Consumer Protection · Lemon Law
Lemon Law in Maine
How many repair attempts and days out of service before Maine presumes your vehicle is a lemon, and whether used cars are covered.
presumption trigger (same defect)
Do I meet the Maine lemon presumption?
Enter your repairs and downtime. This checks the presumption; it is not a legal verdict.
This checklist is educational, not a legal verdict. Every state writes these numbers as a rebuttable presumption: hitting them shifts the burden to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer can still rebut it. Keep every repair order, send any required written notice, and consult a lawyer about your specific facts. This is legal information, not legal advice.
How the presumption works in Maine
The prongs that shift the burden to the manufacturer.
The out-of-service count is 15 BUSINESS days, so weekends and days the dealer’s service department is closed are excluded. A serious failure of the braking or steering system needs only a single repair attempt to meet the presumption.
Every state, Maine included, writes these thresholds as a rebuttable presumption. Reaching them shifts the burden onto the manufacturer to prove your vehicle is not a lemon; it does not mean you automatically win. You may also qualify with fewer attempts if a "reasonable number" of repairs is shown some other way, and the manufacturer can rebut the presumption. This is legal information, not legal advice.
Used cars & leased vehicles
Which of the three coverage categories Maine falls in.
The full picture, with the source
Every figure, and where it comes from.
| Same-defect attempts | 3 |
| Serious-safety attempts | 1 |
| Days out of service | 15 business days |
| Coverage window | Earlier of warranty expiration or 3 years / 18,000 miles from delivery |
| Used cars | New vehicles only |
| Leased vehicles | Covered |
| Statute | 10 M.R.S. §1163 (Lemon Law; §1161 et seq.) |
What Maine car buyers get wrong
Maine sets one of the longer coverage windows in the country and counts out-of-service time in business days, not calendar days. Under 10 M.R.S. §1163, the state presumes a "reasonable number of attempts" has been made if the same defect is repaired 3 or more times, or the car is out of service for 15 or more business days, within the earlier of warranty expiration or 3 years / 18,000 miles from delivery. A business day here is any day the dealer’s service department is open, so weekends and holidays do not count toward the 15. Maine also carries a fast track for the most dangerous defects: a serious failure of either the braking or steering systems needs only 1 repair attempt to meet the presumption. Every threshold is a presumption trigger that shifts the burden to the manufacturer, not an automatic win, and before asking for a refund or replacement the consumer must give written notice and allow a final repair attempt of up to 7 business days.
Common questions
How many repairs is a lemon in Maine?
Maine presumes a lemon after 3 attempts on the same defect, or just 1 attempt for a serious failure of the braking or steering system, or 15 business days out of service. These fall within the earlier of warranty expiration or 3 years / 18,000 miles, and each is a rebuttable presumption.
Are the out-of-service days calendar or business days in Maine?
Business days. The 15-day out-of-service threshold counts only days the dealer’s service department is open, so weekends and holidays are excluded.
How long does Maine’s lemon law cover a new vehicle?
The presumption period runs to the earlier of the warranty’s expiration or 3 years / 18,000 miles from original delivery, whichever comes first. That 3-year term is longer than many states.
Does a brake or steering problem qualify faster in Maine?
Yes. A serious failure of either the braking or steering systems needs only a single repair attempt to meet the presumption, compared with 3 attempts for other defects. The manufacturer still gets a final 7-business-day repair opportunity after written notice.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.