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Lemon Law Demand Letter — Maine

In Maine, a new vehicle is presumed a lemon if, within the earlier of the express warranty term, 3 years after original delivery, or the first 18,000 miles, it has had three repair attempts for the same nonconformity, one repair attempt for a serious brake or steering failure, or the vehicle out of service a cumulative 15 or more business days. Below is a ready-to-edit lemon law demand letter with Maine's statute — the Maine Lemon Law — already cited; add your vehicle and repair history, then send it to the manufacturer.

Maine at a glance

  • Coverage window: the earlier of the express warranty term, 3 years after original delivery, or the first 18,000 miles.
  • The tests: three repair attempts for the same nonconformity, one repair attempt for a serious brake or steering failure, or the vehicle out of service a cumulative 15 or more business days.
  • What this letter does: statutorily required — a Final Opportunity to Repair notice sent to the manufacturer by certified mail with return receipt; the manufacturer then has 7 business days to complete the repair.
  • Where it escalates: Maine’s State Lemon Law Arbitration Program.
  • Maine’s process requires this Final Opportunity to Repair notice to go to the manufacturer by certified mail with return receipt.
  • Maine gives you the longest reporting window of any state in this project so far — 3 years or 18,000 miles.

Lemon Law Demand Letter

Copy the letter below into the editor, replace the text in [brackets] with your details, and PostPal will print and mail it for you.

Subject: Lemon Law Notice — Demand for Repurchase or Replacement
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, Maine ZIP Code]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email]

[Date]

[Manufacturer Name] — Customer Relations / Owner Relations
[Manufacturer Address — listed in your warranty booklet or owner's manual]

RE: Final Opportunity to Repair notice under the Maine Lemon Law (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 10, § 1163)
Vehicle: [Year] [Make] [Model], VIN [VIN]

Dear [Manufacturer Name] Owner Relations,

I am the [owner / lessee] of a [Year] [Make] [Model], VIN [VIN], purchased [or leased] new on [Purchase Date] from [Dealer Name] in [City], Maine.

Since delivery, the vehicle has exhibited the following defect: [describe the defect and how it impairs the vehicle's use, value, or safety]. The vehicle has been presented to your authorized dealer for repair of this defect on the following occasions:

• [Date] — [Repair order #] — [What was done]
• [Date] — [Repair order #] — [What was done]
• [Date] — [Repair order #] — [What was done]

In total, the defect has been subject to [number] repair attempts, and the vehicle has been out of service for [number] days. The defect remains uncorrected.

Under the Maine Lemon Law (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 10, §§ 1161 to 1169), a manufacturer that cannot conform a new motor vehicle to its warranty after a reasonable number of repair attempts must replace it or refund the purchase price. A reasonable number of attempts is presumed where the same nonconformity has been subject to repair three or more times, a serious brake or steering failure has been repaired once, or the vehicle has been out of service a cumulative 15 or more business days, within the earlier of the express warranty term, 3 years after delivery, or 18,000 miles. Before pursuing this remedy, you must send the manufacturer a Final Opportunity to Repair notice by certified mail with return receipt, and it has 7 business days to complete the repair.

This is my Final Opportunity to Repair notice. You have 7 business days from receipt of this notice to repair the defect described above. If it is not corrected, I intend to apply to Maine’s State Lemon Law Arbitration Program, without further notice to you.

Copies of my repair orders are available on request. Please respond in writing to the address above.

Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]

What your lemon law demand letter must include

  • Your full name, address, and contact details
  • The vehicle’s year, make, model, and VIN, plus the purchase/lease date and selling dealer
  • A clear description of the defect and how it impairs the vehicle’s use, value, or safety
  • The full repair history: dates, repair-order numbers, and days out of service (Maine looks for three repair attempts for the same nonconformity, one repair attempt for a serious brake or steering failure, or the vehicle out of service a cumulative 15 or more business days)
  • What you are demanding — a repurchase (refund) or a comparable replacement vehicle
  • Proof of the mailing method — Maine requires this notice to go by certified mail with return receipt

Frequently asked questions

When does a car qualify as a lemon in Maine?

The defect must substantially impair the vehicle's use, value, or safety, and the manufacturer must have had a reasonable chance to fix it — in Maine that is presumed within the earlier of the express warranty term, 3 years after original delivery, or the first 18,000 miles, after three repair attempts for the same nonconformity, one repair attempt for a serious brake or steering failure, or the vehicle out of service a cumulative 15 or more business days. Keep every repair order; the paper trail is the claim.

Do I need to use an official form?

No official form. Send this letter, describing the defect and your repair history, by certified mail with return receipt — that is what Maine’s law requires for the Final Opportunity to Repair notice.

Who do I send the letter to — the dealer or the manufacturer?

The manufacturer. Lemon law obligations run against the vehicle manufacturer, not the selling dealer — send it to the manufacturer’s customer/owner relations address listed in your warranty booklet or owner’s manual (PostPal’s where-to-mail directory also lists head-office addresses for major automakers like Ford, General Motors, and Tesla). Keep dealing with the dealer for the repairs themselves.

What happens after I send it?

The manufacturer has 7 business days from receiving your notice to repair the defect. If it doesn’t, you can apply directly to Maine’s State Lemon Law Arbitration Program.

More lemon law demand letter templates for other states

Facts verified against official sources on September 3, 2026: maine.gov, codes.findlaw.com.

This template is provided for convenience only. It is not legal advice and does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Court limits and rules change — confirm anything time-sensitive on the official page, and consult a qualified legal professional for advice specific to your situation.