States with the Best Lemon Laws
Earlier this month, the Center for Auto Safety, (an awesome consumer advocacy organization) released their rankings of State Lemon Laws.
For those of you who aren't aware, Lemon Laws are consumer protection laws that allow car buyers to receive a refund or replacement vehicle if their new car has a defect that can't be fixed after a certain number of attempts.
Lemon Laws are implemented on a State level, which means some states provide much stronger protection than others. New Jersey is ranked #1, while Illinois and Colorado come in last place.
Check out the rankings below to see how well your State protects your rights when buying a new car:
| Rank | State | Letter Grade | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | A | 84 |
| 2 | Washington | A | 83 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | B+ | 64.5 |
| 4 | Hawaii | B+ | 62 |
| 5 | Ohio | B+ | 61.5 |
| 6 | New York | B+ | 60 |
| 7 | Maine | B | 59 |
| 8 | Florida | B | 58.5 |
| 9 | Texas | B | 58 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | B | 54.5 |
| 11 | Idaho | B | 54 |
| 12 | California | B | 53 |
| 13 | Georgia | B | 53 |
| 14 | West Virginia | B | 53 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | B | 51.5 |
| 16 | Minnesota | B | 51.5 |
| 17 | Iowa | B- | 49 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | B- | 48.5 |
| 19 | Virginia | B- | 48 |
| 20 | Connecticut | B- | 47.5 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | B- | 46.5 |
| 22 | Arkansas | B- | 42 |
| 23 | Maryland | C | 39.5 |
| 24 | Vermont | C | 39 |
| 25 | Delaware | C | 37.5 |
| 26 | North Carolina | C | 36.5 |
| 27 | Oregon | C | 36.5 |
| 28 | South Carolina | C- | 34 |
| 29 | South Dakota | C- | 31 |
| 30 | Indiana | D | 30 |
| 31 | Michigan | D | 29 |
| 32 | Montana | D | 28 |
| 33 | Arizona | D | 27 |
| 34 | Alabama | D | 26 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | D | 24 |
| 36 | New Mexico | D | 23.5 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | D | 23.5 |
| 38 | Tennessee | D | 23 |
| 39 | Wyoming | D | 22 |
| 40 | Nebraska | D- | 20 |
| 41 | Kentucky | D- | 18 |
| 42 | Alaska | D- | 17 |
| 43 | Mississippi | D- | 16 |
| 44 | Kansas | D- | 15 |
| 45 | Utah | D- | 15 |
| 46 | Nevada | D- | 13 |
| 47 | Missouri | F | 5.5 |
| 48 | Louisiana | F | 5 |
| 49 | North Dakota | F | 1 |
| 50 | Colorado | F | -2 |
| 51 | Illinois | F | -3 |
Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author
Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate
the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
Latest Weekly Car Buying Tips
April 2025
- All SUV Lease Deals Compared April 2025 Apr 24, 2025
- Best Car Deals Around the Country Apr 24, 2025
- Real Prices of New Compact SUVs Apr 24, 2025
- Largest Hidden Dealer Rebates Apr 24, 2025
- Top 100 Cheapest Lease Deals Apr 17, 2025
- Biggest Discounts on New Cars March 2025 Apr 17, 2025
- Cars With the Largest Rebates Apr 17, 2025
- Real Prices of Midsize SUVs Apr 17, 2025
- Best 0% Finance Deals April 2025 Apr 10, 2025
- Best Bang for Your Buck Lease Deals Apr 10, 2025
- Best Electric, Hybrid Lease Deals Apr 10, 2025
- Real Prices of Large SUVs Apr 10, 2025
- Best Car Deals by Category Apr 03, 2025
- Worst Cars to Lease Right Now Apr 03, 2025
- Top 100 Cheapest New Cars Right Now Apr 03, 2025
- Real Prices of Pickup Trucks Apr 03, 2025
March 2025
- New Cars with the Most Available Inventory Mar 27, 2025
- Price Comparison of Subcompact SUVs Mar 27, 2025
- Which Cars Better to Lease or Buy Mar 20, 2025
- Real Prices of Midsize Cars Mar 20, 2025
- Real Prices of Compact Cars Mar 13, 2025
- List of New Cars Most Affected by Tariffs Mar 06, 2025
