Key takeaways
- Protection period: term of protection: from original delivery to the earlier of 18 months or 18,000 miles. A replacement vehicle gets a new term from its delivery.
- Repair attempts: the nonconformity subject to repair at least 4 times and it continues to exist.
- Days out of service: out of service for repair a cumulative total of at least 30 business days (days other than Sundays and legal holidays) and the nonconformity continues to exist.
- Deadline: within 2 years after the buyer first reports the nonconformity to the manufacturer, its agent or authorized dealer. Tolled while a certified informal dispute procedure is pending.
- The law is Ind. Code §§ 24-5-13-1 to 24-5-13-24. Read it with your repair orders and your warranty in front of you.
On this page
Indiana's lemon law is Ind. Code §§ 24-5-13-1 to 24-5-13-24, the Indiana Motor Vehicle Protection (Lemon Law), IC 24-5-13. It gives owners a remedy when the manufacturer can't fix a warranty defect after a fair chance. This page sums up the main rules as written in the statute, with links to the official text. Use it to check your dates and your repair visits, then talk to a lawyer about your own records.
Indiana lemon law at a glance
| Statute | Ind. Code §§ 24-5-13-1 to 24-5-13-24 |
|---|---|
| Official name | Indiana Motor Vehicle Protection (Lemon Law), IC 24-5-13 |
| Vehicles covered | Self-propelled vehicles with a declared gross vehicle weight under 10,000 pounds, sold to an Indiana buyer and registered in Indiana (or to a nonresident buyer in Indiana), meant mainly for public highways and required to be registered. Excludes conversion vans, motor homes, farm tractors and equipment, road building equipment, truck tractors, road tractors, motorcycles, motor driven cycles, snowmobiles and off-road vehicles. |
| Leased vehicles | Yes, leased vehicles are covered. |
| Protection period | Term of protection: from original delivery to the earlier of 18 months or 18,000 miles. A replacement vehicle gets a new term from its delivery. |
| Repair attempts | The nonconformity subject to repair at least 4 times and it continues to exist. |
| Days out of service | Out of service for repair a cumulative total of at least 30 business days (days other than Sundays and legal holidays) and the nonconformity continues to exist. |
| Notice to the manufacturer | The buyer must first notify the manufacturer of a claim only if the manufacturer clearly disclosed, in the warranty or owner's manual, that written notice is required, with the name and address for notice. |
| Dispute programs | The chapter does not apply to a buyer who has not first used a manufacturer's informal procedure that the Attorney General certified as complying with 16 C.F.R. 703 and the AG's rules, if the buyer received adequate written notice of it. |
| Deadline to bring a claim | Within 2 years after the buyer first reports the nonconformity to the manufacturer, its agent or authorized dealer. Tolled while a certified informal dispute procedure is pending. |
| Remedies | At the buyer's option, within 30 days, a refund of the full contract price (including trade-in credits) or a replacement of comparable value, plus towing and rental costs. The refund is less a use allowance equal to the total contract price multiplied by miles driven before the manufacturer accepts return, divided by 100,000, and includes sales tax, unused registration and excise tax, finance charges and dealer-added options. |
| Attorney's fees | Yes. A prevailing buyer recovers costs and expenses, including attorney's fees based on actual time spent, as determined by the court. |
| Used vehicles | No separate used-car lemon law. The chapter applies to vehicles 'sold, leased, transferred, or replaced' in Indiana, but the term of protection runs from original delivery. A methamphetamine-vehicle disclosure rule applies to any covered vehicle sold by a dealer or seller. |
Does your vehicle qualify in Indiana?
The law covers self-propelled vehicles with a declared gross vehicle weight under 10,000 pounds, sold to an Indiana buyer and registered in Indiana (or to a nonresident buyer in Indiana), meant mainly for public highways and required to be registered. Excludes conversion vans, motor homes, farm tractors and equipment, road building equipment, truck tractors, road tractors, motorcycles, motor driven cycles, snowmobiles and off-road vehicles. The protection period is term of protection: from original delivery to the earlier of 18 months or 18,000 miles. A replacement vehicle gets a new term from its delivery. Inside that window, the statute presumes the manufacturer has had a fair chance to fix the problem when one of these is true:
- Repeated repairs: The nonconformity subject to repair at least 4 times and it continues to exist.
