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Clifton, New Jersey Lemon Law

Clifton, NJ Lemon Law Attorney

A new car that keeps landing back at a Route 46 service desk with the same fault may be a lemon under New Jersey law, and the manufacturer, not the dealer, may owe you a buyback. That's the kind of thing we deal with at RockPoint Law, where lemon law claims are our core practice, and we take them from Clifton and from all over Passaic County. If it does end up going to a hearing, the closest hearing office is in Newark, so it's not a long trip. Just keep an eye on your odometer while all this is going on, because the miles add up faster than people expect. The window shuts at 24,000 miles or two years, whichever comes first.

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Three quick questions. No cost, no obligation.

  1. The year and make of your vehicle
  2. What the dealer has already tried
  3. How to reach you, and we review it
Start My Free Case Review  Call (516) 550-3323

Sending this does not create an attorney-client relationship. A case evaluation is a first step, not legal representation.

There are three numbers that frame a Clifton claim, and they're all things you've already got: your delivery date, whatever the odometer reads today, and the mileage on your first repair order. From those we can tell how much of the window is left and roughly what's going to come off the refund. And if the case goes further, the state hearing can be in Newark, while a lawsuit would go to the Passaic Vicinage up in Paterson.

  • Passaic County claims
  • 3 repairs or 20 shop days
  • No fee unless we recover
Key facts

Clifton lemon law at a glance

The figures a Passaic County claim depends on, from the day the window opens to the deadline for answering a judge's ruling. Each row names its source in the Act or the Division's rules.

Key facts of the New Jersey Lemon Law for a Clifton driver, N.J.S.A. 56:12-29 and following
Key figureWhat it meansWhere it comes from
24,000 milesor two yearsProtection runs from original delivery and ends at whichever comes first. After 24,000 miles, later repairs stop counting toward the tests.Sections 56:12-31 and 56:12-33(a)
3 repairssame defectThe manufacturer is presumed to have failed when substantially the same defect survives three or more repairs.Section 56:12-33(a)(1)
1 lookdangerous defectFor a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, one examination or repair is enough, even if the dealer found nothing.Section 56:12-33(a)(3)
20 daysall defects addedCalendar days out of service for one or more defects go into one total. Days after the shop said the car was ready are left out.Section 56:12-33(a)(2); N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26.2
10 dayslast repairCounted from the day your certified letter reaches the manufacturer, which must happen before 24,000 miles and within two years.Section 56:12-33(b)
$50after acceptanceThe filing fee, by certified check or money order, requested only once the Lemon Law Unit accepts the file. You recover it as a cost if you win.N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26.8
20 daysto a hearingThe hearing is due within 20 days of acceptance unless you agree to a later date. Newark, at 33 Washington Street, is the closest of the three sites to Clifton.Section 56:12-37(b)
8 daysto file an exceptionIf the judge's initial decision goes against you, the Division must receive your written exception within eight days of the date on the decision.Division of Consumer Affairs, Road to Relief brochure
100,000use divisorThe deduction is calculated by multiplying the price by the mileage at your first repair visit for the defect, then dividing that amount by 100,000.Section 56:12-30
The Short Answer

What is the lemon law for a Clifton driver?

If you reside in Clifton and your new vehicle was purchased, leased, or registered in New Jersey, the state's Lemon Law applies. The manufacturer is presumed to have failed when the same defect survives three repairs, when a defect that could kill or seriously injure someone survives one, or when the car has spent 20 calendar days in the shop. It all has to happen inside 24,000 miles or two years from delivery. If it does, the manufacturer can be made to take the car back and refund you.

You'll find the law at N.J.S.A. 56:12-29 and the sections after it. The Lemon Law Unit inside the Division of Consumer Affairs screens claims, and judges at the Office of Administrative Law hear them. For the whole statute, read our New Jersey lemon law guide. Living in Clifton changes three things: your courthouse is in Paterson, your nearest hearing office is in Newark, and Route 46 and Route 3 both have new-car dealerships.

The date that ends a New Jersey claim

New Jersey protects you for the first 24,000 miles or two years after original delivery, whichever ends first (section 56:12-31). Inside that period, the manufacturer is owed one written warning and one last repair before the state will hear you:

  • the letter goes to the manufacturer, never only the dealership, and it travels by certified mail, return receipt requested (section 56:12-33(b));
  • you can mail it after two failed repairs of one defect, after 20 days out of service, or after one look at a defect likely to cause death or serious injury;
  • from the day it arrives, the manufacturer has 10 calendar days for its final try;
  • according to the Division's consumer brief, the manufacturer has to receive it before the odometer reaches 24,000 and within two years of delivery.

Clifton sits where the Garden State Parkway meets Route 3 and Route 46. If your commute runs on those roads every day, the 24,000-mile mark can arrive well ahead of the second anniversary. The Division wants the letter sent to the manufacturer's regional office, at the address its Lemon Law Unit gives you. The signed receipt card goes into your application later.

The odometer decides two things

Mileage does two separate jobs in a New Jersey claim. First, it can close your protection. Once the car passes 24,000 miles, later repairs no longer count toward the tests, even on a car that's barely a year old (section 56:12-33(a)). Second, the reading on your first repair order for the defect sets the use deduction on your refund (section 56:12-30). Both point the same way. Report a fault the first time you notice it, and you keep the deduction small and leave more of the window for the repair visits and the letter.

Before you call anyone, write down three numbers:

  • the delivery date printed on your sales or lease contract;
  • today's odometer reading;
  • the mileage on the first repair order for the problem.

With those three figures we can usually tell you how much time is left and roughly what the deduction will be.

The claim runs against the manufacturer alone. Section 56:12-46 gives you no refund claim against the dealership, and section 56:12-48 voids any sale, lease or repair paper that tries to waive these rights. Federal law, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, also applies, and section 56:12-47 leaves your other remedies in place. Our lemon law glossary explains the terms.

Eligibility

What qualifies for the lemon law in Clifton?

