Hawaii Lemon Law Attorneys
You Can Get a Cash Settlement, a Replacement Car, or a Refund with Easy Lemon
The Hawaii Lemon Law (Haw. Rev. Stat. §481I-1 to §481I-4) requires manufacturers to repurchase or replace a new motor vehicle with a substantial defect after 3 repair attempts for the same defect or 30 cumulative business days out of service. Under this statute, the manufacturer pays the consumer's attorney fees when the consumer prevails, no attorney fees unless we recover for you. Easy Lemon represents Hawaii drivers at every stage.
How your Hawaii claim gets built
Our lemon law work is directed by Steven P. Nassi, Esq., Managing Partner, Easy Lemon by RockPoint Law P.C. A Hawaii claim gets built on two things: the Hawaii lemon law statute, and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which applies in all fifty states. Send the repair orders and the purchase or lease paperwork, and we can tell you which of the two fits your vehicle.
Read Steven Nassi’s full bio →Is Your Car a Lemon?
Your car may be a lemon if it keeps going back to the dealer or the mechanic for the same problem. Under Hawaii law, the defect must make the car unsafe, unreliable or worth much less. The manufacturer or dealer must also have failed to fix it after several tries.
The same noise, shaking or warning light keeps coming back.
The dealer has worked on it multiple times and the problem is still there.
Understanding Hawaii's Lemon Law
Hawaii's Lemon Law is found at Haw. Rev. Stat. §481I-1 to §481I-4 and sets the rules for defective new vehicles in the state.
How Hawaii's Lemon Law Process Works
Document Your Repairs
Ask for a repair order every time you visit a Hawaii dealer, even if the technician finds nothing. Under Haw. Rev. Stat. §481I-1 to §481I-4, these papers prove your repair attempts. Keep every receipt and work order.
Contact Easy Lemon
Send us your records. We check your repair history against Hawaii's statute and tell you if your car qualifies as a lemon. The consultation is free, with no obligation.
We File Your Claim
We prepare the claim and handle the paperwork. This includes any notice to the manufacturer that Haw. Rev. Stat. §481I-1 to §481I-4 requires.
Manufacturer Response
If Hawaii law gives the manufacturer a final repair attempt, it gets one. If the defect remains, Hawaii law entitles you to relief. Most claims then move toward settlement.
Get Compensated
You receive a refund, a replacement vehicle or a cash settlement. No attorney fees unless we recover for you.
Why Choose Us for Lemon Law?
Past Results
We've recovered over $30 million for our clients by securing refunds, cash settlements, and replacements.
Client-Centered Approach
We receive positive feedback from clients we have represented.
Fee-Shift Representation
Under Haw. Rev. Stat. §481I-1 to §481I-4, the manufacturer pays the consumer's attorney fees when the consumer prevails. No fee unless we recover compensation.
Focused Results
We know the stress defective vehicles bring, so we simplify the process for you.
At Easy Lemon, your success is our mission. Let us simplify the process and get you the justice you deserve.
Hawaii Lemon Law Results
These are actual settlements obtained by the firm, shown because we do not yet have enough resolved matters in Hawaii to report state-level figures. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome; every case is different. See our recent settlements page for more.
Defect: electrical/ technology
Results may vary. Prior outcomes do not guarantee a similar result. Each case is unique and depends on its specific facts and applicable law.
What The Manufacturer May Owe You
Refund
You get your purchase price back, including taxes and fees, minus any use deduction Hawaii law allows.
Cash Settlement
You receive a payment for the unresolved defect and keep your car.
Vehicle Replacement
You get a comparable new vehicle in place of the defective one, at no extra cost.
Meet Our Legal Team
Our lawyers are only permitted to practice law in the jurisdictions in which they are licensed or have been authorized to practice.
What Our Clients Say
About the Hawaii Lemon Law
Answers anchored to Haw. Rev. Stat. §481I-1 to §481I-4, the statute that governs lemon law claims in Hawaii.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still Have Questions?
Our team reviews every case individually. The fastest answer is a free consultation — no pressure, no commitment.
Get a Free Case Review →Hawaii Lemon Law Arbitration
Hawaii does not require arbitration before a lawsuit, so the consumer may go directly to court or use voluntary arbitration. The general questions about these programs are answered in our lemon law FAQ.
If you do choose arbitration, a program takes the case once the repair history meets the threshold of 3 repair attempts for the same defect or 30 cumulative business days out of service, and after any written notice to the manufacturer that the statute makes a prerequisite. After that the timing is up to the program. A program's decision often binds the manufacturer. The consumer generally keeps the right to go to civil court, though appeal deadlines vary. If arbitration doesn't resolve the case, either side can file a civil suit, and the Hawaii circuit courts that cover Hilo, Kailua-Kona and Kailua are listed in the Statute-Cited Answers below. Most of our Hawaii cases never get that far, since they settle after our written demand.
