Hawaii lemon law: when your car is a lemon and how to claim
In Hawaii, a new car counts as a lemon after 3 repairs for the same problem, 1 for a serious safety defect or 30 business days in the shop within the first 24 months or 24,000 miles. First, send the manufacturer a written notice: the free letter below does it.
Checked against official sources: Oct 22, 2026
Your next 4 steps in Hawaii
Keep every repair order
Get a written repair order at every visit, with the date, mileage and days in the shop. In Hawaii, a car is presumed a lemon after 3 repairs for the same problem, 1 for a serious safety defect or 30 business days in the shop.
Send the manufacturer a written notice
You must report the defect to the manufacturer in writing during the Lemon Law rights period, at the address given in the Notice of Consumer Rights the dealer gave you at purchase. Write your notice letter ↓
No extra final repair attempt
Hawaii law does not give the manufacturer an extra 'final repair attempt' after the presumption is met.
Ask for a refund or replacement, use arbitration, or call a lawyer
Arbitration is optional in Hawaii. See the Arbitration section below.
When a car is a lemon in Hawaii
Your car is presumed a lemon if, during the rights period: the same defect has been examined or repaired at least 3 times and still exists; a defect likely to cause death or serious injury has been examined or repaired at least once and still exists; or the car has been out of service for repairs for a total of 30 or more business days. These presumptions apply only if the manufacturer received a written report of the defect from you and had a reasonable chance to repair it. Hawaii law does not give the manufacturer an extra 'final repair attempt' after the presumption is met.
Period: The Lemon Law rights period ends when the first of these happens: the manufacturer's express warranty runs out, 2 years pass from original delivery, or the car reaches 24,000 miles.
Is your car a lemon in Hawaii? A quick check
Notice to the manufacturer
You must report the defect to the manufacturer in writing during the Lemon Law rights period, at the address given in the Notice of Consumer Rights the dealer gave you at purchase. This written notice is required only if you received that notice from the dealer. No special mailing method is set by the statute.
Arbitration
Optional. Hawaii runs its own state arbitration program and does not certify manufacturer programs; the law does not require you to use any program before going to court. To use SCAP you pay a $50 filing fee (refunded if you win), the manufacturer pays $200, and a decision is due within 45 days after your case starts. If you choose nonbinding arbitration, either side can demand a new trial in court within 30 days of the award.
Deadline to sue or file in Hawaii
Any action under the Lemon Law must be started within 1 year after the Lemon Law rights period ends (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 481I-3(j)); the state program applies the same 1-year deadline to arbitration filings.
What you can get
A replacement vehicle, or a refund of the full purchase price (including trade-in allowance, undercoating, dealer prep, transportation and installed options) plus collateral charges (such as finance and interest charges, general excise tax, license, registration and title fees) and incidental charges (such as towing and alternative transportation; not loss of use, lost income or injury claims). The manufacturer deducts a reasonable offset for use: 1% of the purchase price for every 1,000 miles you drove up to the 3rd repair attempt, the 1st repair of a dangerous defect, or the 30th business day out of service, whichever came first. An extra deduction can be made for damage beyond normal wear and tear not caused by the defect.
Attorney fees: Possibly. The winner of a state arbitration decision 'may be allowed' reasonable attorney's fees, and a party who demands a court trial after nonbinding arbitration and does not improve its result by at least 25% must pay the other side's reasonable costs and attorney's fees.
Free lemon law notice letter
Most states require you to tell the manufacturer in writing and give it a last chance to fix the car. Fill this in, download the letter, sign it and mail it to the manufacturer. Keep a copy.
Send it by certified mail with return receipt so you have proof, and keep the receipt.
Who to contact
- Office
- Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO), State Certified Arbitration Program
- Phone
- 844-808-3222
What the law covers
- New vehicles
- Yes
- Used vehicles
- No
- Leased vehicles
- Yes
- Which vehicles
- Self-propelled vehicles used mainly for personal, family or household purposes, including motorcycles and demonstrators. Also covered: an individually registered vehicle used for both business and personal purposes, and a vehicle owned or leased by a business that buys or leases no more than one vehicle a year and also uses it personally. Not covered: mopeds, motor scooters, and vehicles over 10,000 lbs gross vehicle weight rating. A lease counts if it is for 1 year or more and you are responsible for repairs, or if it is a lease-purchase.
- Who can claim
- The buyer (not for resale) or lessee, anyone the vehicle is transferred to while the manufacturer's express warranty is still in effect, and anyone else entitled to enforce that warranty.
