Skip to main content
Newark, New Jersey Lemon Law

Lemon Law Lawyers in Newark, New Jersey

At RockPoint Law lemon law is our core practice, and our New Jersey office is right here in Newark at One Gateway Center. We act for Essex County drivers whose new car keeps going back to the service bay for the same fault. Maybe it's a transmission that slips when you merge onto I-280, or a warning light that's back on two days after every visit, or the infotainment screen that keeps dying on the Turnpike. New Jersey actually gives you a real remedy for that, and the state agency that runs it takes its mail in Newark, and the hearing can be held in Newark too (handy, if you live here).

Free Case Evaluation

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 (201) 357-6447

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

When the manufacturer can't fix it, New Jersey law can make it take the car back and refund what you paid, less a use deduction tied to the mileage at your first repair visit. You get to decide where the claim is heard, too. It can be a state hearing, which can sit at the Office of Administrative Law on Washington Street, or you can bring a suit in the Superior Court's Essex Vicinage instead.

  • Newark office at Gateway Center
  • 24,000 miles or two years
  • No fee unless we recover
Key facts

Newark lemon law at a glance

The numbers an Essex County claim runs into, from the first service visit to a manufacturer's appeal, each with the part of the Lemon Law or the Division's rules it comes from.

Key facts of the New Jersey Lemon Law for a Newark driver, N.J.S.A. 56:12-29 and following
Key figureWhat it meansWhere it comes from
24,000 milesor two yearsThe term of protection ends at whichever comes first, counted from original delivery. A daily Turnpike or Parkway commute usually reaches the miles before the date.N.J.S.A. 56:12-31 and 56:12-33(a)
3 repairssame defectSubstantially the same defect repaired three or more times by the manufacturer or its dealer, and still there.Section 56:12-33(a)(1)
1 repairdangerous defectEnough on its own when the defect is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury if the car is driven.Section 56:12-33(a)(3)
20 daysout of serviceCalendar days in the shop, added up across one or more defects, so weekends count. A motorhome needs 45.Section 56:12-33(a)(2)
10 dayslast repairAfter your certified letter reaches the manufacturer, it gets one final repair attempt inside 10 calendar days of receipt.Section 56:12-33(b)
$50state filing feeRequested by the Lemon Law Unit in Newark only after it accepts the application, and returned to you as a cost if you win.N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26.8; section 56:12-37(a)
20 daysto a hearingThe Office of Administrative Law hears the case within 20 days of acceptance unless you agree to a later date. Newark is one of its three hearing locations.Section 56:12-37(b)
100,000use divisorThe use deduction is the mileage at your first repair visit for the defect, times the price, divided by 100,000.Section 56:12-30
$2,500on top of the awardA manufacturer's appeal isn't heard unless it posts a bond equal to the award plus $2,500, payable to you.Section 56:12-37(d)
The Short Answer

What is the lemon law for a Newark driver?

If you bought, leased or registered a new vehicle in New Jersey and the same defect has been repaired three times without success, or once where it could kill or seriously injure someone, or the car has spent 20 calendar days in the shop, the manufacturer may have to take it back and refund you. All of that has to happen inside the first 24,000 miles or two years. A Newark claim goes to the state's Lemon Law Unit, which is based in Newark, and the hearing can be held here too.

The law is the New Jersey Lemon Law, N.J.S.A. 56:12-29 and the sections after it, and the office that runs the state process is the Lemon Law Unit of the Division of Consumer Affairs. Its mailing address is P.O. Box 45026, Newark, New Jersey 07101, and its phone number is (973) 504-6226. Our full guide to the statute is the New Jersey lemon law page. What follows is how the same law plays out when you live, work or buy your car in and around Newark.

Start with the calendar, because it closes on whichever measure you hit first. The term of protection is the first 24,000 miles or two years from original delivery, whichever comes earlier. A commuter who drives the Parkway to Woodbridge and back every weekday can pass 24,000 miles well before the second anniversary. When that happens, the miles decide it, not the date.

Inside that window, N.J.S.A. 56:12-33 gives you three ways to show the manufacturer has had enough chances. Any one of them is enough:

  • Three or more repairs of substantially the same defect, and it is still there.
  • One repair of a defect that is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury if the car is driven, and it is still there.
  • 20 or more calendar days out of service for repair, added up across one or more defects, with a defect still present. For a motorhome the figure is 45 days.

The defect has to be real. New Jersey's word is nonconformity, and it means a fault that substantially impairs the car's use, value or safety. A squeak you can live with will not qualify. A car that stalls at the light on Broad Street is the kind of fault the law was written for.

The letter that has to arrive in time

Before the state will hear a claim, the manufacturer gets one last chance, and you have to give it in writing. Section 56:12-33(b) requires notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, sent to the manufacturer, not the dealer. After it arrives, the manufacturer has 10 calendar days for one final repair attempt. Three points matter:

  • the letter may go out after two failed repairs (one for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury), or after 20 days out of service;
  • the Division's own guidance says the manufacturer must receive it before the car reaches 24,000 miles and within two years of delivery;
  • keep the green return-receipt card. The Lemon Law Unit asks for a copy of it with your application.

