A new vehicle that was purchased, leased or registered in New York State for personal use and which shows a serious problem or defect that is not corrected after four or more repair attempts, or is out of service due to repair for at least 30 days, within the first 18,000 miles or two years (whichever comes first), may be eligible for the Lemon Law Arbitration Program.  If successful, the consumer will be entitled to either a full refund of the purchase price (less an allowance for mileage over 12,000 miles), or a comparable replacement vehicle. 

The consumer will also be awarded a return of the $250.00 arbitration filing fee for an arbitrator’s award in his or her favor.

A vehicle purchased or leased from a New York State dealer (one who sold or offered to sell three or more cars within the previous twelve-month period) for personal use with more than 18,000 miles but less than 100,000 miles is also subject to Lemon Law coverage depending on the mileage at the time of purchase:

Miles At Purchase      Duration of Warranty

18,000-36,000               90 days or 4,000 miles

36,001-79,999               60 days or 3,000 miles

80,000-100,000             30 days or 1,000 miles

The consumer will also be awarded a return of the $120.00 arbitration filing fee for an arbitrator’s award in his or her favor.

A new or used motorcycle that was purchased/leased OR registered in New York State is covered by the Lemon Law. 

Depending on whether the motorcycle was purchased new or used will determine if the motorcycle will qualify under the new or used car Lemon Law.

The consumer will also be awarded a return of the $250.00 arbitration filing fee for an arbitrator’s award in his or her favor.

A new wheelchair that was purchased or leased in New York State and which manifests a serious problem or defect that is not corrected after three or more repair attempts, or is out of service due to repair for at least 30 days within the first year of ownership, may be eligible for Lemon Law relief through the arbitration program.  

If successful, the consumer will be entitled to either a full refund of the purchase price of the wheelchair, or a comparable replacement wheelchair. 

The consumer will also be awarded a return of the $100.00 arbitration filing fee for an arbitrator’s award in his or her favor.

The claim begins when the Request for Arbitration Form is filed. Once the form is filed, the Attorney General's Office will review the form for completeness and accuracy to verify that the vehicle meets the minimum requirements under the Law. If your case is not accepted into the program for whatever reason, the Attorney General's Office will respond to your request confirming the reason for denial. You may need to fix errors on the form and resubmit the form again.

Once the Attorney General's Office accepts the case into the arbitration program, the case is forwarded to NYSDRA for processing. NYSDRA will then reach out to you to collect the filing fee payment. The fee can be paid via the NYSDRA website or via personal check. You will have 60 calendar days to pay the filing fee. If the filing fee is not paid within that timeframe, your case will be marked closed and you will need to file a new Request for Arbitration form.

Once you pay the required filing fee, NYSDRA will forward your case to one of the Community Dispute Resolution Centers (CDRCs) in New York State. The center which handles your case will be based on the location chosen on the Request for Arbitration Form.

Once the CDRC receives your case, they will schedule an arbitration hearing with an arbitrator assigned by that CDRC. The arbitrator will take testimony from both sides and will render an award based on the testimony and evidence provided from both parties. The hearing is typically scheduled approximately 45 calendar days after the filing fee is paid.