Common questions about New Mexico lemon-law claims — qualifying, hiring a lawyer, cost, used vehicles, denied claims, repair shops, and deadlines.
Common questions about New Mexico’s Motor Vehicle Quality Assurance Act, the UPA, and the path to a refund or replacement.
Topics in this section
- When is a car a lemon in New Mexico?
- Do I need a lawyer?
- How much does it cost?
- Are used vehicles covered?
- What if the manufacturer denied my claim?
- Which repair shop should I use?
- How long do I have to file?
The New Mexico essentials
- Statute: Motor Vehicle Quality Assurance Act (N.M. Stat. § 57-16A-1) — not called a “Lemon Law.”
- Thresholds: 4 same-defect repairs or 30 cumulative business days out of service.
- Rights Period: warranty term or 1 year from delivery, whichever earlier.
- SOL: 18 months from delivery under § 57-16A-8 (short).
- Remedy: refund or replacement — manufacturer’s choice.
- Fees: mandatory under both the lemon law (§ 57-16A-9) and the UPA (§ 57-12-10(C)).
- Motorcycles: covered. Used vehicles: have a dedicated § 57-16A-3.1 provision.
Related
The Process: Filing a New Mexico Lemon Law Claim
Step by step through a New Mexico lemon-law claim — documenting repair attempts, the manufacturer's informal dispute settlement procedure, court action, and settlement.
Read → TopicNew Mexico Lemon Law Cases by Manufacturer
How the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Quality Assurance Act and UPA apply to specific manufacturers across the Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and Permian Basin markets.
Read → TopicQualifying Defects Under the New Mexico Lemon Law
Which defects meet New Mexico's 'substantially impairs use and market value' test — transmission, engine, brakes, electrical, steering/suspension, infotainment, and EV-specific failures.
Read → TopicRemedies Under the New Mexico Lemon Law
What you can recover in a New Mexico Motor Vehicle Quality Assurance Act claim — refund, replacement, UPA actual/treble damages, and stacked mandatory attorney fees.
Read → TopicThe Law: New Mexico Motor Vehicle Quality Assurance Act and UPA
The statutes behind a New Mexico lemon-law claim — the Motor Vehicle Quality Assurance Act (N.M. Stat. § 57-16A-1), the New Mexico Unfair Practices Act (§ 57-12-1), Magnuson-Moss, and timing rules.
Read → TopicVehicle Types Under the New Mexico Lemon Law
How New Mexico's Motor Vehicle Quality Assurance Act applies across vehicle types — used (with a dedicated § 57-16A-3.1 provision), leased, EV, motorcycles (expressly covered), RVs, and commercial.
Read →Think you've got a lemon?
Compare your situation to your state's requirements — and connect with a vetted lemon-law attorney for a free case review.