Illinois Lemon Law Remedies

Illinois’s lemon-law remedy framework operates on two tracks: refund or replacement through the Illinois New Vehicle Buyer Protection Act, plus civil-court damages and attorney fees through ICFA and Magnuson-Moss.

Topics in this section

• Refund — The standard remedy.
• Replacement vehicle — When a comparable new vehicle is appropriate.
• Cash-and-keep — Cash settlement with vehicle retention.
• ICFA damages — Civil-court actual damages plus potential treble.
• Attorney fees — Recovery through ICFA § 10a(c) and Magnuson-Moss.

The basic recovery framework

For an Illinois Lemon Law refund:

Element	Amount
Cash paid (down payment + payments)	Full reimbursement
Loan payoff to lender	Paid directly to lender
Sales tax	Reimbursed
Registration / title fees	Reimbursed
Dealer-installed options	Reimbursed
Incidental damages	Reimbursed when proven
Subtotal	(sum)
Less: reasonable allowance for use	Subtract
Net refund amount	Final amount
Plus: ICFA damages (when applicable)	Additional damages + potential treble
Plus: ICFA / Magnuson-Moss attorney fees	Paid by manufacturer separately

How the use deduction works

The Illinois Lemon Law uses a “reasonable allowance for use” — typically calculated similarly to California’s formula:

(Miles driven before defect manifestation ÷ 120,000) × Purchase price

Use deductions typically range 10-25% of the purchase price.

What Illinois doesn’t provide through the Lemon Law alone

• Statutory attorney-fee shifting (no statutory provision in 815 ILCS 380).
• Treble damages multiplier (no provision in the Lemon Law).

These come from ICFA and Magnuson-Moss.

Why the two-track approach matters

Path	What it provides
Illinois Lemon Law	Refund or replacement
ICFA	Damages + mandatory attorney fees + potential treble
Magnuson-Moss	Federal-court access + attorney fees
Parallel all three	Maximum settlement leverage

Related

Topic

Illinois Lemon Law — Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the most-asked questions about Illinois's Lemon Law and ICFA.

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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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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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