That letter is the deadline that catches people out. They wait for a fourth or fifth visit, the odometer rolls past 24,000 on the way to work, and the state route is gone. The Division asks you to send the letter to the manufacturer's regional office, using the address its Lemon Law Unit gives you, and its New Car Lemon Law page includes a sample.

The dealer is not the party you claim against. Section 56:12-46 says the act creates no cause of action against a dealer or distributor for the refund. The claim runs against the manufacturer. Any clause in your purchase or lease papers that waives these rights is void under N.J.S.A. 56:12-48, and so is a clause that punishes you for posting an honest online review of the dealer.

The federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act runs underneath all of this, and section 56:12-47 keeps every other remedy you have. For the paperwork order, our guide to how to file a lemon law claim goes step by step, and the lemon law glossary explains the vocabulary.

Eligibility

What qualifies for the lemon law in Newark?

A Newark driver is on New Jersey law, and section 56:12-33 sets out when the manufacturer is presumed to have had a reasonable number of attempts. There are three routes, and any one is enough. All of them have to happen inside the term of protection. The fault has to substantially impair the car's use, value or safety, and the manufacturer can argue that it does not, or that it came from abuse, neglect or an outside modification (section 56:12-40). Each route below carries a local example and a self-check you can run against your own repair orders.

Three Repairs of the Same Defect

Substantially the same nonconformity has been repaired three or more times by the manufacturer or its dealer, and it is still there. The three visits have to fall inside the first 24,000 miles or two years. "Substantially the same" matters: a dealer that writes the same stall up as a sensor fault one week and a software update the next can still be looking at one defect.

A Newark example A new SUV back at a Route 22 dealership three times for the same hard shift out of first gear, still shifting hard at 17,000 miles

One Repair, for a Defect That Could Kill

Where the defect is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury if the car is driven, one failed repair is sufficient (section 56:12-33(a)(3)). Think brakes, steering, a stall at highway speed, an airbag fault, or a fire risk. New Jersey sets the bar lower here than for ordinary faults because the risk is to you and to everyone else on the road. The certified letter can be sent after that single visit.

A Newark example Brakes that fade on the downhill off the Route 21 ramp, back from the dealer once and doing it again the same week

The 20-Day Test

The car has been out of service for repair for 20 or more calendar days in total since delivery, and a defect still exists. Two points help you here. The statute counts days for "one or more nonconformities", so time lost to different faults adds up. And these are calendar days, so weekends in the shop count. For a motorhome the figure is 45 days.

A Newark example A sedan that sits at a Newark service department for eight days with an electrical fault, then twelve more for a coolant leak: twenty days, two faults

Inside 24,000 Miles or Two Years

Everything above has to happen within the term of protection: the first 24,000 miles or two years from original delivery, whichever is earlier. The Division says your certified letter must also reach the manufacturer inside that window. If you bought the car used but it is still under 24,000 miles and two years from its first delivery, the New Car Lemon Law can still apply.

A Newark example A car delivered in March 2025 that already shows 21,500 miles from a daily run to Edison: the term will close on the miles, months before the second anniversary

Ask for the repair statement every time the car comes back

Meeting a test is where the analysis starts, not where it ends. Every time the car comes back from the shop, section 56:12-34(b) requires the manufacturer, through the dealer, to give you an itemized, legible repair statement: what you reported, what was diagnosed, what was done, and the date and odometer reading when the car went in and when it came back. Ask for it every time. Those statements prove the repair count, the days out of service and the mileage, and the mileage on the first one sets the use deduction in your refund. Keep every repair order, purchase or lease contract, rental receipt and towing bill. The Lemon Law Unit asks for copies of all of them.

Not sure whether your repair history clears one of the tests? Send it over for a straight read.

Start My Free Case Review  Call (201) 357-6447
Where your case is heard

Where is a Newark lemon law claim heard?

The question we hear most from Newark drivers is whether a lemon law claim means a lawsuit. It does not have to. New Jersey gives you a choice of three routes, and the state route is built to be quick. It is run from Newark, and its hearings can be held here.

The Manufacturer's Own Program Is Optional

Some manufacturers run their own arbitration program. You do not have to use it first (section 56:12-36(a)). If you try it, are not satisfied and have not settled, the Division says you can still apply to the state.

A Superior Court Action Is the Other Route

You never have to use the state process. Section 56:12-39 lets you go straight to the Superior Court, and for a Newark driver the local courthouse is the Essex Vicinage. Two warnings. Once the state issues a decision, it binds both sides and bars a Superior Court action under the act. And once you file in court, the Division says you can no longer use its program.

The Lemon Law Unit Is Run From Newark

The Lemon Law Unit sits inside the Division of Consumer Affairs, and its mailing address is P.O. Box 45026, Newark, NJ 07101. It reviews your application for completeness and eligibility. It does not decide whether your car is a lemon. If the application is complete and meets the repair-count or day-count rules, the Unit asks for the $50 filing fee, and only then. Under section 56:12-37(a) the fee comes back to you as a cost if you win. The certified letter to the manufacturer is a prerequisite: no letter, no application.

