Lemon Law Repair Log
Record every repair visit as it happens — dates in and out, the dealer, the repair-order number, the odometer, what you reported and what they did. Lemon law tests count attempts and days; a contemporaneous log is the record those counts come from.
Prefer paper? Download a blank printable repair log (PDF) and fill it in by hand — one row per visit, the same fields as the log below.
Start a log — add your first visit below.
New Jersey and Massachusetts have separate used-vehicle laws with their own tests. The switch changes only the summary shown here — your entries don't change.
Add a visit
An open visit counts raw calendar days from the date in to today, labeled “so far.” Your state may count days differently.
300 characters left
300 characters left
300 characters left
300 characters left
300 characters left
Group visits under a problem name you choose — the totals below then break out by problem. You decide which visits belong together; the log never groups them for you, and a label does not decide that two problems are legally the same defect.
Your log
No visits logged yet.
Nothing here yet — add the first visit above. Back-date it from the repair order if the visit already happened.
| Date in | Date out | Dealer | Reported | Result | RO # | Odometer | Problem | Days | Actions |
|---|
“Carry this into the packet” opens the builder, which pre-fills its repair rows from this log when no saved draft exists — all visits, or only the problem group you pick. The packet’s own record sheet then compares the same visits with your state’s tests. A backup file stays on your device: restoring one replaces the log in this browser only after you confirm, and the file is checked against the backup format before anything changes.
Where the numbers live on a repair order
Every dealer's form looks different, but the same five facts appear on almost all of them. This example is fictional and is an example layout only — not any manufacturer's form; your dealer's repair order will be arranged differently.
EXAMPLE MOTORS SERVICE RO # 10482 ①
Customer: Example Owner · Vehicle: 2024 Example Motors Pathway · VIN 1EXAMPLE…000
Date / time in: Feb 3, 2025, 9:12 AM ② · Date / time out: Feb 6, 2025, 4:40 PM ②
Mileage in: 3,021 ③ · Mileage out: 3,034
Customer concern: “Transmission slips between 2nd and 3rd gear under light acceleration.” ④
Work performed: Reprogrammed transmission control module; road-tested. Concern still present on road test. ⑤
② The dates in and out — days out of service are counted from these two dates.
③ The odometer reading at drop-off (“mileage in”).
④ What you reported, ideally in the words you used at the counter — tests count attempts at the same defect, so consistent wording matters.
⑤ What the dealer did and whether the defect was still there afterwards.
Next: record your first visit in the log above — about a minute per visit, while the repair order is in your hand.
See the log feed the packet (40 seconds, no sound)
Recorded with fictional example data. The log below is the same tool the video starts with.
Why a log, not a memory
Repair orders get lost, and “about three times in the spring” is not a count. The state tests summarized above run on specific numbers — attempts at the same defect, days out of service, dates inside a window — and each one traces back to a dated repair order. Logging a visit the week it happens takes a minute and preserves the odometer reading and RO number while they are in your hand. If a row here and a repair order ever disagree, the repair order is the record to trust; fix the row.
What to record at each visit
- The date you dropped the vehicle off and the date you got it back — days out of service come from these two dates.
- What you reported, in the words you used at the counter. Tests count attempts at the same defect; consistent wording across orders matters.
- The repair-order (RO) or invoice number, and the odometer reading at drop-off.
- What the dealer did and whether the defect was still there afterwards.
Keep the paper (or PDF) repair orders too — this log organizes them; it does not replace them. When you are ready, compare the totals with the free quiz, check your timing with the deadline calculator, or carry the log into the $29 packet builder.
A completed example
Three fictional visits for one problem, the way they would appear in the log above:
| Date in | Date out | Dealer | Reported | RO # | Odometer | Problem | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-03 | 2025-02-06 | Example Motors Service | Transmission slips between 2nd and 3rd | 10482 | 3,021 | transmission slipping | 3 |
| 2025-03-10 | 2025-03-14 | Example Motors Service | Transmission still slips between 2nd and 3rd | 10577 | 4,150 | transmission slipping | 4 |
| 2025-04-21 | 2025-04-25 | Example Motors Service | Same slipping; shudder at 30 mph | 10690 | 5,002 | transmission slipping | 4 |
Totals for the example: 3 visits · 11 days out of service (date out minus date in, per visit), all under the one problem label the owner chose. Fictional — your repair orders are the record to trust.
Prefer paper? Download a blank printable repair log (PDF) and fill it in by hand — one row per visit, the same fields as this page.