Illinois Lemon Law — Frequently Asked Questions

The questions below are the ones Illinois buyers ask most often before deciding whether to pursue an Illinois Lemon Law claim and/or parallel ICFA action.

Topics in this section

• When is a car a lemon in Illinois?
• Do I need a lawyer for an Illinois lemon-law claim?
• How much does an Illinois lemon-law case cost?
• Are used vehicles covered?
• The manufacturer denied my claim — now what?
• Does it matter which repair shop I use?
• How long do I have to file a claim?

Related

Topic

Illinois Lemon Law Cases by Manufacturer

How the Illinois Lemon Law and ICFA apply to specific manufacturers — characteristic defect patterns, TSB histories, and settlement dynamics.

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The Illinois Lemon Law Process

Step-by-step: how an Illinois lemon-law case moves from repair attempts through manufacturer notice, BBB Auto Line arbitration (optional), court action, and settlement.

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Qualifying Defects Under Illinois Lemon Law

What kinds of vehicle defects qualify for an Illinois Lemon Law refund — the substantial-impairment test under 815 ILCS 380 and common defect categories.

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Illinois Lemon Law Remedies

What you can recover under Illinois's lemon-law framework — refund, replacement, cash-and-keep settlements, ICFA treble damages, and ICFA attorney-fee recovery.

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The Law: Illinois Lemon Law and ICFA

The statutes behind an Illinois lemon-law claim — the New Vehicle Buyer Protection Act (815 ILCS 380), the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act (815 ILCS 505), Magnuson-Moss, and timing rules.

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Vehicle Types Covered by Illinois Lemon Law

How Illinois's Lemon Law applies to used cars, leases, EVs, motorcycles, RVs, and commercial vehicles.

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