A New Jersey claim needs two things. First, a serious defect: the Act calls it a nonconformity, a defect or condition that substantially impairs the car's use, value or safety (section 56:12-30). Second, proof the manufacturer had its chances, and section 56:12-33 gives three ways to show that. One is enough. The manufacturer keeps two defenses under section 56:12-40: the fault doesn't substantially impair the car, or it came from abuse, neglect or changes made by someone outside the manufacturer and its dealers. Every card here has a Clifton example and a quick self-check.

Three Repairs, Same Problem

The dealer or manufacturer has worked on substantially the same defect three or more times, and it's still there. Each visit has to come before 24,000 miles or the two-year mark. "Substantially the same" is looser than "identical." When one service writer logs a "hesitation" and the next logs a "throttle fault," the question is whether it's one problem underneath.

A Clifton example A three-row SUV that has been to a Route 46 service department three times for a transmission that clunks into reverse, and still clunks at 13,000 miles

One Visit, If It Could Hurt Someone

For a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury when the car is driven, one examination or repair is enough (section 56:12-33(a)(3)). Note the word "examination." If the dealer checked a brake, airbag or stalling complaint, couldn't reproduce it and sent you home, that visit still counts while the defect remains. You can mail the certified letter right after it.

A Clifton example A sedan that stalls while merging onto the Parkway, checked once with no code stored, and stalls again at a Route 3 light days later

20 Calendar Days in the Shop

Add up every day the car has been out of service for repair, for one or more defects, since delivery. At 20 calendar days, with a defect still present, it qualifies. Separate faults count together, and so do Saturdays and Sundays. Under the Division's rule (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26.2), a day counts while the car is on the repair shop's premises, and days it waited for you after it was ready don't. Motorhomes need 45.

A Clifton example A crossover in for twelve days waiting on a part for a coolant leak, then nine days for a camera and screen that keep going black: 21 days across two faults

Before 24,000 Miles or Two Years

All of it has to fit inside the term of protection: the first 24,000 miles or the first two years after original delivery, whichever comes first. Your certified letter has to arrive inside it too. Buying used doesn't rule you out. A car still under both limits, counted from the first owner's delivery, can qualify.

A Clifton example A hybrid delivered in June 2025 that already reads 20,400 miles from a daily Route 3 and Parkway commute: the mileage limit will hit long before June 2027

Bring the paper home from every Route 46 or Route 3 service desk

The case is built from service paperwork. Whenever the car comes back from an examination or repair inside the term of protection, section 56:12-34(b) entitles you to an itemized, legible repair statement from the dealer, on the manufacturer's behalf. It should show the problem you reported, the diagnosis, the work done, and the date and odometer reading both when the car went in and when it was ready. Check it before you drive off. The first-visit mileage later sets your use deduction, and the dates carry the 20-day count. Hold on to every repair order, sales or lease contract, tow bill and rental receipt.

Can't tell whether your record clears one of the tests? We'll read it and tell you.

Start My Free Case Review  Call (516) 550-3323
Where your case is heard

Where is a Clifton lemon law claim heard?

If you're in Clifton, there are two nearby cities where your lemon law claim can be heard, and they're close enough to each other that geography shouldn't decide it for you. The closest state hearing office is in Newark, and a lawsuit would be filed in Paterson. Which route fits is your call, and the differences are laid out below.

You Can Skip the Maker's Arbitration

Some automakers offer their own dispute program. Under section 56:12-36(a), you don't have to use it before asking for the state hearing. If you do try it, its written findings can be used later by you or by the manufacturer.

The State Claim Travels by Mail

The application goes by mail to the Lemon Law Unit, P.O. Box 45026, Newark, NJ 07101, and staff there check it for completeness and eligibility. Only after that do they ask for the $50 filing fee, by certified check or money order (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26.8), and you recover it as a cost if you win. Nobody has to drive anything over to Newark in person, which is one less errand.

The Courthouse Is in Paterson

You can bypass the state process and sue in the Superior Court (section 56:12-39). A Passaic County case goes to the Passaic Vicinage, which the New Jersey Courts list at 77 Hamilton Street, Paterson. It's worth choosing carefully, because once the Division decides a claim, the ruling binds both sides, subject to appeal, and blocks a later lawsuit under the Act.

The Hearing: Newark Is Closest

After the fee is paid, the Division sends your case to the Office of Administrative Law. Its judges sit for these cases in Newark, Trenton and Atlantic City, and you pick a date from the ones the Lemon Law Unit offers. Newark is the nearest by far (the OAL lists its office at 33 Washington Street), while Trenton's hearing office is actually out in Mercerville and Atlantic City's is on Atlantic Avenue. Section 56:12-37(b) sets the hearing within 20 days of acceptance unless you agree to a later date.

What happens after the hearing

The judge's written decision is due within 20 days of the hearing. The Director of Consumer Affairs then gets 15 days to adopt, reject or modify it, and if the Director does nothing, it stands. Either side may appeal to the Appellate Division within 45 days (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26.13). A manufacturer's appeal isn't heard until it posts a bond for the award plus $2,500. If it unreasonably misses the date the decision sets for its remedies, it owes $5,000 for every day of delay. Our New Jersey lemon law guide covers the full timeline.

Getting ready for a hearing in Newark

The Division's Road to Relief brochure suggests talking to a lawyer first, which, coming from the agency itself, is worth noticing. For owners who'd rather present their own case anyway, it lays out a plan:

  • treat your application as the script, since it already holds most of what the judge will ask about;
  • put every record in date order so the history of the defect reads from start to finish;
  • write a short outline of your main points, and a list of questions for the manufacturer's representative;
  • think about an expert witness, or a relative or friend who has seen the problem happen.

If the judge's initial decision goes against you, the brochure explains that you can file a written exception with the Director, up to three typed pages, and the Division has to receive it within eight days of the date stamped on the decision. That's a short window, so read the decision the day it shows up rather than letting it sit on the counter.

If you try the manufacturer's program first

A manufacturer's arbitration has to follow rules of its own under section 56:12-36. Its written decision must say whether you qualify for a refund under New Jersey's tests. Documents have to reach both sides at least seven days before the hearing. You can hire your own technical expert to test the claim that a fault is "within specifications," and the panel has to consider the maker's technical service bulletins for your make and model. If you win there, your costs and reasonable attorney's fees are awarded too. If you lose, though, the findings can be used against you later, and that's the reason we look hard at this option before we'd ever recommend it.

