New cars are supposed to operate without any major glitches, in accordance with the terms of its original warranty. Those that fail to perform as advertised and have at least one "nonconformity" (a major defect that deviates from the warranty) are called "lemons" if the problem renders the vehicle inoperable or seriously affects its value. State lemon laws provide assurances for consumers by requiring manufacturers to provide a refund or replace a lemon with an equal (or lesser-valued) vehicle if it cannot be fixed to warranty standards within a statutory period of time.
Typically, the limit is one year or a certain number of miles -- whichever comes first. Some states also extend lemon law protections to used vehicles, but most are limited to new vehicles.
New Hampshire Lemon Law at a Glance
As in most other states, New Hampshire provides a one-year time limit for manufacturers to fix a nonconformity before the owner may invoke lemon law protections.
Additional details of New Hampshire lemon law are listed below. See FindLaw's Lemon Law section for additional articles.
| Code Section | 357-D:1, et seq. |
| Title of Act | Not specified |
| Definition of Defects | Nonconformity to all applicable express warranties or implied warranties which significantly affects the use or market value of vehicle |
| Time Limit for Manufacturer Repair | Term of express/implied warranty or within 1 year following date of original delivery, whichever is earlier |
| Remedies | Within 30 days after an order by the New Hampshire new motor vehicle arbitration board, the manufacturer shall at consumer's option replace the motor vehicle with a new motor vehicle or accept return and refund full purchase price and all credits and allowances for trade-in/down payment, license fees, finance charges, credit charges, registration fees and other similar charges and incidental and consequential damages less a reasonable allowance for use. |
Note: State laws are always subject to change at any time through the enactment of newly signed legislation, higher court decisions, and other means. You may want to contact a New Hampshire lemon law attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
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New Hampshire Lemon Laws: Related Resources