The Hearing Can Be in Newark, Before a State Judge

An accepted application goes to the Office of Administrative Law for a summary hearing before an administrative law judge. The Lemon Law Unit says the OAL hears these cases at one of three locations: Newark, Trenton or Atlantic City, and that you pick from the available dates. The Newark office is at 33 Washington Street. The hearing has to be held within 20 days of acceptance unless you agree to a later date (section 56:12-37(b)). The judge can subpoena witnesses and documents. The manufacturer will bring a lawyer and usually an expert, and the Division itself suggests you consider doing the same. The judge's written decision is due within 20 days of the hearing, and the Director of Consumer Affairs then has 15 days to adopt, reject or change it. That is the final decision.

If the manufacturer loses and appeals

Either side can appeal the final decision to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court. New Jersey makes that expensive for a manufacturer. Under section 56:12-37(d), its appeal will not be heard unless it posts a bond equal to the award plus $2,500, secured by cash and payable to you. If the court finds the appeal had no reasonable basis or was frivolous, it shall award treble damages. And a manufacturer that unreasonably fails to comply with a final decision faces a $5,000 penalty for each day it holds out.

The state timeline, day by day, and where each date comes from

Section 56:12-37 and the Division's rules at N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26 set a short, fixed clock once your application is accepted:

  • Day of acceptance: the Lemon Law Unit sends you and the manufacturer's designee a notice, with a copy of your application to the manufacturer, and refers the case to the OAL.
  • Within 10 days of learning which judge has the case, the manufacturer must send you and the OAL a written response to each statement in your application (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26.10(f)).
  • Within 20 days of acceptance: the hearing, unless you agree to a later date.
  • Within 20 days of the hearing: the judge's written initial decision, with findings, remedies and a completion date.
  • Within 8 days of the date on the decision, according to the Division's brochure, the Division must receive any written exception you file, up to three typed pages.
  • Within 15 days of receiving the judge's decision: the Director adopts, rejects or modifies it. If the Director does nothing, the judge's decision becomes final.
  • Within 45 days of the final decision: a notice of appeal to the Appellate Division (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26.13).

Once a final decision has been made on a vehicle, the Division will not accept another application from you for that vehicle (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26.6(c)). There is no second attempt.

Court instead of the state process: the Essex Vicinage and the federal court in Newark

A Lemon Law action in Superior Court for an Essex County driver is filed in the Essex Vicinage, which sits in Newark. Section 56:12-42 applies there just as it does before the Division: a prevailing consumer shall be awarded reasonable attorney's fees, expert fees and costs. Section 56:12-41 adds a step the state route does not have. Any party that files a Lemon Law claim or defense in Superior Court has to mail a copy of the pleading to the Attorney General within 10 days, and the Attorney General may intervene.

A warranty claim under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act can sometimes be heard in federal court, and the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey sits in Newark. Federal court is only available for that Act when the amount in controversy reaches $50,000 (15 U.S.C. 2310(d)), so most Newark claims stay in the state system.

Which of the three routes fits your car is a judgment call that depends on your paperwork, the manufacturer and how much time is left on the clock. It is the first thing we look at.

Anyone who tells you a New Jersey claim is simply "three strikes and you are out" has left out the letter, the 10-day final repair and the date the letter has to arrive. Our note on how to file a lemon law claim explains the order of the paperwork, and how the lemon law works covers the basics.

Not sure whether you are still inside 24,000 miles and two years? That is the first thing we check, at no cost.

  • Bring your repair orders with the dates and the odometer readings. That is usually enough to see which of the three tests your record meets.
  • The mileage on the first repair order sets the use deduction in your refund. We pull it off the paperwork.
  • If the certified letter has not gone yet, we can send it for you, to the right address, before the window closes.
  • You speak with the people who would work the file, not an intake desk.
Start My Free Case Review 
A Newark driver on the phone at home while a New Jersey Lemon Law application is prepared for the Lemon Law Unit
You Stay Put

Most of a Newark claim happens on paper

A New Jersey Lemon Law application is a paper file. It is mailed to the Lemon Law Unit's Newark post office box with copies of your contract, your repair orders, the certified letter and its green return receipt, your registration, and any towing or rental receipts. The Unit reviews it, requests the $50 fee once accepted, and forwards it to the Office of Administrative Law. The Lemon Law Unit observes that some cases settle with the manufacturer after acceptance and before a formal hearing.

We gather the repair history, pull the dates and odometer readings off every order, work out which test the record meets, send the certified letter to the manufacturer's regional office, and put the application together. If the case goes to a hearing, we present it, and for most of our Essex County clients that hearing is at the OAL's Newark office on Washington Street, in the same downtown as ours.

How It Works

How long does a Newark lemon law case take?

A New Jersey claim has a low repair count, a short window and a letter that decides everything. Five steps, in the order a Newark claim runs. For the form-by-form walkthrough, our guide to how to file a lemon law claim goes through each document in turn, and the New Jersey lemon law page covers the statute in full.

  1. Day 0Your $50 fee arrives, the Lemon Law Unit accepts the application and sends the case to the Office of Administrative Law
  2. Day 20Latest day for the hearing, which can be at the OAL in Newark, unless you agree to a later date
  3. Day 55Latest day for the final decision, when the hearing is on Day 20, the judge rules on Day 40 and the Director takes the full 15 days
  4. Day 100Latest day to file a notice of appeal with the Appellate Division, 45 days after a final decision issued on Day 55

Check the Car Is Covered, and Which Law Applies

The New Car Lemon Law covers a passenger car, motorcycle, farm tractor or authorized emergency vehicle that was bought or leased in New Jersey, or registered with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (section 56:12-30). Motorhomes are in, except for the living quarters. The Division excludes vehicles registered for commercial use. You count as a consumer if you bought or leased the car, or if it was transferred to you while the warranty was running. If you bought it used, the Used Car Lemon Law may apply instead, and it works differently: see the vehicles section below.