Filing in court instead: the Passaic Vicinage in Paterson

If you're a Clifton owner and you take the court route, you file in the Superior Court's Passaic Vicinage, and the fee rule there is the same as before the Division. Under section 56:12-42, a consumer who prevails shall be awarded reasonable attorney's fees, expert witness fees and costs. There's one extra step in court, though. Section 56:12-41 has every party that pleads a Lemon Law claim or defense mail a copy of the pleading to the Attorney General within 10 days, and the Attorney General may step in.

Court can suit a file that needs more room, say a large claim, or a dispute that needs discovery, or one where other claims get pleaded alongside the Lemon Law count. The state route, on the other hand, is quicker by design, with a hearing inside 20 days of acceptance. We weigh the two with you before anything gets filed, not after.

The paperwork the Lemon Law Unit asks for

The Division publishes its Application for New Car Lemon Law Dispute Resolution in English, Spanish, Arabic, Creole, Gujarati, Korean, Portuguese and both Simplified and Traditional Chinese, which is a nice touch. The checklist on the form asks for copies of:

  • your final-repair letter and its certified mail receipts;
  • all service invoices and work orders;
  • the purchase order, the sales invoice and any finance agreement;
  • your vehicle registration;
  • bills for towing, rentals, experts and lawyers.

Here's a small one that matters: don't put the $50 in the envelope. The Unit requests it once the application is complete, and the file is date-stamped as accepted when the payment arrives. If you've got questions, they go to the Unit at (973) 504-6226 or [email protected].

"Three strikes" is how people often sum up New Jersey's law, and it's a handy shorthand, but it leaves out the letter, the 10-day final repair and the choice of where to be heard. If you're starting from scratch, read how the lemon law works first and then filing a lemon law claim.

Nearing 24,000 miles, or not sure the letter went out in time? That's the first thing we check, at no charge.

  • Send us the repair orders showing dates and odometer readings; that's usually enough for us to see which test fits.
  • We'll pull the first-visit mileage, since that's the figure that sets your use deduction.
  • If no letter has gone to the manufacturer yet, we can prepare it and send it before the window closes.
  • You'll be speaking with the people who would actually run your file.
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A Clifton driver at home on the phone while a New Jersey Lemon Law application for the Division of Consumer Affairs is put together
You Stay Put

Most of a Clifton claim happens on paper

You don't have to go anywhere to start a claim, which surprises some people. It's copies in the mail: the sale or lease contract, the service invoices, the certified letter plus its green card, your registration, and receipts for any tow or rental. According to the Lemon Law Unit, some cases settle with the manufacturer after acceptance and before a formal hearing.

Our part is the legwork. We collect the repair history, count up the visits and the days, figure out which test the record matches, mail the letter to the manufacturer's regional address, and put the application together. If there's a hearing, we get the case ready and go with you, whether the date you pick is in Newark, Trenton or Atlantic City.

How It Works

How long does a Clifton lemon law case take?

There are five steps to a New Jersey claim, and this is the plain-terms version. If you'd like it document by document, that's in how to file a lemon law claim, and the full statute is on our New Jersey lemon law page.

  1. Day 0The $50 fee is in and the application is accepted, then sent to the Office of Administrative Law
  2. Day 20Latest day for the hearing, with Newark the closest of the three locations, unless you agree to a later date
  3. Day 40Latest day for the judge's written initial decision, when the hearing is held on Day 20
  4. Day 48Latest day for the Division to receive your written exception, up to three typed pages, when the decision is dated Day 40

Check the Car and the Clock

Is it a covered vehicle, and is it still inside the term? Section 56:12-30 applies to four vehicle types (cars, motorcycles, farm tractors, authorized emergency vehicles) when they were bought or leased here or carry New Jersey registration. A motorhome's living quarters are left out, and the Division excludes vehicles registered for commercial use. Then read the delivery date and the odometer. If the car is past 24,000 miles or two years, the used car law may be the one to look at instead.

Get a Repair Statement at Every Visit

Section 56:12-34(b) gives you an itemized statement each time the car comes back, with the date and mileage in and out. If nobody hands it over, ask for it at the counter, because it's yours. Jot down every day the car spends at the shop and keep the tow and rental receipts somewhere you'll find them later. And when a technician writes "could not duplicate," a dated phone video of the fault can help. The Division also tells owners to keep a log of every contact with the dealer and the manufacturer.

Send the Final-Repair Letter

Once you have two failed repairs, 20 shop days or one visit for a dangerous defect, put it in writing to the manufacturer. Use certified mail with a return receipt and the regional address the Lemon Law Unit supplies. The Division's sample letter lists your repair dates, your days out of service and your current mileage. From the day it arrives, the manufacturer has 10 calendar days for a last repair. Time it to arrive before 24,000 miles and before the second anniversary. The Division won't take your application without it.

Choose Where to File

If the defect outlasts the final repair, pick the forum. The state route is an application to the Lemon Law Unit, mailed to its Newark post office box with copies of the letter, the receipt, the repair orders, the registration and the sale or lease papers. The court route is a Superior Court case in the Passaic Vicinage in Paterson. The manufacturer's own program is a third option, never a required one. On the state route, the $50 fee comes after acceptance.

The Hearing and the Buyback

An administrative law judge hears the case within 20 days of acceptance, unless you agree to wait, and for Clifton owners the closest hearing office is in Newark. A written ruling follows within 20 days, and 15 days after that the Director of Consumer Affairs signs off, changes it or rejects it. A win means the car goes back to the manufacturer, which must pay the refund set out below by the deadline written into the decision. Either side has 45 days to appeal to the Appellate Division.

Here's where claims come apart. Picture a repair order with no odometer reading on it, or a letter that got mailed to the service manager instead of the manufacturer, or a final repair nobody bothered to date, so no one knows when the 10 days ended. Or a letter that went out at 23,800 miles and arrived at 24,100.

To be fair to the Division, it built its process so owners can file on their own, and some do. Its brochure also warns that the manufacturer will bring a lawyer and an expert witness to the hearing. Nobody can tell you ahead of time how a case will come out, and we won't pretend otherwise. What we can do is keep the record clean, get the letter out on time and check the refund math line by line.

