Massachusetts law
Massachusetts requires a licensed dealer to warrant a used vehicle against any defect that impairs its safety or use, and the length of that warranty is set by one number: the odometer reading at the time of sale. Under 40,000 miles it is 90 days or 3,750 miles; from 40,000 it is 60 days or 2,500 miles; from 80,000 it is 30 days or 1,250 miles; at 125,000 and above no warranty is mandated. The law is M.G.L. c.90 §7N¼.
The short version
Yes, if the odometer reads under 125,000 miles at the time of sale. M.G.L. c.90 §7N¼ obliges a licensed dealer to warrant the vehicle against any defect that impairs its safety or use. It is not optional and it does not depend on what the dealer chooses to offer.
The odometer at the time of sale sets the term. Under 40,000 miles it is 90 days or 3,750 miles; from 40,000 to 79,999 it is 60 days or 2,500 miles; from 80,000 to 124,999 it is 30 days or 1,250 miles. Whichever limit arrives first ends it.
Defects that impair the vehicle's safety or use. That is a general standard rather than a parts list, which is what makes the Massachusetts statute stronger than most: the question is what the defect does to the car, not whether the failed component appears on a schedule.
If the same defect survives three repair attempts, or if the vehicle is out of service for more than ten cumulative business days, the buyer is entitled to a refund. Cumulative matters — several short visits reach the threshold together.
No. This is §7N¼, the used-vehicle warranty. §7N is the separate Lemon Aid law, which lets a buyer void the sale outright after a failed safety inspection within 7 days. They are adjacent sections doing different jobs and are constantly confused.
The four tiers
The term runs from the date of sale and ends at whichever limit arrives first, the days or the miles. The right-hand column is our own lot, counted from the live inventory as this page loaded — 52 vehicles in stock, of which 49 sit inside a mandated warranty tier.
| Mileage at sale | Warranty under §7N¼ | In stock now |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 miles | 90 days or 3,750 miles | 5 |
| 40,000 to 79,999 miles | 60 days or 2,500 miles | 20 |
| 80,000 to 124,999 miles | 30 days or 1,250 miles | 24 |
| 125,000 miles and over | No warranty is mandated | 3 |
Counts come from the same live feed the inventory pages read, so they move as cars sell and arrive. The tier that applies to you is the one the odometer reads on the day you sign, not the one it read when the car was listed — most of our stock currently sits in the 80,000 to 124,999 miles band.
Scope
Defects that impair the used motor vehicle's safety or use. That is a general standard, not a parts list, and it is the reason the Massachusetts statute is stronger than most: the question is what the defect does to the car, not whether the failed component appears on a schedule somewhere. It is not a bumper-to-bumper warranty and it does not turn wear items into covered repairs — a worn wiper blade impairs nothing in the sense the statute means.
Two triggers, either one of which is enough. If the same defect survives three repair attempts, or if the vehicle is out of service for more than ten cumulative business days, the buyer is entitled to a refund. Cumulative matters: three separate two-day visits and one five-day visit reach the threshold together, even though no single visit came close.
The obligation is not only a dealer's. A private seller in Massachusetts must disclose known defects that impair a vehicle's safety or use — but a disclosure is all you get, with no repair obligation and no refund mechanism behind it. That difference, along with how private sales are taxed, is most of the case for buying from a licensed dealer.
The common mix-up
No, and the two get run together constantly, including by pages that should know better. They are adjacent sections of the same chapter doing completely different jobs.
The used-vehicle warranty. Runs for a term set by mileage at sale, covers defects impairing safety or use, and ends in a refund only after three failed repairs or ten cumulative business days out of service.
A much shorter, sharper right. If the vehicle fails a state safety inspection within 7 days of sale and the repairs would cost more than 10% of the purchase price, the buyer may void the sale outright for a refund, provided the seller is notified within 14 days. How that joins up with the 7-day inspection rule.
Every listing shows its odometer reading. Ask us and we will tell you the term in writing before you sign. 420 Broadway, Taunton, MA 02780 · City Dealer License #18
