Lemon law in Illinois

At a glance

Who qualifies

Which vehicles

New cars, light trucks and vans under 8,000 pounds, and recreational vehicles (not trailers) bought in Illinois. Motorcycles, boats, and altered or modified vehicles are not covered.

“Light Trucks and vans under 8,000 pounds; • Recreational vehicles (excluding trailers):”

illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

Repair attempts

The car may be a lemon if a defect that substantially impairs its use, value, or safety is not fixed in at least four repair attempts for the same problem.

“is not repairable by the dealer or manufacturer in at least four attempts for the same repair”

illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

Serious safety defects

The law does not say.

Days out of service

The car may be a lemon if it is out of service for a total of 30 or more business days.

“be out of service for a total of 30 or more business days”

illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

Used vehicles

No. Used cars are not covered by the Illinois lemon law.

“The Lemon Law DOES NOT Cover: • Used Cars;”

illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

Leased vehicles

Yes. New cars that are leased are covered.

“New Cars (purchased or leased);”

illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

Deadlines

Protection period

The first 12 months or first 12,000 miles of ownership, whichever comes first.

“be out of service for a total of 30 or more business days during the first 12 months or first 12,000 miles of ownership, whichever occurs first”

illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

Time limit to file

The Attorney General says a claim must be filed within 12 months from the purchase date.

“waited longer than 12 months from the purchase date, the time period in which Lemon Law complaints must be filed”

illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

Steps

1. Keep every repair order. Each visit to the dealer should give you a work order with the date, the mileage, what you reported and what they did. Ask for one every time, even when they find nothing. These papers are your case.
2. Check the dates. The first 12 months or first 12,000 miles of ownership, whichever comes first. The Attorney General says a claim must be filed within 12 months from the purchase date.
3. Tell the manufacturer in writing. The law asks for written notice. See written notice below.
4. Use the dispute program if one is required. See arbitration below for whether you must go there before court.
5. Ask for a refund or a replacement, or file. Send the letter, then file before the time limit if the manufacturer will not buy the vehicle back or replace it.

Written notice

The owner must start a claim with the manufacturer's designated representative for the vehicle. A claim cannot be started through the dealer.

“To initiate action under the Lemon Law, contact the designated manufacturer representative for your vehicle.”

illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

Arbitration

Claims go first to the manufacturer's third party dispute program, described in the owner's manual. If the owner is unhappy with the decision, the owner may sue. The manufacturer may not dispute the board's decision.

“Manufacturers establish an Industry Third Party Dispute Resolution Program to evaluate your claim.”

illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

What you get

If the dispute board rules for the owner, the manufacturer replaces the vehicle with one of like or similar value or buys it back, minus a value for the miles driven.

“the manufacturer will buy your vehicle back from you, less the value for miles driven.”

illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

Do it yourself

You can bring a lemon law claim without a lawyer. It takes letters, records and patience. The usual route:

1. Put your repair orders in date order and count the attempts and the days out of service.
2. Send the manufacturer the letter below, by a tracked method, to the address in your owner's manual or warranty booklet.
3. If it offers a final repair, let it try within the time the law gives it.
4. If it refuses or does not answer, file with the manufacturer's dispute program or the state program (Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Consumer Protection), then court if you need to.
5. Do not sell or trade in the vehicle while the claim is open.

[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]

[Manufacturer name]
[Address from your owner's manual or warranty booklet]

Re: Lemon law claim, [year make model], VIN [VIN]

I bought (or leased) this vehicle on [date] from [dealer], in Illinois. It has a defect that the dealer has not been able to fix: [describe it in one or two sentences].

It has been in for repair of this defect [number] times, on [dates], and out of service for a total of [number] days. Copies of the repair orders are enclosed.

Under New Vehicle Buyer Protection Act (815 ILCS 380), I ask you to repurchase or replace the vehicle. Please reply in writing within 15 days. I can bring the vehicle in for a final repair attempt if the law gives you one.

[Your name]
[Phone and email]

What a buyback pays in Illinois

The law asks for a reasonable allowance for your use without a fixed formula. Makers and courts often use the one several states write into law: the price times the miles driven before the first repair visit for the defect, divided by 120,000. For a $40,000 car with 6,000 miles at the first repair and 15,000 now, that is about $2,000.

Estimate your buyback

Questions people ask about Illinois's lemon law

Find a Illinois lemon law lawyer

The law does not say.

Because the manufacturer usually pays the lawyer's fees when you win, most lemon law lawyers charge you nothing up front. A lawyer also knows what the manufacturer offers in cases like yours and what the use deduction should be.

Send the free case check below and we find a lemon law firm that takes Illinois cases like yours. The firm contacts you, and you decide whether to hire them.

Sources

• 815 ILCS 380, New Vehicle Buyer Protection Act
• Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Consumer Protection
• Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2310, the federal warranty law that also lets owners recover attorney fees.

Each quote above is copied from the page it links to, checked 2026-10-26. If a page has moved, the citation still finds the law.