Outcomes

What compensation can you receive?

When a New Jersey claim succeeds, the manufacturer takes the car back and refunds you. Section 56:12-32 lists what the refund covers:

  • the full purchase price, counting any stated trade-in credit;
  • options or changes the dealer or manufacturer arranged or installed in the first 30 days after delivery;
  • sales tax, license and registration fees, and finance charges;
  • towing, and your actual cost of renting an equivalent car while yours was out of service for the defect.

The manufacturer can offer a replacement car. You don't have to take it: under section 56:12-32(a)(3) you may reject any replacement and demand the refund. If you accept a replacement on a financed car, the manufacturer must move the lien to the new one. Payment is split between you and any lender according to the Motor Vehicle Commission's ownership records.

How the use deduction works

Only one thing comes off the refund: the reasonable allowance for vehicle use. Section 56:12-30 sets it as the purchase price multiplied by the mileage at your first repair visit for the defect, then divided by 100,000. For example, a $42,500 SUV first taken in at 7,200 miles works out to 7,200 × $42,500 ÷ 100,000 = $3,060. That's the formula at work, not a case result. Miles driven after the first visit don't change it, so report a problem the first time it shows up.

  1. Look up the mileage on your first repair order for the defect.
  2. Multiply the purchase price by that mileage.
  3. Divide the result by 100,000. Later miles don't change it.

If you lease

A lessee gets the same remedies (section 56:12-32(b)). The car goes back, the lease ends with no early-termination penalty, and you're refunded what you actually paid under the lease, less the same use allowance figured on the lease price. The manufacturer settles with the leasing company separately. The Act applies to leases longer than 60 days.

The statute also covers fees. Under section 56:12-42, a consumer who prevails, at the Division or in the Superior Court, shall be awarded reasonable attorney's fees, expert witness fees and costs. If you paid for repairs after the first 12,000 miles or first year that no warranty covered, that money comes back as a cost as well (section 56:12-31). Every case turns on its own facts, and no one can tell you the result in advance.

Possible Outcomes

What a successful Clifton claim can include

  • Refund

    Price with trade-in credit, tax, fees, finance charges, towing and rental, less first-repair mileage times price over 100,000

  • Replacement, only if you want it

    The manufacturer may offer one, and you may refuse it and take the refund

  • Repair bills back

    Repairs you paid for after 12,000 miles or a year, with no warranty covering them, recovered as a cost

  • Lease ended

    No early-termination penalty, and your lease payments refunded less the use allowance

  • Fees paid by the maker

    Reasonable attorney's fees, expert fees and costs for a prevailing consumer, under section 56:12-42

Outcomes depend on the facts of each case, so no attorney can tell you in advance what yours will be.

Manufacturers We've Taken to Court

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Vehicles We Handle

Which vehicles does New Jersey's law cover?

Section 56:12-30 covers four kinds of vehicle: passenger cars, motorcycles, farm tractors and authorized emergency vehicles. Each has to be bought or leased in New Jersey or registered with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. The Division's consumer brief names what falls outside: vehicles registered for commercial use, motorhome living quarters, and harm caused by an accident, vandalism, abuse or neglect. Pick whichever type you've got and you'll see how New Jersey treats it.

Cars, SUVs and Minivans

Covered. Say you've got a family SUV from one of the Route 3 showrooms, or a compact you picked up on Route 46; either way it gets the same treatment, which is three repairs, 20 days, or one visit for a dangerous defect, all inside 24,000 miles or two years. Our practice areas page has more on the kinds of cases we take.

Pickups and Diesel Trucks

A pickup bought for personal use and registered as a passenger vehicle is handled like any other new car. What can take it out, on the Division's list, is commercial registration. A work truck on commercial plates may fall outside the state law and still have a federal warranty claim. Our diesel emissions lemon law guide goes into that side of it.

Motorcycles

Named in the statute. Section 56:12-30 lists the motorcycle next to the passenger car, and the Division's sample letter has a blank for "passenger vehicle/motorcycle." So riders get the same tests and the same window as everybody else. One catch: New Jersey's separate used car law doesn't cover motorcycles. Our motorcycle lemon law guide has the rest.

Motorhomes

Covered, minus the living quarters: the engine, chassis and drivetrain count, the kitchen and bathroom don't. The time test is 45 days instead of 20. If two or more manufacturers built the coach, taking it to a shop none of them authorized won't count as an attempt (section 56:12-33(d)). There's a fuller rundown in our RV and motorhome lemon law guide.

Electric and Plug-In Vehicles

Covered like any new car. The usual complaints are about what you'd guess: charging failures, battery warnings, drive-unit noise, and software that misbehaves after each update. A software bug that returns after every update can still be "substantially the same" defect, and days waiting on a battery module count toward the 20. Our electric vehicle lemon law guide has more on all of this.

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Client Stories

What Our Clients Say

Real results from real clients who trusted
RockPoint Law with their lemon law claims.

I contacted RockPoint Law in July 2025 and by mid Jan 2026, I had received my settlement proceeds. A mid 5-figure loan was paid off and the manufacturer took possession of the vehicle. Not having that car payment and the mandatory full coverage freed up about $900/month. If you're on the fence about calling RockPoint Law, let it go. The relief you will feel when it all works out will be soooo worth it.

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HJ
Henry Jose
Google Review

Was having nothing but issues with the DEF system in my Ram 3500. I didn't have high hopes because 3500 trucks are generally excluded from lemon law. The entire process from the time I contacted RockPoint Law to the time I received my settlement was under 6 months! Their response times were well above expectations.

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JR
Joe Russo
Google Review

My Telluride's transmission would jerk so hard between gears that my coffee would spill. Dealer had it four times. When I called RockPoint Law, they asked the exact technical question I'd been researching for weeks. We got a buyback with reimbursement for my deductible and rental costs. They speak fluent mechanic before they speak lawyer.

