The New Jersey Lemon Law and the Federal Warranty Act gives a consumer legal rights which may permit you to obtain a new car, a full refund or a partial refund for your defective vehicle. This New Jersey Lemon Law was designed to protect consumers who purchase defective vehicles. Most people refer to a defective vehicle as "Lemon." However, in order for a vehicle to be deemed a "Lemon," under the Lemon Law, it must:

• Suffer a defect or non-conformity that substantially impairs the vehicle's use, value or safety; and


• The defect or non-conformity must be the subject of an "unreasonable" number of repair attempts; and


• The defect that substantially impairs the vehicle's use, value or safety, must occur within the first two (2) years or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first.

If a vehicle is deemed a "Lemon," a consumer would be entitled to a full refund of the purchase price, or a new replacement vehicle, minus a "reasonable allowance for the vehicle's use." The Lemon Law also provides for payment of all legal fees and costs to be paid by the manufacturer should a consumer prevail.

If a vehicle has problems, but the defects do not meet the criteria under the New Jersey Lemon Law, there are other remedies available to a consumer. For instance, if the vehicle's problems are not deemed "substantial," or that the problem began outside of the required Lemon Law period, you may still be entitled to monetary compensation since the manufacturer failed to honor its obligations under the vehicle warranty. These remedies are governed by the Federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and the Uniform Commercial Code and allow a consumer to collect damages even where the vehicle is not considered a "Lemon." Again, if a consumer prevails under a "breach" of warranty theory, the manufacturer would be responsible for all reasonable attorney fees and costs incurred.