Maine has no mileage-tiered used car lemon law like Massachusetts or New York. What it has is the Used Car Information Act, 10 M.R.S. sections 1471 to 1478, which makes every dealer warrant that the car can pass Maine state inspection. That warranty cannot be waived, even on an "as is" sale. If the dealer will not fix an inspection failure within the statute's deadlines, you can rescind the sale and get your money back, less a few deductions. A late-model used car can also fall under the actual Lemon Law, 10 M.R.S. chapter 203-A, if you are still inside 3 years from original delivery, 18,000 miles and the factory warranty.
I read both chapters on legislature.maine.gov on Saturday afternoon, October 17, 2026; the Revisor's pages say the text was extracted October 5, 2026. I also read the Attorney General's used vehicle guide. General information, not legal advice. Honestly, Maine's protection is thinner than "lemon law" suggests, so read the next section before you assume a bad engine is covered.
The inspection warranty is the floor
Section 1474 says a dealer warrants that the car it sells to you has been inspected under the state inspection law and meets those standards. Section 1474(2) bars the dealer or anyone else from excluding, limiting or waiving that warranty or your remedies. The AG adds that the inspection sticker has to be less than 60 days old on the day you buy, and the car must truly meet the standards. Then the part that stings: the engine is not an inspection item. Brakes, steering, lights, tires, exhaust, glass and seat belts are. So a dealer can sell you a car with a dying engine "as is" and still be in compliance, as long as it passes inspection.
Repair deadlines, loaners and rescission
Section 1476 is where Maine gets specific. A dealer has failed its warranty if it does not finish the repair within five days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after you drop the car off, or within 35 calendar days if parts are not available. Past those periods the dealer has to give you an operating car at no cost except gas and oil until yours is fixed. If the dealer fails, you can rescind and recover what you paid, reduced only by damage you caused and, if you have had the car more than 30 days, its drop in value measured by a used car guide such as the NADA New England edition. Or keep the car and claim the value difference.
Before you sue, the statute wants written notice to the dealer by registered or certified mail. A court that finds the dealer failed must award reasonable attorney's fees, and section 1477 adds liquidated damages of $100 to $1,000 for violations of the chapter, with a two-year limit.
What the window sticker has to tell you
Section 1475 requires a sticker listing known mechanical defects, any known fire, water or substantial collision damage, whether the car was a manufacturer buyback, whether it was repossessed, and the deposit refund policy, which you sign before paying a deposit. On request the dealer must also name the prior owner and the car's main prior use, such as daily rental, taxi, rideshare or police car, and say how it got the car: trade-in, auction or repo. Our Maine salvage and rebuilt title post covers what the title itself can hide.
One clause is worth knowing because it shifts risk to you. Under section 1475(2-A)(I), a dealer that hands you a history report someone else prepared is not liable for its mistakes if it uses the statute's "courtesy copy" disclaimer. A doctored report PDF takes minutes to make, so pull the VIN yourself.
"As is" and the implied warranty
Maine's UCC, 11 M.R.S. 2-316(5), makes disclaimers of implied warranties unenforceable on consumer goods, but lets a motor vehicle seller say it is excluding them "to the extent permitted by law." The AG reads that as letting dealers disclaim implied warranties on used cars, though makers cannot, so a car under about four years old may keep implied rights against the maker. If a car fails badly in the first day or so, the AG says you may be able to reject it under the UCC. Our what "as is" means guide covers the federal Buyers Guide side.
When the real Lemon Law reaches a used car
Chapter 203-A counts anyone who gets the car while an express warranty still applies as a consumer. Section 1163 covers defects you report within the warranty term, 3 years from original delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first. The maker is presumed to have had enough tries after three repairs of the same problem, one for a serious brake or steering failure, or 15 business days out of service. After written notice it gets a 7-business-day final repair, then owes a refund or replacement, and you can refuse the replacement. Section 1169 offers AG-run state-certified arbitration, with a finding due within 45 days. The dealer is not on the hook here except for its own written warranties.
Compare that with Massachusetts, which mandates mileage-tiered dealer warranties, or New York, whose dealer warranty runs up to 90 days. Maine gives less on mechanical failure and more on disclosure.
Who is left out
The Act only covers dealers, though the definition takes in out-of-state dealers, banks, finance companies, rental companies and insurers selling in Maine. Private sales are out; see our Maine private sale title transfer guide. Motorcycles are excluded, and so are cars sold for parts or scrap with that language in the contract. A car that fails inspection can be sold for rebuilding only with an "Unsafe Motor Vehicle" sticker, and it gets towed off the lot.
Before you sign
Have an independent shop check the engine, since the inspection warranty skips it. Run the VIN through NMVTIS for title brands, then get your own history report. CarVins is a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller, not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck, Experian or the State of Maine. A report through us runs about $5.50 as a guest, $4.50 for members, or about $6.75 for both brands, versus roughly $39.99 to $44.99 direct; prices move, so check at checkout.
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