Get a Repair Statement Every Time, With the Mileage

Every visit counts, but only if it is on paper. Section 56:12-34(b) entitles you to an itemized, legible statement each time the car comes back, showing the problem you reported, the diagnosis, the work done, and the date and odometer reading in and out. Check it before you leave the service desk. Write down the dates the car was in the shop, because those days add up toward the 20. The Division also asks you to keep receipts and a record of every contact with the dealer and the manufacturer.

Send the Certified Letter to the Manufacturer

After two failed repairs (one for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury) or 20 days out of service, write to the manufacturer by certified mail, return receipt requested. Say that you may have a Lemon Law claim and are giving it one final chance to repair the car. It then has 10 calendar days from receipt. Send it to the regional address the Lemon Law Unit gives you, and make sure it arrives before 24,000 miles and two years. The Division says the letter should also list your repair dates, days out of service and current mileage. Without it, the state will not accept your application.

Apply to the Lemon Law Unit, or File in Court

If the defect survives the final repair, you choose the route. The state route is an application to the Lemon Law Unit at P.O. Box 45026, Newark, NJ 07101, with copies of your certified letter and return receipt, every repair invoice, your registration, your purchase order and your finance or lease contract. Do not send the $50 fee with it. The Unit asks for the fee only after it accepts the application. The court route is a Superior Court action in the Essex Vicinage. The manufacturer's own arbitration program is a third option you are never required to use.

The Hearing, the Final Decision, and the Refund

Once the fee is paid, the case goes to the Office of Administrative Law for a hearing within 20 days, in Newark, Trenton or Atlantic City. You present the repair history. The manufacturer answers, usually through its lawyer and an expert. The judge decides within 20 days, the Director of Consumer Affairs makes it final within 15, and either side has 45 days to appeal to the Appellate Division. If you win, the manufacturer takes the car back and refunds you on the formula in the next section. The Division says it then has 15 days from receiving the final decision to comply, and after that the penalties start.

Each of those five steps is a place a New Jersey claim comes apart: a repair order with no odometer reading on it, a certified letter sent to the dealership instead of the manufacturer, a letter that arrives after the car passed 24,000 miles on the Turnpike, or a trade-in credit the manufacturer argues was inflated. New Jersey asks for only three repairs, or one for a defect that could kill. It gives you less room on the mileage in exchange.

You can run this yourself, and some Newark drivers do. The Division does not require a lawyer. The manufacturer will still have one. No one can tell you the result in advance, and anyone who claims to is guessing. What a firm that handles these claims can do is keep the record clean, get the letter out in time, and argue the refund figure line by line.

Outcomes

What compensation can you receive?

When a New Jersey claim succeeds, section 56:12-32 requires the manufacturer to accept the car back and refund you. It may offer a replacement instead, but the statute gives you the last word: you can reject a replacement and demand the refund. If you do take a replacement on a financed car, the manufacturer has to move your loan across to it.

The refund is built from the full purchase price, and the statute lists what goes into it:

  • the purchase price, including any stated credit for your trade-in;
  • options or modifications the manufacturer or dealer arranged or installed within 30 days of delivery;
  • sales tax, license and registration fees, and finance charges;
  • towing, and the cost of renting an equivalent car while yours was out of service for the defect;
  • through the state process, the $50 filing fee and reasonable attorney's fees, expert fees and costs (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26.11).

The refund goes to you and to any lender, as your interests appear on the Motor Vehicle Commission's records. One point the manufacturer may raise at the hearing: if your trade-in allowance grossly exceeded what your old car was really worth, it can ask the judge to cut the refund down to the true value. It has to prove that, and the rules point to the N.A.D.A. used car guide as evidence.

The allowance for use, in one line

New Jersey deducts a reasonable allowance for vehicle use, and section 56:12-30 fixes the formula: the mileage when you first brought the car in for the defect, times the purchase price, divided by 100,000. Miles you drove after that first visit are not charged. The Division's brochure works an example: a $19,500 car first taken in at 9,500 miles carries a deduction of $1,853, for a refund of $17,647 before the other items are added. So the odometer reading on your first repair order is the number that matters most, and the earlier you report the fault, the smaller the deduction.

  1. Find the odometer reading on the first repair order for the defect.
  2. Multiply that mileage by the purchase price.
  3. Divide by 100,000. That's the deduction, and miles you drive after that first visit don't add to it.

Leased cars

A leased car gets the same remedies (section 56:12-32(b)). The lease is terminated with no early-termination penalty. You get back what you actually paid under the lease, including the charges listed above, less the same use allowance, and the manufacturer settles up with the leasing company separately.

Attorney's fees are written into the statute. Under section 56:12-42, a consumer who prevails, in Superior Court or before the Division, shall be awarded reasonable attorney's fees, expert witness fees and costs, paid by the manufacturer. Repairs you paid for after the first 12,000 miles or first year, where the warranty did not cover them, are recoverable as a cost too (section 56:12-31).