- Days out of service: Out of service for repair a cumulative total of at least 30 business days (days other than Sundays and legal holidays) and the nonconformity continues to exist.
As with most lemon laws, the defect generally has to be covered by the manufacturer's warranty and serious enough to substantially impair the vehicle's use, value or safety; check the statute's exact wording. Count only visits for the same problem, and check each repair order for your complaint, the dates in and out, and the mileage. See what counts as a repair attempt.
Notice, dispute programs and deadlines
The buyer must first notify the manufacturer of a claim only if the manufacturer clearly disclosed, in the warranty or owner's manual, that written notice is required, with the name and address for notice.
The chapter does not apply to a buyer who has not first used a manufacturer's informal procedure that the Attorney General certified as complying with 16 C.F.R. 703 and the AG's rules, if the buyer received adequate written notice of it.
Deadline: Within 2 years after the buyer first reports the nonconformity to the manufacturer, its agent or authorized dealer. Tolled while a certified informal dispute procedure is pending.
Deadlines can run out before you expect, and contacting a lawyer does not stop them. Read more about lemon law deadlines and notice to the manufacturer.
Questions about your vehicle's repair history?
Tell us what has happened with your vehicle. A member of our team will look at your dates and repair orders with you. Reaching out does not create an attorney-client relationship.
What you can recover
At the buyer's option, within 30 days, a refund of the full contract price (including trade-in credits) or a replacement of comparable value, plus towing and rental costs. The refund is less a use allowance equal to the total contract price multiplied by miles driven before the manufacturer accepts return, divided by 100,000, and includes sales tax, unused registration and excise tax, finance charges and dealer-added options. Yes. A prevailing buyer recovers costs and expenses, including attorney's fees based on actual time spent, as determined by the court. Many claims are also resolved by a negotiated settlement. See buyback and replacement.
Federal warranty law also applies
The federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 2301–2312) applies in every state. It covers written and implied warranties on consumer products, including vehicles, and it can help when a vehicle falls outside Indiana's lemon law, for example some used vehicles sold with a warranty or a service contract.
Talk to us about your Indiana vehicle
SkyRidge Law P.C. reviews lemon law questions from owners in every state. Lawyers may practice only where they are licensed or otherwise authorized, so before you sign anything we tell you which lawyer would handle your case and where that lawyer is licensed. Send us your repair history and we will look at your dates with you.
Frequently asked questions
How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Indiana?
Under Ind. Code §§ 24-5-13-1 to 24-5-13-24, the presumption is met when the nonconformity subject to repair at least 4 times and it continues to exist. The law also counts time in the shop: out of service for repair a cumulative total of at least 30 business days (days other than Sundays and legal holidays) and the nonconformity continues to exist.
How long do I have to file a lemon law claim in Indiana?
Within 2 years after the buyer first reports the nonconformity to the manufacturer, its agent or authorized dealer. Tolled while a certified informal dispute procedure is pending. Other deadlines, such as the protection period and any notice or dispute-program step, can run out first, so check your dates early. Contacting a lawyer does not stop the clock.
Does the Indiana lemon law cover used cars?
No separate used-car lemon law. The chapter applies to vehicles 'sold, leased, transferred, or replaced' in Indiana, but the term of protection runs from original delivery. A methamphetamine-vehicle disclosure rule applies to any covered vehicle sold by a dealer or seller. Even when the state lemon law does not apply, a used vehicle sold with a written warranty or a service contract may have rights under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.
Does the Indiana lemon law cover leased vehicles?
Yes, leased vehicles are covered. Lease buybacks usually involve both you and the leasing company, so keep your lease agreement with your repair orders.
Do I have to notify the manufacturer in Indiana?
The buyer must first notify the manufacturer of a claim only if the manufacturer clearly disclosed, in the warranty or owner's manual, that written notice is required, with the name and address for notice. Keep a copy of anything you send and proof of delivery.
Do I have to go to arbitration in Indiana?
The chapter does not apply to a buyer who has not first used a manufacturer's informal procedure that the Attorney General certified as complying with 16 C.F.R. 703 and the AG's rules, if the buyer received adequate written notice of it.
Can I recover attorney's fees under the Indiana lemon law?
Yes. A prevailing buyer recovers costs and expenses, including attorney's fees based on actual time spent, as determined by the court. We explain exactly how fees work in your case before you sign anything.