North Dakota lemon law and warranty dispute resources
Status: Official page read; key points summarized. Last checked 2026-10-20.
What the official page says
Source: N.D.C.C. chapter 51-07, sections 51-07-16 to 51-07-22 (North Dakota Legislative Branch) (read 2026-10-20). This is a summary of the statute text posted on the official site, not legal advice. The exact wording, exclusions and deadlines are in the statute itself, and may have changed.
- The Attorney General's current page says North Dakota's Lemon Law (N.D.C.C. Chapter 51-07) applies only to new cars, not to any other motorized vehicle or to used cars, and that before a new car can be declared a lemon specific procedures must be followed (check the owner's manual or consult an attorney in private practice).
- The statute text (51-07-16) says a "consumer" is the purchaser or lessee of a passenger motor vehicle normally used for personal, family or household purposes, and that a passenger motor vehicle means one defined in section 39-01-01 or a truck with a registered gross weight of 10,000 pounds or less sold or leased in North Dakota, not including a house car.
- The statute text (51-07-17) says the consumer must report the nonconformity to the manufacturer, its agent or its authorized dealer during the express warranty term or within one year after original delivery, whichever is the earlier date.
- The statute text (51-07-19) says a reasonable number of attempts is presumed if the same nonconformity continues after being subject to repair more than three times within that period, or the vehicle is out of service for repair a cumulative total of at least thirty business days during the warranty term or in a year, whichever is less, and that the presumption does not apply unless the manufacturer received prior direct notification and an opportunity to cure.
- The statute text (51-07-18) says the manufacturer must replace the vehicle or refund the full purchase price including all collateral charges, less a use allowance not exceeding ten cents per mile driven or ten percent of the purchase price, whichever is less; that a consumer must first use the manufacturer's informal dispute procedure if it complies with 16 CFR 703; and that if the consumer asks for an oral presentation, the hearing must take place in the state where the consumer resides.
- The statute text (51-07-21) says an action must be commenced within six months after the earlier of the expiration of the express warranty term or eighteen months after original delivery, and (51-07-20) that a consumer who proceeds under these sections is foreclosed from pursuing any other remedy arising out of the same facts.
Numbers the page states
| Item | As stated on the official page |
|---|---|
| Report window | Express warranty term or one year after original delivery, whichever is earlier |
| Repair attempts (presumption) | More than three |
| Days out of service (presumption) | At least thirty business days |
| Use allowance cap | Ten cents per mile or ten percent of the purchase price, whichever is less |
| Time to sue | Within six months after the earlier of warranty expiration or eighteen months after original delivery |
Counting rules differ (calendar days vs. business days, what counts as a repair attempt). Use the repair log tool to organize dates, then confirm how your state counts.
Not covered or not confirmed in this summary
- The definition of passenger motor vehicle refers to section 39-01-01, which was not read.
- An older Attorney General fact sheet (file name dated 2006) words the time to sue differently; this page follows the statute text read on 2026-10-20.
Other official pages used
- Consumer Rights: Lemon law (North Dakota Attorney General)
- North Dakota's 'Lemon' Law fact sheet (AG, state library copy; older)
Industry arbitration program summary (not a government source)
BBB National Programs, which runs the BBB AUTO LINE dispute program, publishes a state summary: BBB AUTO LINE: North Dakota lemon law summary (link checked 2026-10-20). It is published by an industry-linked program, so treat it as a starting point and confirm against the state's own page or statute.
What to do first
- Keep every repair order and receipt. See the records checklist.
- Write down dates and mileage for each repair visit with the repair log tool (nothing is saved or sent).
- Read the federal warranty basics and arbitration pages.
- Consider speaking with a licensed attorney in your state about deadlines. Many have free consultations, but we do not recommend any specific one.
Corrected Oct 20, 2026: the numbers now come from the statute text (N.D.C.C. 51-07-16 to 51-07-22) instead of an older fact sheet, and the time to sue now reads "within six months after the earlier of warranty expiration or eighteen months after original delivery" as the statute says.