A buyback does not vanish. Section 56:12-35 bars a returned car from being resold or re-leased in New Jersey unless the next buyer gets a written warning, in bold type, that it was returned because a defect was not fixed, and the Motor Vehicle Commission is notified. The Division publishes a list of vehicles branded under the New Jersey Lemon Law. Outcomes depend on the facts of each case, so no attorney can tell you the result in advance.

Possible Outcomes

What a successful Newark claim can include

  • Refund

    The purchase price, tax, fees, finance charges, towing and rental costs, less miles at first repair times price over 100,000

  • Replacement

    Only if you accept it. You can turn a replacement down and demand the refund, and your loan moves to the new car

  • Used car repurchase

    Under the Used Car Lemon Law, the dealer buys the car back, less wear and tear and personal use

  • Lease ended

    The lease terminated with no early-termination penalty, and what you paid under it refunded less the use allowance

  • Attorney fees

    A prevailing consumer shall be awarded attorney's fees, expert fees and costs 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

We Take On the
Biggest Names

Vehicles We Handle

Which vehicles does the lemon law cover in Newark?

New Jersey defines a motor vehicle for Lemon Law purposes as a passenger car, a motorcycle, a farm tractor or an authorized emergency vehicle that was bought or leased in New Jersey, or registered with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (section 56:12-30). That last part matters around Newark: a car bought across the river but registered here can still be covered. Where state law does not reach, the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act has no vehicle-type exclusion. Pick a category to see where it stands.

Cars, SUVs, Vans and Pickups

Covered, and the vehicles the statute was written around. The Division's exclusion is for vehicles registered for commercial use, so how your truck or van is registered matters more than its size. Check the registration card before assuming either way. See our practice areas.

Used Cars From a Dealer

A used car can qualify two ways. If it is still inside 24,000 miles and two years from its first delivery, the New Car Lemon Law can apply. If not, the Used Car Lemon Law, N.J.S.A. 56:8-67 and following, requires a licensed dealer to give a written warranty on the engine and drivetrain: 90 days or 3,000 miles up to 24,000 on the odometer, 60 days or 2,000 miles up to 60,000, and 30 days or 1,000 miles above that. It does not reach cars sold for under $3,000, more than seven model years old, or over 100,000 miles. See our guide on lemon law on a used car.

Motorcycles

Covered by the New Car Lemon Law. Section 56:12-30 lists motorcycles by name, and the Division's sample letter offers "passenger vehicle (or motorcycle)" as the choice. The Used Car Lemon Law is different: the Division says it does not cover motorcycles. See our motorcycle lemon law guide.

Motorhomes

Covered, except the living quarters. Engine, chassis and drivetrain faults count; a faulty fridge or a leaking shower in the coach does not. The day count is 45 calendar days instead of 20. Where two manufacturers built the rig, a visit to a shop not authorized to work on the faulty part does not count, and taking the same fault to a second authorized shop because you kept traveling counts as one attempt (section 56:12-33(d)). See our RV and motorhome lemon law guide.

Electric Vehicles

Covered on the same terms as any other new car. Battery, charging, drive-unit and software faults are the patterns we see most. A software fault that keeps coming back after update after update can still be "substantially the same nonconformity" for the three-repair count. See our electric vehicle lemon law guide.

See All Practice Areas →
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.

Read more
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.

Read more
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.

Read more
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.

Read more
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.

Read more
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.

Read more
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.

Read more
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.

Read more
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!

Read more
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!

Read more
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.

Read more
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.

Read more
PS
Peyman Soleimani
Google Review
Why RockPoint

Why Newark drivers choose RockPoint Law

Lemon law and consumer warranty work is our core practice. Our New Jersey office is in downtown Newark, and it's the same downtown where the Office of Administrative Law hears Lemon Law cases, though if you live out in Livingston instead of the Ironbound that doesn't change a thing, because the work runs the same way either way.

Lemon Law Is Our Core Practice

We're not a general practice that takes a lemon case whenever one walks in the door. Warranty and lemon law is what we do day in and day out, and the people we do it for are drivers who ended up with a defective vehicle.

An Office in Newark, at Gateway Center

Our New Jersey office is at One Gateway Center, which is right next to Newark Penn Station where the PATH train and NJ Transit both stop, so you can get to us without a car, and that helps more than you'd think when yours is back in the shop. Most clients never need to come in at all. If you want to, though, the door is open.

We Watch the 24,000-Mile Line

There's a set order to a New Jersey claim and somebody has to keep track of all of it: three repairs, or one for a defect that could kill, or 20 days, then a certified letter that must arrive before 24,000 miles and two years, then ten days for the final repair, and a hearing within 20 days of acceptance. It's a lot to hold in your head while you're also trying to get to work, which is why we know the sequence and run it for you.

Clear Communication

We'll give you straight updates at every stage of your case. You won't go through long silent stretches wondering what's happening, and we don't do surprises.

No Upfront Legal Fees

Qualifying cases are handled on contingency. Put simply, you do not pay a fee unless we recover for you. And under section 56:12-42, a prevailing consumer is awarded attorney's fees against the manufacturer.

Meet the Team →
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 Newark?

Handling a Newark claim alone vs with an attorney. Flip the switch to see the same four moments from both sides.

