Sec. 3. 10 MRSA §1163, sub-§3, ¶¶A and B, as repealed and replaced by PL 1989, c. 570, §3, are amended to read:

A. The same nonconformity has been subject to repair 3 or more times by the manufacturer or its agents or authorized dealers within the express warranty term, during the period of 2 years following the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle to a consumer or during the first 18,000 miles of operation, whichever is the earlier date, and at least 2 of those times the same agent or dealer attempted the repair but the nonconformity continues to exist; or

B. The vehicle is out of service by reason of repair by the manufacturer, its agents or authorized dealer, of any defect or condition or combination of defects for a cumulative total of 15 or more business days during that warranty term or the appropriate time period, whichever is the earlier date.; or

Sec. 4. 10 MRSA §1163, sub-§3, ¶C is enacted to read:

C.__The vehicle has multiple problems that have not been successfully repaired after the vehicle has been out of service for 15 or more business days within the warranty term as a result of those problems.

Sec. 5. 10 MRSA §1169, §1, 2 and 5, as amended by PL 1999, c. 212, §4, are further amended to read:

1. Neutral new car arbitration. All manufacturers shall submit to state-certified, new car arbitration if arbitration is requested by the consumer within 2 years from the date of original delivery to the consumer of a new motor vehicle or within the term of the express warranties, whichever comes first. State-certified arbitration must be performed by one or more a panel of 5 neutral arbitrators selected by the Department of the Attorney General operating in accordance with the rules adopted pursuant to this chapter. The Attorney General may contract with an independent entity to provide arbitration or the Attorney General's office may appoint neutral arbitrators. The 5 members of the arbitration panel must include one person who is a new car dealer, one person who is knowledgeable about automobile mechanical systems and 3 members of the general public. Each party to an arbitration is entitled to one rejection of a proposed arbitrator.