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K
Kirill
Google Review

Turbo failure on my EcoBoost F-150. Dealer replaced it once, then denied the second. Steven Nassi compared my case to known manufacturing defects for that engine. Other lawyers just saw 'engine trouble.' Steven built the argument around the known defect pattern. Secured a full refund.

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JR
Joshua Ragsdale
Google Review

Our minivan's sliding door would just stop working. Not a great feature with little kids. Tried to get it fixed under warranty three times. Final straw was when it almost closed on my son's arm. Leo was our attorney and got us a great outcome. They handled everything from start to finish.

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JG
Jorge Garcia
Google Review

My family's cross-country road trip turned into a nightmare when our brand-new SUV broke down in three different states. Each dealership kept giving us the run-around. RockPoint Law tracked every failed repair, hotel receipt, and even our unused theme park tickets. They got us a full buyback plus $8,200 for the vacation that fell apart.

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AG
Adam Gore
Google Review

The active suspension in my Ram 1500 started making a loud 'clunk' on every bump. Dealer replaced one part but the noise just moved to another corner. After the third repair, I was done. Natalie Nassi said, 'A repeated failure of a major chassis component is a clear impairment to value and use.' She didn't see a noise; she saw a failed system.

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PM
Piyawan Maprakhon
Google Review

My car is basically my mobile office. When the electrical system fried two laptops and killed my productivity, I reached out to RockPoint Law. Unlike the dealer who treated me as a nuisance, RockPoint Law saw how it impacted my ability to work. They secured a full refund on the vehicle plus $6,500 for lost income and equipment.

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SK
Sadie Kim
Google Review

The manufacturer told me I was out of luck. RockPoint Law told me otherwise — and proved it! Their lemon law experience turned my nightmare into a fair resolution. What impressed me most was their transparency — no false claims, just hard facts and harder work. Worth every penny and then some!

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KE
Kevin Eimuth
Google Review

From the moment I walked into their office shaking with frustration, the team at RockPoint Law put me at ease. They listened patiently to my whole story, then laid out a clear game plan. Six weeks later, I was holding a check that made all those repair shop trips worth it. True professionals who deliver!

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JB
Jatt James Bond
Google Review

We had two vans with the same transmission failure. RockPoint Law consolidated both claims, lined up build dates, and pushed for an extended coverage fix. Both vans were repaired, and we got downtime reimbursed.

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KS
Kishan Singh
Google Review

The hands-free liftgate on my SUV would randomly open in my garage, denting the door. I felt crazy complaining about a 'convenience feature.' Our attorney reframed it: 'An uncontrolled operation of a motorized component is a safety and property damage risk.' The team used my security camera footage as evidence. We got a solid settlement.

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PS
Peyman Soleimani
Google Review
Why RockPoint

Why Clifton drivers choose RockPoint Law

Lemon law is our core practice. We don't have an office in Clifton, and people sometimes figure that means we can't take their case, but we take Passaic County claims anyway, because the state process runs on mailed paperwork and on hearing dates that you get to pick, so where our office happens to be isn't really the point.

Lemon Law Is Our Core Practice

Defective cars and warranty disputes are the core of our practice, and we like it that way, since it means lemon law is what we spend our days on and it's the practice area that gets first call on our time.

Nine Miles From Our New Jersey Office

We don't keep an office in Clifton. The closest one is our New Jersey office in Newark, about nine miles down the road, and the OAL's closest hearing office happens to be in Newark too, which is convenient if it ever gets that far. Most of the work runs by phone, email and e-signature, though.

We Track Every Deadline

Here's everything with a date on it: the 24,000-mile line and the two-year mark, the repair count and the 20 days, the day the letter arrives, then 10 days for the final repair, then a hearing within 20. That's a lot to keep straight when you've also got a job and a car you can't trust, so we put each date on our calendar and you don't have to.

Straight Talk

You'll hear from the people who are actually handling your file, at every stage, and they'll tell you what's going on in plain English instead of making you decode it.

Contingency, No Upfront Fee

Qualifying cases go on contingency, and the way that works is simple enough: you owe no fee unless we recover for you. On a new car claim, section 56:12-42 puts a prevailing consumer's reasonable attorney's fees on the manufacturer.

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Our Story

Meet the Firm Behind Your Claim

The same attorneys who handle claims nationwide handle them here. Two minutes on who we are and how we work.

Side-by-Side

Do I need a lemon law attorney in Clifton?

Here's a Clifton claim handled alone and then handled with an attorney. Flip the switch back and forth and you'll see the same four moments from both sides, which is honestly the easiest way to see where things go wrong.

Repair invoices spread over a kitchen table with a hand hovering above them
On your own1 / 4

Holding the letter until a fourth visit

New Jersey allows the certified letter to be sent after the second failed repair. It's natural to want to give the dealer "one more try" before you write to anybody. The problem is that the odometer keeps moving while you wait, and owners who hold off can watch it cross 24,000 on the way to work, and after that the state route is closed.

A person on the phone at a home desk beside a notepad of call notes
On your own2 / 4

Filing in Paterson without weighing the hearing

A lawsuit in the Passaic Vicinage and an application to the Division lead to very different timelines. If you just pick one without sitting down and comparing them, you may give up the quicker hearing, or the fuller court case, for good.

A wall calendar with dates circled in red next to a set of car keys
On your own3 / 4

Losing the first-visit mileage

The use deduction runs off the odometer reading at your first repair visit for the defect. So if that repair order has gone missing, or nobody wrote the mileage on it in the first place, the manufacturer may work the deduction from a later, higher number, and that number comes off your refund.

One person sitting alone at the end of a long, empty hearing room table
On your own4 / 4

Saying yes to a replacement you didn't want

A manufacturer can offer the same model again in place of a refund. You're free to refuse it and insist on the money. If nobody's told you that, though, it's easy to say yes and end up with a second copy of the car that failed you.

Hands going through a tabbed stack of repair orders with a highlighter
With RockPoint Law1 / 4

The letter out at the first chance

Your own paperwork tells us when you'll reach 24,000 miles and two years. Once we know that, we send the letter at the earliest point section 56:12-33(b) allows.

