Lemon law in Kansas

At a glance

Who qualifies

Which vehicles

New vehicles sold or leased in Kansas that are registered for a gross weight of 12,000 pounds or less. Parts customized or added by second stage manufacturers or converters are not covered.

“"motor vehicle" means a new motor vehicle which is sold or leased in this state, and which is registered for a gross weight of 12,000 pounds or less”

ksrevisor.gov

Repair attempts

The car is presumed a lemon if the same serious defect has been repaired four or more times within the protection period and still exists. It is also presumed a lemon after 10 or more repair attempts on any serious defects.

“The same nonconformity which substantially impairs the use and value of the motor vehicle to the consumer has been subject to repair four or more times by the manufacturer or its agents or authorized dealers”

ksrevisor.gov

Serious safety defects

The law does not say.

Days out of service

The car is presumed a lemon if it is out of service for repairs a total of 30 or more calendar days during the protection period.

“the vehicle is out of service by reason of repair for a cumulative total of 30 or more calendar days during such term or period, whichever is the earlier date”

ksrevisor.gov

Used vehicles

No. The law covers only new vehicles and only the original buyer or lessee.

“"Consumer" means the original purchaser or lessee, other than for purposes of resale, of a motor vehicle”

ksrevisor.gov

Leased vehicles

Yes. The original lessee of a new vehicle leased in Kansas is covered.

“"Consumer" means the original purchaser or lessee, other than for purposes of resale, of a motor vehicle”

ksrevisor.gov

Deadlines

Protection period

The warranty term or one year after original delivery, whichever ends first. The defect must be reported in that time, but repairs made later still count.

“during the term of any warranties or during the period of one year following the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle to a consumer, whichever is the earlier date”

ksrevisor.gov

Time limit to file

The law does not say.

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 warranty term or one year after original delivery, whichever ends first. The defect must be reported in that time, but repairs made later still count.
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 report the defect to the manufacturer, its agent, or a dealer during the protection period, and the presumption applies only if the manufacturer gets actual notice of the defect. The law does not require written notice or a final repair attempt.

“If the manufacturer receives actual notice of the nonconformity, it shall be presumed that a reasonable number of attempts have been undertaken to conform a motor vehicle to the applicable warranties”

ksrevisor.gov

Arbitration

If the manufacturer has a dispute program that meets federal rules, the owner must use it first to get a refund or replacement. Kansas has no state arbitration program. The Attorney General enforces the law.

“the provisions of subsection (c) concerning refunds or replacement shall not apply to any consumer who has not first resorted to such procedure”

ksrevisor.gov

What you get

The manufacturer must replace the car with a comparable vehicle under warranty or take it back and refund the full purchase or lease price, including collateral charges, minus a use allowance based on the AAA booklet Your Driving Costs.

“the manufacturer shall replace the motor vehicle with a comparable motor vehicle under warranty or accept return of the vehicle from the consumer and refund to the consumer the full purchase or lease price including all collateral charges”

ksrevisor.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 (Kansas Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division), 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 Kansas. 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 Kansas Lemon Law (motor vehicle warranties) (K.S.A. 50-645, 50-646), 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 Kansas

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 Kansas's lemon law

Find a Kansas 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 Kansas cases like yours. The firm contacts you, and you decide whether to hire them.

Sources

• K.S.A. 50-645, 50-646, Kansas Lemon Law (motor vehicle warranties)
• Kansas Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division
• 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.