Lemon Law Attorneys · Utica, New York

Utica, NY
Lemon Law Attorneys

Pursue a Refund, Replacement Car, or Cash Settlement
No attorney’s fees unless we recover for you.

See If You Qualify: Free 📞 (855) 435-3666

Free case review 97%^* Resolution Rate Fully remote, from first call to resolution

Your New York lemon law attorney

Admitted in New York, 2004 · New York State Bar No. 4263489

Steven P. Nassi founded the firm and still runs it. Admitted in New York in 2004, NY Bar No. 4263489. He earned his J.D. at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he was supervising editor of the Cardozo Law Review, after a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Binghamton. If your car keeps going back to the shop for the same fault, he is the one who reads the file.

Read Steven Nassi’s full bio →

Free Case Review

See If You Qualify

We have handled 3,000+ cases.^‡ No attorney’s fees unless we recover for you.

New York Lemon Law Thresholds

✓ 4 repair attempts for the same defect
✓ 30 cumulative calendar days out of service
✓ Filing deadline: Within 4 years from original delivery (defects must first be reported within 18,000 miles or 2 years, whichever is earlier)

100% Free & Confidential · Takes 30 Seconds

Vehicle Situation Contact

What's your vehicle? 🚗

Let's see if your car qualifies for a lemon law claim.

Year

Make

Free case review · Call (855) 435-3666

🔒 Lemon law claims have strict filing deadlines, don't wait.

Utica Lemon Law

Utica Lemon Law Basics

The law that applies in Utica is New York's lemon law, N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law §198-a, and it covers new motor vehicles purchased, leased, or registered in New York; New York also has a separate used car lemon law. You may have a claim if your repair orders reach one of the repair limits in the box above while the defect is still there and you are inside the deadline. The statute text, the filing deadlines and the rules on used cars are on our New York Lemon Law Attorneys page.

Broken down lemon car in Utica, New York — Lemon Law Attorney

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Step by Step

How a Utica Lemon Law Claim Works

This is what happens after you call us from Utica.

Document Your Repairs

Keep every repair order from your Utica dealership, even the short ones. Under New York's lemon law, those papers are the written proof of each repair attempt.

Free Case Evaluation

We read your repair history against the New York statute and tell you whether the car qualifies. The review costs nothing, and there are no attorney's fees unless we recover for you.

We File the Claim

We write and send the paperwork, including reporting the problem to the manufacturer, its agent, or its authorized dealer, as New York law requires. We deal with the manufacturer for you.

You Get Compensated

A successful case usually ends with a refund, a replacement vehicle or a cash settlement. There are no attorney's fees unless we recover for you.

N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law §198-a

Is Your Utica Car a Lemon? New York's 3-Step Test

Does the Defect Substantially Impair Use, Value, or Safety?

Under New York law, the defect has to substantially impair the vehicle's use, value, or safety.

Have You Met the Repair Attempt Threshold?

In New York the test is 4 repair attempts for the same defect or 30 cumulative calendar days out of service, as long as the claim is brought within the deadline in step 3. Count the visits on your repair orders to see where you stand.

Did It Happen Within the Rights Period?

In New York, a claim must be brought within 4 years from original delivery, and defects must first be reported within 18,000 miles or 2 years, whichever is earlier. We check that deadline against the delivery date on your contract and the dates on your repair orders.

If you are not sure about your dates, call us. The consultation is free. 📞 (855) 435-3666

If you think you are past a deadline, call us anyway. We may still be able to help.

Oneida County

Court and Venue in Utica

Utica is in Oneida County. Oneida County's general civil trial court is the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Oneida County. New York also has a lower court for smaller civil claims, so the amount in dispute can change where a case is filed. Which court hears a particular case still depends on its facts, the warranty issues involved and the law it is brought under.

The New York lemon law is N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law §198-a. New York does not require certified-mail notice from the consumer in the ordinary case; reporting the problem to the manufacturer, its agent or its authorized dealer is enough (N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law §198-a(b)). If the manufacturer has its own dispute program, the consumer must use it first to get a refund or replacement. The state arbitration program is optional, and every manufacturer must take part if the consumer chooses it.

The repair test in the statute is 4 repair attempts for the same defect, or 30 cumulative calendar days with the vehicle out of service. The statutory remedy is a replacement vehicle or a full refund, minus a reasonable offset for use. The court may award a consumer who prevails reasonable attorney fees.

Open recalls on your vehicle can be checked against NHTSA records at easylemon.com/recalls. A recall alone is not a lemon law claim.

Sources: New York State Unified Court System, Supreme Court outside New York City; U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 place-by-county file. Court names checked September 26, 2026.

Browse by Vehicle Brand

Filing in New York for One of These Brands?

Brand-specific New York Lemon Law playbooks: statute citations, recall coverage, manufacturer notice procedure, and defect patterns most common in New York operating conditions.

