2026 Chevrolet Traverse Lemon Law Buyback in New York
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Our client bought a new 2026 Chevrolet Traverse in New York. In March 2026 it began revving near 5,000 RPM and stalling, and the owner reports the dealer later pointed to the transmission. With 34 days out of service, Chevrolet repurchased the SUV in a buyback valued at $51,733.
The vehicle and its defects
The Traverse was bought new in September 2025 with 106 miles showing. It had 14,252 miles when it went to the dealer.
The complaint was serious. Engine speed reportedly climbed to around 5,000 RPM and the SUV stalled. The record links the problem to the engine and transmission.
| Vehicle | 2026 Chevrolet Traverse |
|---|---|
| State | New York |
| Purchase | Bought new, September 2025 |
| Repair visits | 1 |
| Mileage at first repair | 14,252 |
| Days out of service | 34 |
| Resolution | Buyback, settled July 2026 |
| Total | $51,733 |
The repair record
There is 1 repair visit in the record, opened at 14,252 miles, and the Traverse was out of service for 34 days.
- March 20, 2026–Present
The owner reported RPMs running near 5,000 and the vehicle stalling. Technicians first wrote that they could not reproduce the problem, on paperwork dated March 20 to 31, 2026. The owner says the repair continued after that and that the dealership diagnosed a transmission problem.
New York Lemon Law - New Car Lemon Law and federal warranty law
New York's New Car Lemon Law, N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law §198-a, covers new vehicles purchased, leased or registered in New York. A defect first reported within 18,000 miles or 2 years of delivery (whichever comes sooner) can support a refund or replacement, minus a reasonable offset for use, once the same problem has been through 4 repair attempts or the vehicle has been out of service for 30 or more calendar days in total. Owners have 4 years from original delivery to bring a claim. If the manufacturer runs its own dispute program, it must be tried first before seeking a refund or replacement, while the state arbitration program is optional. A court may award reasonable attorney fees to a consumer who prevails, and a returned vehicle's title has to show it came back for a warranty defect.
This Traverse was delivered in September 2025 and went in during March 2026 at 14,252 miles, inside both the 18,000-mile and 2-year limits. The record lists 34 days out of service, above the 30-day figure in the statute. The federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq., can run alongside a state claim as a written-warranty claim that may allow recovery of attorney fees.
- Statute
- New York Lemon Law - New Car Lemon Law, N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law §198-a
- Repair test
- 4 repair attempts for the same defect, or 30 cumulative calendar days out of service
- Time limit
- Within 4 years from original delivery (defects must first be reported within 18,000 miles or 2 years, whichever is earlier)
- Federal law
- Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq.
More on New York: New York lemon law attorney page and how to file a lemon law claim in New York.
How RockPoint built the claim
Days out of service drove this claim. New York does not require the owner to wait for 4 failed repairs when the vehicle has already been unavailable for 30 days or more, and this Traverse reached 34 on a single visit.
The facts about what happened during this visit were important too. A vehicle that stalls while the engine races is a hard thing to live with. The repair order says technicians could not reproduce the problem, and the owner reports the dealership later diagnosed a transmission problem.
The outcome
Chevrolet agreed to a buyback and the case settled in July 2026. The total amount of the resolution was $51,733 (exact to the penny: $51,733.90). It covered the loan payoff, the amount paid to our client and attorney fees.
Questions about this case
The New Car Lemon Law looks for 4 attempts on the same defect. A vehicle that has been out of service for 30 or more calendar days in total can also qualify, which is how this Traverse's 34-day record lined up.
The claim must be brought within 4 years of original delivery. The defect itself has to be reported first within 18,000 miles or 2 years, whichever is earlier.
If the manufacturer has its own dispute program, an owner must use it first to get a refund or replacement. The state arbitration program is optional. This case ended as a Chevrolet buyback in July 2026.
It can, if that visit pushes total days out of service to 30 or more. This Traverse had 1 visit and 34 days out of service.
Chevrolet repurchased the SUV. The total value of the resolution was $51,733, covering the loan payoff, the payment to our client and attorney fees.
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