Used cars in Hawaii
Hawaii requires dealers to give a written warranty on most used cars covering parts and labor for major parts (engine, transmission, brakes, steering and more): 90 days/5,000 miles under 25,000 miles; 60 days/3,000 miles for 25,000-49,999 miles; 30 days/1,000 miles for 50,000-75,000 miles (Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 481J). It does not apply to cars sold for under $1,500, cars over 75,000 miles, or cars 5 or more years old, among other exemptions.
Good to know
- Motorcycles are covered by Hawaii's Lemon Law (motor scooters and mopeds are not).
- Days out of service are counted in business days (days the manufacturer's dealer service departments are normally open), not calendar days.
- A returned lemon can be resold only with a signed, capitalized disclosure that it was returned under the Lemon Law, after the defect is fixed, and with a 1-year/12,000-mile manufacturer warranty on that defect.
Questions about Hawaii's lemon law
How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Hawaii?
Your car is presumed a lemon if, during the rights period: the same defect has been examined or repaired at least 3 times and still exists; a defect likely to cause death or serious injury has been examined or repaired at least once and still exists; or the car has been out of service for repairs for a total of 30 or more business days. These presumptions apply only if the manufacturer received a written report of the defect from you and had a reasonable chance to repair it. Hawaii law does not give the manufacturer an extra 'final repair attempt' after the presumption is met.
How long does Hawaii's lemon law cover a car?
The Lemon Law rights period ends when the first of these happens: the manufacturer's express warranty runs out, 2 years pass from original delivery, or the car reaches 24,000 miles.
Do I have to notify the manufacturer in Hawaii?
You must report the defect to the manufacturer in writing during the Lemon Law rights period, at the address given in the Notice of Consumer Rights the dealer gave you at purchase. This written notice is required only if you received that notice from the dealer. No special mailing method is set by the statute.
Do I have to go to arbitration in Hawaii?
Hawaii runs its own state arbitration program and does not certify manufacturer programs; the law does not require you to use any program before going to court. To use SCAP you pay a $50 filing fee (refunded if you win), the manufacturer pays $200, and a decision is due within 45 days after your case starts. If you choose nonbinding arbitration, either side can demand a new trial in court within 30 days of the award.
What can I get under Hawaii's lemon law?
A replacement vehicle, or a refund of the full purchase price (including trade-in allowance, undercoating, dealer prep, transportation and installed options) plus collateral charges (such as finance and interest charges, general excise tax, license, registration and title fees) and incidental charges (such as towing and alternative transportation; not loss of use, lost income or injury claims). The manufacturer deducts a reasonable offset for use: 1% of the purchase price for every 1,000 miles you drove up to the 3rd repair attempt, the 1st repair of a dangerous defect, or the 30th business day out of service, whichever came first. An extra deduction can be made for damage beyond normal wear and tear not caused by the defect.
Is there a deadline to file a lemon law claim in Hawaii?
Any action under the Lemon Law must be started within 1 year after the Lemon Law rights period ends (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 481I-3(j)); the state program applies the same 1-year deadline to arbitration filings.
Does Hawaii's lemon law cover used cars?
Yes. Hawaii requires dealers to give a written warranty on most used cars covering parts and labor for major parts (engine, transmission, brakes, steering and more): 90 days/5,000 miles under 25,000 miles; 60 days/3,000 miles for 25,000-49,999 miles; 30 days/1,000 miles for 50,000-75,000 miles (Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 481J). It does not apply to cars sold for under $1,500, cars over 75,000 miles, or cars 5 or more years old, among other exemptions.
Car not covered, or the period has passed? Federal warranty law may still help, and small claims court can handle smaller repair bills.
Federal warranty lawSources
- Haw. Rev. Stat. § 481I-3, Motor vehicle: express warranties, return (Hawaii Legislature)
- Haw. Rev. Stat. § 481I-2, Definitions (Hawaii Legislature)
- Haw. Rev. Stat. § 481I-4, Arbitration mechanism (Hawaii Legislature)
- Hawaii's Lemon Law - DCCA Regulated Industries Complaints Office
- Notice of Consumer Rights Under Hawaii's Lemon Law for New Motor Vehicles (DCCA, rev. 01/2026)
- The Hawaii Lemon Law and the State Certified Arbitration Program - Manufacturer Handbook (DCCA, rev. 5/18/21)
- Haw. Rev. Stat. § 481J-2, Used motor vehicles: written warranty required (Hawaii Legislature)
- Haw. Rev. Stat. § 481J-3, Disclaimers void; exemptions; 'as is' sales (Hawaii Legislature)
Last checked: Oct 22, 2026.
Law: Motor Vehicle Express Warranty Enforcement (Hawaii Lemon Law), Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 481I (§§ 481I-1 to 481I-4)