Hawaii Lemon Law vs Federal Magnuson-Moss
Most Hawaii cases can be brought under both laws, so we review each one under the Hawaii Lemon Law and under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. §2301) and lead with the stronger one. Hawaii's law has the repair presumption and the buyback remedy, but Magnuson-Moss adds a federal fee provision, and it can also cover defects outside the Hawaii lemon law period. On repairs, Hawaii requires 3 repair attempts for the same defect or 30 cumulative business days out of service. But the federal act just asks for a "reasonable number" of repair attempts, and what counts as reasonable depends on the facts. Hawaii's deadline is the express warranty term or 2 years from original delivery, whichever is earlier, while the federal time limit is the length of the express warranty. The Hawaii law reaches new motor vehicles purchased or leased in Hawaii for personal, family, or household purposes, and motor vehicles used for short-term rentals. Magnuson-Moss applies to products under a written warranty, and that is why used cars often qualify. Hawaii law doesn't make you arbitrate before suing, and Magnuson-Moss does so only if the written warranty makes you use a program that meets FTC rules. A case under either one can be filed in state or federal court, and the federal fee rule is 15 U.S.C. §2310(d)(2). Hawaii's law adds potential treble damages for manufacturer bad faith.
Our client's 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz claim was brought under the Hawaii lemon law, and it ended in a buyback.
Hawaii Lemon Law: Statute-Cited Answers
Haw. Rev. Stat. §481I-1 to §481I-4 doesn't make an owner arbitrate, so a Hawaii case that doesn't settle can go straight to court, and the first thing people ask is which court.
Which Hawaii court hears a lemon law case, from Hilo to Kailua?
A Hawaii lemon law case usually goes to the state's general civil trial court for the county where you live or where the car was sold. If arbitration does not resolve the case, Haw. Rev. Stat. §481I-1 to §481I-4 lets either side file a civil suit. Hilo and Kailua-Kona are both in Hawaii County, where the general civil trial court is the Circuit Court of the Third Circuit, and Kailua is in Honolulu County, where it is the Circuit Court of the First Circuit. Hawaii also has a lower court for smaller civil claims, so the amount in dispute can change where a case is filed. A Magnuson-Moss claim can also go to Federal District Court if damages are over $50,000 or party diversity permits it (15 U.S.C. §2310(d)(1)). In the end, which court hears a particular case still depends on its facts, the warranty issues involved and the law it is brought under.
What do Hawaii lemon law attorneys need from you?
The repair orders, every one, including visits where the technician found nothing. Our client's Volkswagen ID. Buzz claim rested on the dealer's own record, which started on September 10, 2025, four days after purchase, and confirmed that the high-voltage heater had failed. The rest of the checklist is short.
- the purchase or lease contract, which shows the delivery date that starts the 2-year count
- the warranty booklet, which shows the express warranty term
- emails, texts and letters with the dealer or manufacturer
- receipts for towing, rentals and lodging, since those costs are often recoverable
It helps to note the date, the mileage and the symptom each time the problem shows up. You can also look up your VIN for recall notices on the NHTSA site, nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What defects count under Hawaii lemon laws?
Under Hawaii's lemon law statute, a defect has to substantially impair the use, market value or safety of the vehicle, and scratches and small paint flaws usually don't. What Hawaii drivers bring us most is engine stalling and misfires, transmission shudder or failure, electrical faults that leave warning lights on (like the failed heater in our client's ID. Buzz), brake and steering problems, and driver-assistance (ADAS) systems that brake or drift on their own.
A 2022 Jeep Wrangler we handled in South Carolina was pulling right and vibrating three days after it was bought, at 186 miles. Later it got the "death wobble". By 28,280 miles it shook hard at highway speed. It went in for four repair attempts, one of them a recall repair, and the case was resolved.
How is the use allowance worked out in a Hawaii buyback?
The refund comes minus a reasonable use allowance for the miles you drove, and each state counts those miles its own way. A common formula divides your mileage by the car's useful life, usually 100,000 to 120,000 miles, and multiplies by the purchase price. Since a smaller divisor means a bigger deduction, we check the manufacturer's numbers before anything is signed. Registration, taxes and finance charges usually come back in the refund, and so do towing or rental costs, while attorney fees are paid separately from the buyback.
Serving Drivers Across All of Hawaii
Easy Lemon represents Hawaii consumers across all eight Hawaiian islands. We handle Haw. Rev. Stat. §481I-1 to §481I-4 cases remotely, regardless of city or county.
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