Buying a new car is supposed to mean that you don’t have to worry about major mechanical problems for a long time.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen.
Sometimes a brand-new vehicle starts having problems almost immediately. You take it back to the dealership. They diagnose it, replace a part, update the software, or tell you they couldn’t duplicate the problem.
You pick it up.
Then it happens again.
And again.
Eventually, you may find yourself asking:
“How many times do I have to take this thing back before its fixed?”
If that’s happening to you, don’t assume that repeated repairs are something you have to live with. There are steps you can take now to protect yourself, and depending on the circumstances, you may have rights under Nevada’s Lemon Law.
First: Document Everything
Your repair history is important.
Keep every repair order, invoice, warranty claim, email, text message, and other communication with the dealer concerning the vehicle.
Keep track of:
- The date you brought the vehicle to the dealership.
- The date you got it back.
- The mileage when you brought it in.
- The problem you reported.
- What the dealer wrote on the repair order.
- What repairs were performed.
- Whether the dealer said it could not duplicate the problem.
- Whether the same problem came back afterward.
- Whether the vehicle was unsafe or unusable.
- How many days the vehicle was unavailable.
Don’t rely exclusively on your memory.
Your repair orders can tell the story for you.
Don’t Let “They Fixed It” End the Conversation
One of the most frustrating things about a defective new vehicle is that the dealer may tell you:
“We fixed it.”
But then the problem comes back.
A vehicle that repeatedly develops the same problem despite multiple repair attempts is different than a vehicle that had one isolated defect that was promptly and permanently repaired.
If you continue experiencing the same problem, make sure you report it to the dealer again. Don’t wait. Describe the problem as accurately as possible.
If the vehicle stalls, tell the dealer
If the transmission slips or hunts for gears when accelerating, tell the dealer.
If the dashboard warning light repeatedly comes on, tell the dealer.
The repair order should accurately reflect what you reported.
What If the Dealer Says They Can’t Reproduce the Problem?
You take the vehicle in because something is wrong.
The dealership keeps it for several days.
Then you receive a call:
“We couldn’t duplicate the concern.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean nothing is wrong.
If the problem occurs intermittently, explain exactly when and how it happens.
You can also document the problem with photographs or video when it is safe to do so.
When Does a New Car Become a “Lemon”?
There is a legal term you should know: lemon law.
Nevada law provides protections for certain buyers of new motor vehicles when a manufacturer, its agent, or authorized dealer cannot conform the vehicle to its express warranty after a reasonable number of attempts.
Nevada law may apply when:
- The same nonconformity (defect) has been repaired four or more times and continues to exist; or
- The vehicle has been out of service for repairs for a cumulative total of 30 or more calendar days.
Those thresholds apply during the warranty period or the first year after delivery, whichever occurs earlier.
Four repair attempts or 30 cumulative days are important benchmarks under Nevada law—but they aren’t necessarily the only circumstances in which you may have a claim.**
Nevada Lemon Law asks:
- whether the manufacturer has had a reasonable number of opportunities to repair a defect
- that substantially impairs the vehicle’s use and value, and is covered by the applicable express warranty.
What If I’ve Only Had Three Repairs?
Don’t automatically assume that you don’t have a case.
The four-repair threshold is a statutory presumption. It doesn’t necessarily mean that three repair attempts can never be enough under any circumstances.
Likewise, you don’t necessarily need to wait until the vehicle reaches 30 days in the shop before talking to an attorney.
What Happens If the Vehicle Qualifies as a “Lemon”?
Nevada law provides for a replacement vehicle or a refund.
Exactly what you are entitled to can depend on the facts of the case.
That’s one reason I don’t recommend simply accepting the dealership or manufacturer’s first first settlement offer—without understanding your rights.
What About Magnuson-Moss?
Nevada Lemon Law isn’t the only potential source of protection.
The federal **Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act** can provide another avenue for certain warranty disputes. It applies to consumer products covered by manufacturer warranties.
An important point: **Magnuson-Moss is a warranty law. If the manufacturer’s original warranty has expired, then Magnuson-Moss probably won’t apply.**
Don’t Wait Until the Problem Gets Worse
Nevada law contains an important deadline.
A claim under the Nevada Lemon Law must generally be made within
18 months after the vehicle’s original delivery
That doesn’t mean you should wait 17 months to investigate your rights.
If your vehicle is still relatively new and you’re already dealing with repeated warranty repairs, now is the time to start organizing your records.
You May Not Have to Pay a Lemon Law Lawyer
For qualifying warranty and Lemon Law cases
You don’t pay us. The manufacturer pays our legal fees.
The exact fee arrangement and available fee recovery depend on the claims and circumstances of your case, but qualifying consumers may be able to obtain legal representation without paying an attorney’s fee out of pocket.
Take the 30-Second Nevada New Car Problem Quiz
If your new car has been in the shop repeatedly, you don’t have to figure out whether it might be a lemon by yourself.
Take our 30-second Nevada New Car Problem Quiz.
We’ll ask about your vehicle, warranty, repair history and time out of service.
Precision Injury Law represents Nevada consumers with qualifying vehicle warranty and Lemon Law problems.
This site is for informational use only, does not provide legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship through browsing or form submissions.