Vehicle repair invoices spread across a kitchen table with a hand hovering over them
On your own1 / 4

Waiting for a fourth or fifth repair before writing to the manufacturer

New Jersey lets the certified letter go out after the second failed repair, and the Division says the manufacturer must receive it before 24,000 miles and two years. Drivers who wait for "one more try" at the dealer often find the odometer has already passed the line on the way to work.

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

Complaining to the dealer and treating that as notice

Calls and emails to the service manager are not the notice the statute requires. It has to be certified mail, return receipt requested, to the manufacturer, and without it the Lemon Law Unit will not accept the application at all.

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

Accepting a replacement you did not want

A manufacturer may offer a new car of the same model instead of a refund. You are allowed to say no and insist on the money under section 56:12-32(a)(3). A driver who does not know that can end up with a second copy of the car that failed.

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

Facing the manufacturer's lawyer and expert alone

The Division's own guidance warns that the manufacturer will have a lawyer and an expert witness at the OAL hearing. And the Division's rules take one application per vehicle once a final decision is made. A thin presentation cannot be tried again.

Hands working through an organized stack of repair orders with a highlighter and index tabs
With RockPoint Law1 / 4

The letter out after the second repair, to the right address

We check where you are against 24,000 miles and two years, and send the certified letter to the regional address the Lemon Law Unit gives us, with the green card kept for the file.

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

Every repair day counted, across every fault

We add up the calendar days from the repair statements, across different defects where the statute allows it, and show the judge the arithmetic.

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

The refund you are owed, not the car they offer

We price the refund item by item: purchase price, tax, fees, finance charges, towing and rental, less the use allowance from your first repair order. Then we test the manufacturer's figure against it.

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

A prepared case at the Newark hearing

Exhibits in order, witnesses ready, and questions for the manufacturer's representative. Our fees are paid by the manufacturer if you prevail, under section 56:12-42.

Serving Newark and Essex County

On the ground in Newark

Newark is New Jersey's largest city. The 2020 census counted 311,549 residents, and the Census Bureau's estimate for July 2025 is 323,808. It is the seat of Essex County, whose 22 municipalities run from the Ironbound out to the Caldwells and hold about 896,000 people. It is also where New Jersey's lemon law is run from. The Division of Consumer Affairs has its offices on Halsey Street, the Lemon Law Unit takes its mail at a Newark post office box, and the Office of Administrative Law hears Lemon Law cases at its Newark office on Washington Street.

Most Newark drivers put their miles on the same few roads. The New Jersey Turnpike serves the city at Exit 14 for the airport, I-78 and US 1&9, Exit 15E for US 1&9 toward Jersey City, and Exit 15W for I-280 toward Harrison. I-280 runs west to meet the Garden State Parkway at East Orange. Route 22 in Union Township has franchised dealerships of its own, Honda and Subaru stores among them. A daily commute on those roads can put a new car past 24,000 miles in well under two years, which is why the mileage line matters more here than the calendar.

The Newark addresses behind a New Jersey Lemon Law claim

The Lemon Law Unit, Division of Consumer Affairs, Office of Consumer Protection, P.O. Box 45026, Newark, NJ 07101, (973) 504-6226. This is where the application goes, and where the Division asks you to send any exception to the judge's decision. The Division's own offices are at 124 Halsey Street, 6th Floor, Newark.

The Office of Administrative Law hears Lemon Law cases in Newark, Trenton and Atlantic City, and you choose from the dates on offer. Its Newark office is at 33 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07102. For most Essex County drivers, that is the natural choice.

The Superior Court, Essex Vicinage, sits in Newark, with its Historic Courthouse at 470 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. and its Veterans Courthouse at 50 West Market Street. It is where a Lemon Law action would be filed if you take the court route instead.

The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey sits in Newark at the Martin Luther King Building, 50 Walnut Street, for the smaller number of federal warranty cases that qualify.

What the Motor Vehicle Commission record does and does not show

Registration matters to a New Jersey claim in two ways. A car registered with the Motor Vehicle Commission is covered even if it was bought out of state, and a refund is paid to you and your lender as your interests appear on the Commission's ownership records. What the Commission does not keep is your repair history, and it has not mechanically inspected passenger cars since 2010. From the start of fiscal year 2011, its annual report says, New Jersey limited passenger-vehicle inspections to emissions testing only. No state inspector is checking your brakes or steering between repairs. The evidence that proves a lemon case is the paperwork the dealer hands you: the itemized repair statements section 56:12-34 requires, with the date and odometer reading on each one, plus the certified letter and its return receipt. Keep them together, in order.

Two more protections apply at the dealership. When you buy or lease a new car in New Jersey, the manufacturer, through the dealer, must hand you a written statement of your Lemon Law rights in English and Spanish (section 56:12-34(a)). And a car returned under the Lemon Law cannot be resold in the state without a bold-type warning to the next buyer. If you are shopping on a used lot, check the Division's list of branded vehicles before you sign.