A certified mail envelope and return receipt card laid out on a desk
With RockPoint Law2 / 4

The forum chosen on purpose

It comes down to a hearing in Newark or a case in Paterson. We go through it with you (how fast each one moves, how big the claim is, what else belongs in the case), and then you make the call with the facts in front of you.

An open planner with color-coded deadline tabs being marked
With RockPoint Law3 / 4

The right mileage in the deduction

First we dig out the first repair order for the defect. The odometer reading from that order is the one we apply the 100,000-mile formula to.

A bound exhibit binder open on a conference table
With RockPoint Law4 / 4

The refund you're owed, counted out

Our count starts from the price and the trade-in credit. Then we add tax, fees, finance charges, tows and rentals, take off the use deduction, and hold the manufacturer's figure up against that list to see whether it matches.

Serving Clifton and Passaic County

On the ground in Clifton

Clifton's the second-largest city in Passaic County (Paterson's the biggest, if you're keeping score). The Census Bureau put it at 91,127 residents in its July 2025 estimate, and the county's 16 municipalities held 531,624 people altogether. From here it's about nine miles south to our New Jersey office in Newark.

Anybody who lives here knows the roads, and there are four big ones. Route 3 and Route 46 both cross the city, the Garden State Parkway has interchanges with each of them inside the city line, and Route 21 runs through too. Franchised new-car dealers have showrooms on Route 46 in Clifton, and on Route 3 too, so whichever service desk you keep ending up at, hold on to every repair order they give you, because each one of those is evidence.

When the car's in the shop again, the train is a real option, which is nice. NJ Transit's Main Line stops at two stations in the city, Clifton and Delawanna, and the trains run east through Secaucus to Hoboken and west toward Suffern. If you drive, though, the Parkway and Route 3 rack up a lot of daily miles, and it's the daily miles that get people to the 24,000-mile limit early.

The addresses behind a Clifton claim

The Lemon Law Unit, Division of Consumer Affairs, Office of Consumer Protection, P.O. Box 45026, Newark, NJ 07101, (973) 504-6226, [email protected]. Mail the application and your copies here.

The Office of Administrative Law has three hearing offices. Its Newark office at 33 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07102, is the closest of the three to Clifton. The others are at 3444 Quakerbridge Road in Mercerville and 1601 Atlantic Avenue in Atlantic City.

The Superior Court, Passaic Vicinage, at 77 Hamilton Street, Paterson, NJ 07505, if you file in court instead.

What the Division's process is built around

The New Jersey Legislature set out its reasons in section 56:12-29: buying a new car is "a major, high cost consumer transaction," and the Act exists in part "to expeditiously resolve disputes." That's why the state route runs on short, fixed deadlines once an application is accepted, and why a manufacturer that stalls after losing faces a bond, daily penalties and, for a frivolous appeal, treble damages under section 56:12-37.

A used car bought from a New Jersey dealer has its own law. The Used Car Lemon Law makes the selling dealer warrant the engine and drivetrain for a period set by the odometer at the sale, from 90 days or 3,000 miles on a car with 24,000 miles or less down to 30 days or 1,000 miles at 60,000 or more. It doesn't cover cars sold for under $3,000, seven or more model years old, or over 100,000 miles (section 56:8-76). On a car with more than 60,000 miles, a buyer can sign that warranty away in a separate written waiver, so read the sale papers closely. The Division explains the rest on its Used Car Lemon Law page.

Here are some of the towns near Clifton that we handle New Jersey claims from, including Clifton:

  • Clifton
  • Passaic
  • Paterson
  • Little Falls
  • Woodland Park
  • Totowa
  • Wayne
  • Hawthorne
  • Nutley
  • Montclair
  • Garfield
  • Rutherford

How to reach us

The fastest way to get started is the online intake form, and we review every request and respond as soon as we can. If you want to read the statute in full, it's on our New Jersey lemon law page, and if you're over in Essex County you can use our Newark lemon law page instead. Two problems come up alongside lemon claims often enough that we wrote about them: a dealer refusing a recall repair, and whether recall work is free.

Case Results

Recent RockPoint Law recoveries

The figures below come from our firm's published lemon law settlement record, across several brands. They are firmwide results, not Clifton or New Jersey outcomes.

$160,264 BMW X6

Recovery on a vehicle with engine, electrical and suspension defects.

$144,550 Porsche Macan

Recovery on a Macan with suspension, drivetrain, electrical and HVAC problems.

$110,289 Rivian R1T

Recovery after electrical, engine and suspension failures on an electric pickup.

Figures are drawn from our firm's published settlement record and are not specific to New Jersey matters. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. See more RockPoint Law settlements 

RockPoint Law, by the numbers

$50M+**
Recovered for clients
3,000+‡
Cases handled
25+
Years of combined experience
97%*
Resolution rate
  • Free Consultation
  • No attorney's fees unless we recover for you.†
Recent Google reviewsAcross all RockPoint offices: 4.8 from 19 Google reviews
  • ★★★★★a month ago
    I had a really good experience with RockPoint Law. The whole process was a lot easier than I expected and everyone I dealt with was helpful and responsive. Whenever I had a question, I was able to get an answer without feeling like I was chasing anyone down. They handled everything and kept me updated along the way. Definitely glad I reached out to them.
    Ronen S. Malekmehr
  • ★★★★★6 months ago
    Saw RockPoint Law and wasn't sure. Called anyway because I was at my wit's end. Natalie Nassi answered and she remembered me from somewhere else. Same calm voice, same no-nonsense approach. She took my case and handled everything. Manufacturer bought the car back. Name on the door changed but Natalie didn't. That's what matters to me.
    Tanja Moldenhauer
  • ★★★★★6 months ago
    Saw RockPoint Law online and wasn't sure because I hadn't heard of them. But I was desperate. My car had been in and out of the shop for months. Called them up and the person I spoke with was so easy to talk to. No legal mumbo jumbo, just straight talk. They took my case and got me a buyback. New name but they know what they're doing. Would recommend.
    Rodolfo Paulino
2 more Google reviews
  • ★★★★★6 months ago
    Honestly wasn't sure about RockPoint Law since I hadn't heard of them before. But I was desperate. My car had been in the shop five times for the same problem and nobody could figure it out. Service advisor started avoiding my calls. I found RockPoint online, called, and the person I talked to was really down to earth. They took my repair orders and handled the whole thing. A few months later, the manufacturer bought the car back. New name but they got it done. Would use them again in a heartbeat.
    Om Shiv
  • ★★★★★6 months ago
    Saw RockPoint Law pop up when I was googling lemon law help. Wasn't sure about the name but figured I'd give it a shot. My Jeep Gladiator had a death wobble at highway speeds—front end would shake violently. Dealer replaced the steering stabilizer twice, still shook. The person I talked to at RockPoint was super calm and explained everything clearly. They handled the claim and Jeep bought the truck back. Glad I didn't let the new name scare me off. They got the job done.
    Víctor Torres

