Lemon Law
The Iowa Lemon Law is designed to allow new motor vehicle owners to pursue claims independently. We hope this information will help answer your questions about the Iowa Lemon Law. For legal advice, and questions about your specific vehicle concerns, you should consider contacting a private attorney.
Does Your Vehicle Qualify?
Before you pursue your Lemon Law claim, it is important for you to determine whether your vehicle meets the basic eligibility requirements. If your vehicle does not meet all three of the qualifications listed below you should consider seeking legal advice from a private attorney.
To qualify as a “lemon” under the Iowa Lemon Law, a vehicle should:
- Be under two years old, or
- Have less than 24,000 miles
- Weigh less than 15,000 lbs., weight is listed on vehicle title and registration.
NOTE: Motorcycles, mopeds, motor tricycles, and RVs do not qualify for the Iowa Lemon Law.
Additionally, to qualify as a “lemon” under the Iowa Lemon Law, your vehicle must have a problem or defect that renders the vehicle unfit, unreliable, or unsafe for ordinary use or significantly diminishes the value of the vehicle.
To qualify as a “lemon” under the Iowa Lemon Law, one or more of the following must be true:
- The vehicle has been in the shop three or more times for the same problem and the problem still exists;
- The vehicle has been in the shop one time due to a defect likely to cause serious bodily injury or death and the problem still exists;
- The vehicle has been out of service for any number of problems for 20 or more days, and a problem still exists. The days do not need to be consecutive.
Starting the Lemon Law Claim Process:
If you have determined your vehicle meets the qualifications above and you wish to proceed with a claim, you must notify both the manufacturer and the corresponding Dispute Resolution Program of the problem via their online portal, email, or by certified mail.
The Motor Vehicle Defect Notification form can be included in your notification to the manufacturer and arbitrator. Keep a copy of the completed form and any other materials you mail to the manufacturer.
Once your Lemon Law claim has been submitted to both parties, you may elect to have an arbitration hearing, in person or remotely. The hearing allows an arbitrator to review the facts of the claim and make a fair decision. A well-organized presentation of the facts and documents will assist you in proving a factory defect exists.
To Support Your Claim:
It is important that you keep copies of all repair orders for each time the vehicle has been in the repair facility for repair or diagnosis. Include copies of these documents with your claim submission to the manufacturer and the arbitrator, along with a written statement of what you want done to resolve your complaint and if you are requesting a replacement or repurchase.
For warranty repairs, repair facilities are required to provide you with a fully-itemized, legible statement or repair order stating:
- Any diagnosis made
- All work performed on the motor vehicle (including a general description of the problem reported by the consumer)
- The date and the odometer reading when the motor vehicle was submitted for examination or repair
- The date when the repair or examination was completed.
Additional supporting documents to consider submitting copies of include:
- The motor vehicle purchase agreement or lease agreement
- A timeline, including days out of service
- Documentation of all work done
- Proof of any financial burden (ex: a statement from your employer confirming time off work)
- Receipts from towing bills
- Testimonials and or correspondence (ex: a narrative statement from shop foreman regarding vehicle status)
- Pictures and any other documents that may support your claim
Once your claim has been submitted you will receive a timeline and procedures which explain the operation of the certified program. A final attempt by the manufacturer to repair the vehicle may also be made at this time.
Arbitrator Decisions:
If you are not satisfied with the decision rendered by the arbitrator, you may wish to determine if you would like to appeal or pursue other legal remedies. At any time during the Lemon law claim process, if you determine you would like legal advice specific to your situation, you should consider contacting a private attorney.
If Your Vehicle Does Not Qualify Under the Iowa Lemon Law:
You may have other legal recourse against the manufacturer, even if your vehicle does not qualify under the Lemon Law. Contact a private attorney for further information. You may wish to visit the Iowa Bar Association’s Find-A-Lawyer service at, www.IowaFindALawyer.com, to locate a licensed attorney in your area.
Resources:
To view the full text of Iowa's Lemon Law (Iowa Code Chapter 322G: Defective Motor Vehicles), click here.
Manufacturers’ certified dispute resolution program contacts: click here.
National Center for Dispute Settlement
To report, file a complaint, or inquire about a national recall or vehicle safety issue, contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at www.safercar.gov, or call the U.S. Department of Transportation's Vehicle Safety Hotline, toll-free, at 1-888-327-4236 (or 1-800-424-9153 for hearing impaired callers).
Contact
Phone
515-281-5926
888-777-4590 (outside of the Des Moines metro area)
Fax
515-281-6771
Office of the Attorney General of Iowa
Consumer Protection Division
Hoover State Office Building
1305 E. Walnut Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0106