We accept claims from throughout Essex County and the surrounding towns, including:

  • Newark
  • East Orange
  • Irvington
  • Bloomfield
  • Belleville
  • Nutley
  • Montclair
  • West Orange
  • Maplewood
  • Livingston
  • Elizabeth
  • Jersey City

How to reach us

Our New Jersey office is at One Gateway Center, Market St #2600, Newark, NJ 07102, in the Gateway Center complex beside Newark Penn Station. The quickest way to start is the online intake form. We review every request and respond as soon as we can. Or call (201) 357-6447. If you live elsewhere in the state, our New Jersey lemon law page covers the statute for every county. Our guides on whether a dealership can refuse to fix a recall and whether recalls are fixed for free cover two problems that often sit alongside a lemon claim.

Case Results

Recent RockPoint Law recoveries

Before you look at the numbers below, you should know where they come from, which is our firm's published lemon law settlement record, across brands. So they're firmwide results rather than Newark or New Jersey outcomes. What they do show (and the reason they're on this page at all) is what a well-documented defect claim can be worth when it's handled properly.

$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 reviewed by Steven P. Nassi, Lemon Law Attorney, RockPoint Law. 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.

Anyone can check a New Jersey attorney's status in the New Jersey Courts attorney search. We think you should, for any firm you are considering, including this one.

Start here

Tell us what the car is doing in Newark

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.

Check my case Start My Free Case Review Or call (201) 357-6447
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

Newark lemon law questions

The questions Newark and Essex County drivers ask us most, and what you should know before you send anything.

Is there a lemon law attorney in Newark, NJ?

Yes. RockPoint Law's New Jersey office is at One Gateway Center in downtown Newark, beside Newark Penn Station. Most claims run by phone, email and e-signature, and qualifying cases are on contingency.

Yes. RockPoint Law's New Jersey office is at One Gateway Center, Market St #2600, Newark, NJ 07102, beside Newark Penn Station. Lemon law and consumer warranty claims are our core practice. You do not have to come to the office to work with us. Most claims run by phone, email and e-signature, and the state application is a paper file. If you would rather sit down in person, you can. Qualifying cases run on contingency, so you pay no fee unless we recover for you, and under N.J.S.A. 56:12-42 a consumer who prevails is awarded attorney's fees against the manufacturer.

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

Three repairs of the same defect, or one for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury, or 20 calendar days in the shop. All of it inside 24,000 miles or two years, with the certified letter and a final 10-day repair window first.

Three, in the ordinary case. N.J.S.A. 56:12-33 presumes the manufacturer could not fix the car if substantially the same defect was repaired three or more times and is still there. For a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury if the car is driven, one failed repair is enough. A third route skips the count: 20 or more calendar days out of service for one or more defects, or 45 for a motorhome. All of it has to happen within the first 24,000 miles or two years from delivery, whichever comes first. Before any of these counts, the manufacturer must get your certified letter and one final chance to repair within 10 calendar days. The defect must substantially impair the car's use, value or safety.

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

The term of protection: 24,000 miles or two years from delivery, whichever comes first. The Division says the manufacturer must receive your certified letter inside that window, and for a daily commuter the miles usually run out first.

The window that matters most is the term of protection: the first 24,000 miles or two years from original delivery, whichever comes first. The qualifying repairs or days have to fall inside it, and the Division of Consumer Affairs says the manufacturer must receive your certified letter before the car reaches 24,000 miles and within two years of delivery. Leave it too late and the state route closes. For a Newark commuter who drives the Turnpike or the Parkway every day, the miles usually run out before the calendar does. The two-year term and the 20-day count are extended for any time repairs were unavailable because of war, strike, fire, flood or natural disaster. If you are anywhere near 24,000 miles, talk to a lawyer this week, not next month.

Where is a New Jersey lemon law hearing held for a Newark driver?

At the Office of Administrative Law, which hears Lemon Law cases in Newark, Trenton or Atlantic City. You choose from the dates on offer, and for an Essex County driver that is usually Newark.

Before the Office of Administrative Law. The Lemon Law Unit says accepted cases are heard at one of the OAL's three locations, Newark, Trenton or Atlantic City, and that you choose from the available hearing dates. For an Essex County driver that usually means Newark. The hearing has to take place within 20 days of the application being accepted, unless you agree to a later date. An administrative law judge hears it, not a jury, and can subpoena witnesses and documents. The judge issues a written decision within 20 days, and the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs then adopts, rejects or modifies it within 15 days. That becomes the final decision, and it binds both you and the manufacturer, subject to appeal.

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

The state filing fee is $50, paid only after the Lemon Law Unit accepts the application. You get it back as a cost if you win, and a prevailing consumer is also awarded attorney's fees, expert fees and costs.

The state filing fee is $50, and you pay it only after the Lemon Law Unit accepts your application. Do not send it with the paperwork. The Division's rule, N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26.8, says the fee is paid by certified check or money order to the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, that it is not refunded if you lose, and that you recover it as a cost if you win. Under N.J.S.A. 56:12-42, a prevailing consumer is also awarded reasonable attorney's fees, expert witness fees and costs, in the Division or in Superior Court. The certified letter to the manufacturer costs only the postage. With RockPoint Law, qualifying cases run on contingency, so you pay no legal fee unless we recover for you.

Do I need a lawyer for a lemon law claim in Newark?

The law doesn't require one, and the Division says an attorney is optional at the hearing. It also warns that the manufacturer will bring a lawyer and usually an expert, and a final decision can't be tried again.