About this page

Written and edited by the RockPoint Law content team. Prepared September 2026 to reflect the New Jersey Lemon Law, N.J.S.A. 56:12-29 et seq., the Used Car Lemon Law, N.J.S.A. 56:8-67 et seq., and the Division of Consumer Affairs rules at N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26. See our editorial policy.

The New Jersey Courts attorney resources let you check any New Jersey lawyer's license status and public discipline record. Check any firm you're thinking of hiring, ours included.

Start here

Tell us what the car is doing in Clifton

Three details about the vehicle, and how to reach you.

  • The year and make of your vehicle
  • What the dealer has already tried, and whether you paid for it
  • Your name, phone and email. We review every request and respond as soon as we can

No cost, no obligation. Contacting RockPoint Law does not create an attorney-client relationship.

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Our Team

Meet the Team
Behind RockPoint Law

A dedicated team that stands with you through every step of your Lemon Law claim.

Steven Nassi
Steven Nassi
Managing Partner
Founder · 25+ years of litigation experience
★ Founder & Managing Partner
Natalie Nassi
Natalie Nassi
Managing Partner
Columbia University · 20+ years in consumer advocacy
Ron Kaniuk
Ron Kaniuk
Florida Managing Partner
St. John's University School of Law · Consumer protection & lemon law
Aaron Waldo
Aaron Waldo
Attorney
U.S. Marine Corps veteran · Automotive background
Liam Jones
Liam Jones
Attorney
Licensed in New York & New Jersey
Christian Garcia
Christian Garcia
Senior Case Manager
Case management from intake through resolution
Rudy Gutierrez
Rudy Gutierrez
Intake Manager
First point of contact for new clients & case evaluations
FAQ

Clifton lemon law questions

What Clifton and Passaic County drivers ask us, and what to know before anything goes in the mail.

Is there a lemon law attorney in Clifton, NJ?

We take Clifton and Passaic County cases, though we don't have an office in Clifton. Our New Jersey office is in Newark, the claim runs by phone, email and e-signature, and qualifying cases are on contingency.

RockPoint Law takes New Jersey lemon law cases from Clifton and the rest of Passaic County, but we don't have an office in Clifton. Our New Jersey office is in Newark, about nine miles south, and you won't need to come in. A state claim is built from paper: service invoices, a certified letter to the manufacturer, and an application that goes by mail to the Lemon Law Unit. We run all of that by phone, email and e-signature. If the case reaches a hearing, the Newark office of the Office of Administrative Law is the closest of its three hearing sites to Clifton. Qualifying cases run on contingency. Under N.J.S.A. 56:12-42, a consumer who prevails against the manufacturer is awarded reasonable attorney's fees, expert fees and costs.

Where would a Clifton lemon law hearing take place?

Before an administrative law judge at one of three offices, in Newark, Trenton or Atlantic City. From Clifton, the Newark office at 33 Washington Street is the short trip.

Before an administrative law judge. The Lemon Law Unit books accepted cases into one of the Office of Administrative Law's three locations, in Newark, Trenton or Atlantic City, and you pick from the open dates. From Clifton, Newark is the short trip. The OAL lists its Newark office at 33 Washington Street. Its Trenton-area office is in Mercerville and its Atlantic City office is on Atlantic Avenue, both far to the south. Section 56:12-37(b) sets the hearing no later than 20 days after acceptance, unless you agree to a later date. The judge can subpoena witnesses and records and owes a written decision within 20 days of the hearing. The Director of Consumer Affairs then has 15 days to adopt, reject or modify it.

Can I sue in Passaic County instead of using the state process?

Yes. You can file in the Superior Court's Passaic Vicinage at 77 Hamilton Street in Paterson. Once the Division rules on a claim, though, no Lemon Law suit can follow it.

Yes. N.J.S.A. 56:12-39 says you don't have to go through the Division's hearing or a manufacturer's arbitration program before filing in the Superior Court. A Clifton driver's case would be filed in the Passaic Vicinage, which the New Jersey Courts list at 77 Hamilton Street in Paterson. Two rules travel with the court route. Anyone who raises a Lemon Law claim or defense there has to mail a copy of the pleading to the Attorney General within 10 days of filing it. And section 56:12-42 applies in court too, so a consumer who wins is awarded reasonable attorney's fees, expert fees and costs. Pick the route with care. Once the Division rules, both sides are bound by that ruling unless it's overturned on appeal, and no Lemon Law suit can follow it.

How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in New Jersey?

Three repairs of the same defect is the usual number. A dangerous defect needs one examination or repair, and 20 calendar days in the shop qualifies on time alone, all inside 24,000 miles or two years.

Three is the ordinary number. Under N.J.S.A. 56:12-33(a), the manufacturer is presumed unable to fix the car when substantially the same defect has been repaired three or more times and is still there. Two other routes get there sooner. If the defect is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury when the car is driven, one examination or repair is enough, and that includes a visit where the dealer looked and found nothing. A car that has sat in the shop 20 or more calendar days in total, counting every defect, qualifies on time alone, and a motorhome needs 45. Everything has to fall inside 24,000 miles or two years from delivery. The manufacturer also has to receive your certified letter and get one last chance to repair.

Do shop days for different problems add up?

Yes. The 20 days count time out of service for one or more defects, weekends included. Days the car waited after the shop said it was ready are left out.

