New Mexico Lemon Law Attorneys
You Can Get a Cash Settlement, a Replacement Car, or a Refund with Easy Lemon
The New Mexico Lemon Law (N.M. Stat. §57-16A-1 to §57-16A-9) requires manufacturers to repurchase or replace a new motor vehicle with a substantial defect after 4 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 New Mexico drivers at every stage.
How your New Mexico claim gets built
Our lemon law work is directed by Steven P. Nassi, Esq., Managing Partner, Easy Lemon by RockPoint Law P.C. A New Mexico claim gets built on two things: the New Mexico 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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico's Lemon Law
New Mexico's Lemon Law is found at N.M. Stat. §57-16A-1 to §57-16A-9 and sets the rules for defective new vehicles in the state.
How New Mexico's Lemon Law Process Works
Document Your Repairs
Ask for a repair order every time you visit a New Mexico dealer, even if the technician finds nothing. Under N.M. Stat. §57-16A-1 to §57-16A-9, 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 New Mexico'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 N.M. Stat. §57-16A-1 to §57-16A-9 requires.
Manufacturer Response
If New Mexico law gives the manufacturer a final repair attempt, it gets one. If the defect remains, New Mexico 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
N.M. Stat. §57-16A-1 to §57-16A-9 lets a consumer who prevails recover attorney fees. 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.
New Mexico Lemon Law Results
These are actual settlements obtained by the firm, shown because we do not yet have enough resolved matters in New Mexico 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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico Lemon Law
Answers anchored to N.M. Stat. §57-16A-1 to §57-16A-9, the statute that governs lemon law claims in New Mexico.
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 →New Mexico Lemon Law Arbitration
New Mexico requires the consumer to complete the manufacturer's arbitration program first when that program is state-certified, so the first thing we look up on a New Mexico file is which program the manufacturer runs and whether it has that certification. More general answers are in our lemon law FAQ.
When can a New Mexico arbitration program hear my case?
Once the repair history reaches 4 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. We do the filing and send the repair orders in with it. The panel can matter for more than the hearing, because New Mexico's filing deadline is 18 months from original delivery or 90 days after the final action of an informal dispute settlement panel, whichever is later.
Is the panel's decision final?
Often it binds the manufacturer, but the consumer generally can still go to civil court, and since appeal deadlines vary we like to have a copy of the decision on the day it comes. The district courts that usually hear the case after that are listed in the Statute-Cited Answers below.
How long does a New Mexico program take?
That's up to the program, since each one sets its own schedule.
New Mexico Lemon Law vs Federal Magnuson-Moss
New Mexico Motor Vehicle Quality Assurance Act
Most New Mexico cases can be brought under both laws, and so we check each file under the state act and under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. §2301) before we pick the one to lead with. New Mexico requires 4 repair attempts for the same defect or 30 cumulative business days out of service, and it covers new motor vehicles under 10,000 lbs gross vehicle weight that were purchased or leased in the state for personal, family, or household use. The owner also gives the manufacturer prior direct written notice and a chance to cure, and completes the manufacturer's arbitration program first if it is state-certified.
Magnuson-Moss and a reasonable number of attempts
Where New Mexico counts 4 attempts or 30 business days out of service, the federal act just asks for a "reasonable number" of repair attempts, and what's reasonable depends on the facts. New Mexico's window closes 18 months after original delivery or 90 days after an informal dispute settlement panel's final action, whichever is later, but the federal time limit runs as long as the express warranty does, so the act can reach a defect outside the New Mexico lemon law period. It applies to products sold with a written warranty, which is why used cars often qualify. New Mexico may send you to a state-certified program first, while federal law requires arbitration before a lawsuit only if the written warranty makes you use a program that meets FTC rules, and fees under the act follow 15 U.S.C. §2310(d)(2).
A case under either law can be filed in state or federal court.
New Mexico Lemon Law: Statute-Cited Answers
Which New Mexico court hears a lemon law case, from Albuquerque to Alamogordo?
Usually the general civil trial court for the New Mexico county where you live or where the car was sold. Albuquerque is in Bernalillo County, where that court is the Second Judicial District Court, and Santa Fe is in Santa Fe County, with the First Judicial District Court. Clovis, in Curry County, and Portales, in Roosevelt County, both go to the Ninth Judicial District Court, while Gallup in McKinley County goes to the Eleventh, Anthony in Doña Ana County to the Third and Alamogordo in Otero County to the Twelfth. New Mexico 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's brought under.
What do New Mexico lemon law attorneys need from you?
The repair orders come first, every one, including visits where the technician found nothing.
- the purchase or lease contract, which shows the date of original delivery the 18 months run from
- the warranty booklet, which shows the express warranty
- 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 at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When does a New Mexico lemon law attorney send notice to the manufacturer?
Once we've confirmed the repair history meets the 4 attempts or the 30 business days out of service, we send it, because the act requires prior direct written notice to the manufacturer and an opportunity to cure (N.M. Stat. §57-16A-1 to §57-16A-9).
What defects count as a nonconformity in New Mexico?
A defect counts when it substantially impairs the use, market value or safety of the vehicle, and scratches and small paint flaws usually don't get there. What New Mexico drivers bring us most is engine stalling and misfires, transmission shudder or failure, electrical faults that leave warning lights on, 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, and four repair attempts, one of them a recall repair, never fixed it.
How is a UCC implied warranty different from the New Mexico lemon law?
The lemon law covers new vehicles on New Mexico's repair thresholds, while the UCC implied warranties reach further, used vehicles included. Merchantability under UCC §2-314 applies to sales of goods by merchants and is a lower bar than the lemon law's substantial impairment, and fitness for a particular purpose under UCC §2-315 applies when a buyer relied on the seller's advice for a specific use, such as towing.
Serving Drivers Across All of New Mexico
Easy Lemon represents New Mexico consumers from Albuquerque to the Four Corners. We handle N.M. Stat. §57-16A-1 to §57-16A-9 cases remotely, regardless of city or county.
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