Chevrolet

Silverado · Tahoe · Suburban · Equinox · Bolt EV

Jeep

Wrangler · Grand Cherokee · Wagoneer · Gladiator

Ram

Ram 1500 · 2500 · 3500 · ProMaster · TRX

Dodge

Charger · Challenger · Durango · Hornet · Daytona EV

Volkswagen

Atlas · Tiguan · Taos · ID.4 · Jetta · ID. Buzz

What the Statute Says

New York Lemon Law - New Car Lemon Law: The Rules That Decide an Utica Claim

Some New York rules go beyond the repair test and the arbitration rule covered under Court and Venue above. Those other rules are here.

Notable provisions of New York Lemon Law - New Car Lemon Law

New York has both a New Car Lemon Law and a separate Used Car Lemon Law (§198-b). The new car law covers 18,000 miles/2 years. New York also requires the title of a returned vehicle to show that it was returned for a warranty defect.

Your Team

Meet Your New York Team

Steven Nassi, Esq., Founder & Managing Partner

Admitted in New York, 2004 · New York State Bar No. 4263489

Founded Easy Lemon so consumers could get real representation with nothing owed up front. J.D., Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he was Supervising Editor of the Cardozo Law Review. B.A., SUNY Binghamton.

Service Area

Serving Utica & Surrounding New York Communities

📍 Utica Neighborhoods

We take cases from Corn Hill, East Utica, South Utica, West Utica and Bagg Square.

🏖️ Oneida County

Nearby: New Hartford, Whitesboro, Yorkville, Marcy and Rome.

Your Rights Under New York Law

What The Manufacturer Owes You

Under New York law the remedy is a replacement vehicle or a full refund, minus a reasonable offset for use. A qualifying case from Utica usually closes in one of these three ways.

Refund

The car goes back to the manufacturer, which returns what you paid, with the taxes, registration fees and finance charges, less a reasonable use offset.

Replacement Vehicle

The manufacturer swaps your car for a comparable new one and pays for the exchange.

Cash Settlement

You hold on to the car and are paid for the value the defect cost you. This one is not in the statute. It is negotiated.

Have Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers below are based on New York law and on the paperwork Utica drivers usually send us.

PROCESS & TIMELINE

Bring the repair orders from your Utica dealer, your purchase or lease contract and your warranty booklet. Of the three, the repair orders carry the case. Each one shows the date, the mileage and what the service department did or did not fix. If a few are missing, ask the service desk for copies.

Usually not. Most lemon law cases we handle for Utica drivers settle with the manufacturer before a lawsuit is filed. In New York, if the manufacturer has its own dispute program, you must use it first to get a refund or replacement. The state arbitration program is optional, and every manufacturer must take part if you choose it. We prepare that filing for you.

ELIGIBILITY

N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law §198-a covers new motor vehicles purchased, leased, or registered in New York. New York also has a separate used car lemon law. If you bought used, send the paperwork anyway, including any written warranty that came with the car.

We handle warranty defects that substantially impair the car's use, value or safety and that the dealer could not fix. The defects we see most often are engine stalling and misfires, transmission shudder or failure, electrical faults, brake and steering problems, and driver-assist systems that brake or drift on their own.

REMEDIES

In New York, the court may award a consumer who prevails reasonable attorney fees. We work on contingency, so you pay nothing upfront and there is no attorney's fee unless we recover for you. When a manufacturer settles or loses, we ask it to pay our fee on top of your recovery. The federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. §2310(d)) adds a second fee-shifting route when a written warranty is breached. Our fee agreement is one page.

ATTORNEY & TRUST

No. Our offices are in Manhasset NY, Newark NJ, Miami FL and Dallas TX. We handle New York cases by phone, email and e-signature. You upload your repair orders, your contract and your warranty booklet. We send the demand letter and handle the settlement paperwork. Nothing in N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law §198-a requires you to appear anywhere to open a claim.

Client Testimonials

What Our Clients Are Saying

Easy Lemon has handled 3,000+ lemon law cases^‡.

“An excellent team—working with them was easy, everything was transparent, they provided constant updates on the case, and they expedited the process whenever possible. If translators for other languages were also available, it could significantly speed up communication.
Returned my 2025 Audi SQ5—thanks to the team!”

Sergey Kudlenkov

Google review

“I had a great experience working with Easy Lemon on my Hyundai lemon law case. The team was professional, responsive, and supportive throughout the process. They kept me informed about the progress of my case, helped me understand my options, and worked hard to negotiate a resolution with Hyundai.”

Hosoo Yu

Google review

“I had an outstanding experience working with Steven Nassi, Esq., founder of Rockpoint Law, on my Tesla Plaid lemon law case.

From the very beginning, Steven was professional, knowledgeable, responsive, and extremely clear about the process. He handled everything with confidence and made what could have been a frustrating and stressful situation feel straightforward and well managed.

Most importantly, Steven delivered results. He successfully negotiated a fantastic settlement on my behalf, exceeding my expectations and proving the value of having an experienced attorney who truly understands lemon law and knows how to advocate for his clients.

I am extremely grateful for his persistence, expertise, and professionalism throughout the entire case. I would highly recommend Steven Nassi and Rockpoint Law to anyone dealing with a lemon vehicle or manufacturer dispute. Exceptional representation and an exceptional result.”