They do. Section 56:12-33(a)(2) counts days out of service "for one or more nonconformities," so a week lost to an electrical fault and two weeks lost to a transmission problem go into one total. The count runs in calendar days, which means a weekend on the service lot counts. Once the total reaches 20 and a defect is still present, the car meets the time test, and the certified letter can go out at that point. The Division's rule, N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26.2, trims the total in one way: days the car sat at the shop after you were told it was ready are left out. So the in and out dates on each repair order matter. We total the days from that paper, not from anyone's memory of how long it felt.

When should I send the certified letter to the manufacturer?

After two failed repairs of one defect, 20 days out of service, or one look at a dangerous defect. It goes to the manufacturer by certified mail and has to arrive before 24,000 miles and two years.

Sooner than most owners expect. Section 56:12-33(b) lets you send it once the same defect has been repaired twice, the car has been out of service 20 days, or a dangerous defect has been examined once. It goes to the manufacturer, not the dealership, by certified mail with a return receipt requested. The manufacturer then gets one opportunity to fix the car within 10 calendar days of receiving it. The Division's consumer brief says to mail it to the manufacturer's regional office, at the address its Lemon Law Unit supplies, and that it has to be received before 24,000 miles and within two years of delivery. Keep the signed receipt card. Section 56:12-37(a) makes the letter a prerequisite to any application with the Division.

How long do I have to bring a lemon law claim in New Jersey?

The protection period is 24,000 miles or two years from delivery, whichever ends first, and the manufacturer must receive your letter inside it. Daily miles on the Parkway, Route 3 or Route 46 can close it early.

The protection period in N.J.S.A. 56:12-31 is the first 24,000 miles or two years after original delivery, whichever ends first. The repairs and shop days that count toward a claim have to happen inside it. The Division's consumer brief adds the practical deadline: the manufacturer has to receive your certified letter before 24,000 miles and within those two years. A long daily drive on the Parkway, Route 3 or Route 46 can bring the mileage limit first, so read the odometer before you look at the calendar. The two years and the 20-day count are extended for any time repairs weren't available because of war, invasion, strike, fire, flood or natural disaster. No separate filing deadline appears in the Act after that point, so let a lawyer fix the dates for your case.

What does it cost to file a New Jersey lemon law claim?

The state fee is $50, requested only after the Lemon Law Unit accepts the application, and recovered as a cost if you win. A prevailing consumer is also awarded attorney's fees.

The Division charges a $50 filing fee, and it asks for the money only after the Lemon Law Unit accepts your application. Under N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26.8 it's paid by certified check or money order made out to the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. You don't get it back if you lose. If you win, it's recovered as a cost. Beyond that, the certified letter costs you postage. Attorney's fees are handled by N.J.S.A. 56:12-42: a consumer who prevails, before the Division or in the Superior Court, is awarded reasonable attorney's fees, expert witness fees and costs. That rule is why we can take qualifying new car cases on contingency. You pay RockPoint Law no fee unless we recover for you.

How is a New Jersey lemon law refund calculated?

Add the price with trade-in credit, early options, tax, fees, finance charges, towing and rental. Subtract the price times the mileage at the first repair visit, divided by 100,000.

The refund in N.J.S.A. 56:12-32 starts with the purchase price, including any trade-in credit. On top go options the dealer or manufacturer added within 30 days of delivery, sales tax, license and registration fees, finance charges, towing, and what you spent renting a comparable car while yours was down for the defect. One deduction comes off, the allowance for use. Section 56:12-30 fixes it as the odometer reading at your first repair visit for the defect, times the price, divided by 100,000. Take a $42,500 SUV first brought in at 7,200 miles: 7,200 times $42,500, divided by 100,000, is $3,060. That's arithmetic on the formula, not a case result. Miles you drive after that first visit don't raise it.

Does the New Jersey lemon law cover a leased car?

Yes. A lessee has the same remedies as a buyer. The lease ends with no early-termination penalty, and what you paid comes back less the use allowance.

Yes. A lessee counts as a consumer, and N.J.S.A. 56:12-32(b) gives a lessee the same remedies against the manufacturer as a buyer. The Act's definition reaches a written lease for longer than 60 days. If you win, the car goes back, the lease ends, and no early-termination penalty can be charged. The manufacturer refunds what you actually paid under the lease, plus the other listed charges you paid, less the same use allowance, figured on the lease price. The manufacturer then settles with the leasing company on its own. Nothing else changes for someone who leases. The three routes, the 20 days, the certified letter and the 24,000-mile, two-year window all work the same way, so a lessee watches the same dates a buyer does.

I bought a used car from a New Jersey dealer. Am I covered?

Possibly. A car still inside 24,000 miles and two years from first delivery can use the new car Act, and older cars may carry a dealer warranty under the Used Car Lemon Law.

Possibly, under one of two laws. A car still inside 24,000 miles and two years from its first delivery can fall under the new car Act, which treats a person who receives a car while the warranty runs as a consumer. Past that point, the Used Car Lemon Law, N.J.S.A. 56:8-67 and following, makes the selling dealer give a written warranty of at least 90 days or 3,000 miles on a car with 24,000 miles or less, 60 days or 2,000 miles below 60,000, and 30 days or 1,000 miles at 60,000 or more. It doesn't reach cars sold for under $3,000, seven or more model years old, or over 100,000 miles. The Division says private sales aren't covered.

Do I need a lawyer for a New Jersey lemon law claim?

No law requires one. The Division warns that the manufacturer brings a lawyer and an expert, and a Division decision binds you and blocks a later suit, so the first presentation counts.

Not by law. The Lemon Law Unit says you may bring an attorney or an expert witness to the hearing, and that neither is required. Unit staff will field questions by phone or email but won't give legal advice. And the Division's brochure warns owners plainly that the manufacturer shows up with a lawyer and an expert witness. The stakes come from finality. A Division decision binds you and the manufacturer, subject to appeal, and it bars a later Superior Court case under the Act, so the first presentation is the one that counts. Hiring a lawyer need not cost you anything up front, either. Under section 56:12-42, a consumer who prevails is awarded attorney's fees against the manufacturer, and we take qualifying cases on contingency.

Don't take on the manufacturer alone.

Tell us the vehicle and what the dealer has already tried. No fee unless we recover for you.†

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