The law does not require one. The Division of Consumer Affairs says an attorney is optional at the Office of Administrative Law hearing, and the Lemon Law Unit staff will answer questions by phone or email. The same Division also tells consumers that the manufacturer will be represented by an attorney and will usually bring an expert witness, and it suggests you consider doing the same. Two rules raise the stakes. Once the Division has issued a final decision on a vehicle it will not take a second application, and that decision binds you and blocks a later Superior Court action under the Lemon Law. Because a prevailing consumer is awarded attorney's fees against the manufacturer under section 56:12-42, having a lawyer need not cost you anything out of pocket.

How is a New Jersey lemon law refund calculated?

Start from the full price with trade-in credit, then add tax, fees, finance charges, early options, towing and rental. Deduct the mileage at the first repair visit times the price, divided by 100,000.

Start from the full purchase price, including any stated trade-in credit, and add sales tax, license and registration fees, finance charges, dealer-installed options added within 30 days of delivery, towing, and rental of an equivalent car while yours was out of service for the defect. Then deduct the reasonable allowance for vehicle use set by N.J.S.A. 56:12-30: the mileage when you first brought the car in for the defect, times the purchase price, divided by 100,000. Miles driven after that first visit are not charged. The Division's example is a $19,500 car first taken in at 9,500 miles, which carries a deduction of $1,853. The refund is paid to you and any lender as your interests appear on Motor Vehicle Commission records.

Does the New Jersey lemon law cover leased cars?

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

Yes. N.J.S.A. 56:12-32(b) gives a lessee the same remedies as a buyer. If you win, you return the car, the lease is terminated, and no early-termination penalty can be charged. The manufacturer refunds the amount you actually paid under the lease, plus the other charges the statute lists if you paid them, less the same allowance for use based on your mileage at the first repair visit. It then settles separately with the leasing company. The statute defines a lease as any written agreement to use a car for more than 60 days. The rules on repair counts, the 20 days, the certified letter and the 24,000-mile window are identical for a lease, so a lessee has to watch the same dates a buyer does.

Does New Jersey have a lemon law for used cars?

Yes, two ways. A car still inside 24,000 miles and two years from first delivery can use the new car law, and the Used Car Lemon Law makes a dealer warrant the engine and drivetrain for 30 to 90 days.

Yes, two ways. A used car still inside 24,000 miles and two years from its first delivery can qualify under the New Car Lemon Law. Otherwise the Used Car Lemon Law, N.J.S.A. 56:8-67 and following, applies to cars bought from a dealer. The dealer must give a written warranty on the engine, transmission and drive axles: 90 days or 3,000 miles up to 24,000 on the odometer, 60 days or 2,000 miles up to 60,000, and 30 days or 1,000 miles above that. Three failed repairs or 20 days out of service inside that warranty can make the dealer buy the car back. The law excludes cars sold for under $3,000, more than seven model years old or over 100,000 miles, and the Division adds private sales and motorcycles.

What if the manufacturer appeals a lemon law decision?

It has 45 days to go to the Appellate Division, but its appeal isn't heard unless it posts a bond equal to your award plus $2,500. A frivolous appeal brings treble damages.

Either side can appeal a final decision to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court, and the Division's rule sets 45 days from the final decision to file. New Jersey makes an appeal costly for a manufacturer. Under N.J.S.A. 56:12-37(d), its appeal will not be heard unless it posts a bond equal to your award plus $2,500 for attorney's fees and costs, secured by cash and payable to you. If the court upholds your refund, you also recover rental costs for the period after you offered the car back, unless the manufacturer lent you a comparable car for free. If the court finds the appeal had no reasonable basis or was frivolous, it shall award treble damages.

Do I have to use the manufacturer's arbitration program first?

No. Section 56:12-36(a) says you don't have to use a manufacturer's program before the state hearing, and you can still apply to the Lemon Law Unit afterward if you aren't satisfied.

No. N.J.S.A. 56:12-36(a) says a consumer shall not be required to use a manufacturer's informal dispute settlement program before using the Division's hearing, and section 56:12-39 says you do not have to use either one before suing in Superior Court. Some manufacturers run arbitration programs, and the application is often in the glove box packet. If you try one, the decision must state in writing whether you are entitled to a refund under New Jersey's criteria, and it can be used as evidence later by either side. The Division says that if you are not satisfied and have not settled, you can still apply to the Lemon Law Unit afterwards. Think about that evidence point before you choose.

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

Yes. You can sue in the Superior Court's Essex Vicinage without using the Division or a manufacturer program. A lawsuit usually takes longer, and once either route decides the claim, the other one closes.

Yes. N.J.S.A. 56:12-39 lets you file in the Superior Court without going through the Division or a manufacturer program, and for a Newark driver that is the Essex Vicinage. Section 56:12-42 applies there too, so a prevailing consumer is awarded attorney's fees, expert fees and costs. Section 56:12-41 requires whoever files a Lemon Law claim or defense in Superior Court to mail a copy to the Attorney General within 10 days. The trade-off is time. The state route has a hearing within 20 days of acceptance and short decision deadlines, while a lawsuit usually takes longer. And the choice is close to final: once the Division decides, you cannot sue under the act, and once you sue, the Division closes its door.

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.†

Start My Free Case Review  Call (201) 357-6447
Call Now Free Case Review →
Free & Confidential — No attorney’s fees unless we recover for you.