Indiana Lemon Law

Indiana’s lemon law — codified at Ind. Code § 24-5-13 (“Indiana Motor Vehicle Protection Act”) — pairs an 18-month / 18,000-mile Rights Period with a 4-attempt or 30-business-day OOS threshold. Layered on top is the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act (IDCSA) under Ind. Code § 24-5-0.5 et seq., which provides treble damages and mandatory attorney fees for uncured deceptive acts. The IDCSA’s distinctive pre-suit cure notice requirement under § 24-5-0.5-5(a)(2) gives manufacturers 30 days to cure before treble damages attach — a procedural step that must be followed precisely.

Indiana is distinctive in five ways:

1. 18-month / 18,000-mile Rights Period — a distinctive combination sitting between Virginia’s 18-month with no mileage cap and 2-year states. Tighter than most major states.
2. IDCSA pre-suit cure notice requirement under § 24-5-0.5-5(a)(2) — 30 days for “incurable” deceptive acts to be cured before treble damages attach. Procedural step unique to Indiana’s UDAP.
3. IDCSA treble damages or $500 minimum under § 24-5-0.5-4(a) — discretionary treble damages OR $500 statutory minimum, whichever greater. Plus mandatory § 24-5-0.5-4(d) attorney fees.
4. FIVE home-state OEM manufacturing operations — more than any other US state:
   • Toyota Princeton (Highlander, Sequoia, Sienna, Grand Highlander)
   • Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) Lafayette (Outback, Legacy, Impreza, Ascent)
   • GM Fort Wayne (Silverado HD, Sierra HD)
   • Honda Greensburg (Civic, CR-V)
   • Elkhart County RV manufacturing hub — Thor HQ, Forest River, Jayco, Keystone, Heartland, Coachmen, Newmar, etc. — roughly 80% of US RV production.
5. 2-year IDCSA SOL under § 24-5-0.5-5(b) — moderate; longer than Tennessee’s 1-year TCPA but shorter than 6-year UDAPs like Pennsylvania UTPCPL and Minnesota Private AG Statute.

This page is the hub for our Indiana coverage. Use the topic guides for deeper reading:

• The Law — § 24-5-13 Lemon Law, IDCSA cure-notice + treble damages, Magnuson-Moss, repair-attempt presumption (4 attempts / 30 days OOS), and statute of limitations.
• The Process — Documented repair attempts, written notice, IDCSA cure notice, BBB Auto Line IDS, court action.
• Remedies — Refund, replacement, IDCSA treble damages, mandatory § 24-5-13-22 + § 24-5-0.5-4(d) attorney fees.
• Qualifying Defects — Defect categories that meet Indiana’s “substantially impair” test.
• Vehicle Types — Used vehicles, leases, EVs, motorcycles (excluded from § 24-5-13), RVs (Elkhart-built home-state defendants!), commercial vehicles.
• Manufacturers — Common case patterns by brand (Toyota Princeton, Subaru SIA, GM Fort Wayne, Honda Greensburg are home-state defendants).
• FAQ — Common questions about Indiana lemon-law claims.

Who’s protected

Indiana’s Lemon Law (Ind. Code § 24-5-13-1) covers:

• New motor vehicles purchased or leased in Indiana for personal, family, or household use.
• Demonstrators sold under new-vehicle warranties.
• Subsequent transferees during the Rights Period.

The statute excludes vehicles purchased for commercial use only, motor homes (except chassis), and vehicles weighing more than 10,000 lbs GVWR.

The 18-month / 18,000-mile Rights Period

Indiana’s eligibility window under § 24-5-13-7 is 18 months from original delivery OR 18,000 miles OR end of express warranty, whichever first. This 18/18K combination sits between:

• Virginia: 18 months (no mileage cap)
• Indiana: 18 months / 18,000 miles
• 2-year states: most others
• 1-year states: Tennessee, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, Massachusetts

Outside the 18/18K window, IDCSA (2-year SOL) and Magnuson-Moss (4-year UCC SOL) remain available.

The “reasonable number of attempts” test

Indiana applies thresholds under § 24-5-13-15:

• Four or more repair attempts for the same nonconformity within the Rights Period; OR
• 30 or more cumulative business days out of service.

See our repair-attempt presumption article.

IDCSA cure notice — distinctive

Under § 24-5-0.5-5(a)(2), before filing a treble-damages IDCSA suit for an “incurable deceptive act,” the consumer must give the supplier written notice and a 30-day opportunity to cure. If the supplier cures, no treble damages. If the supplier does not cure (or refuses), treble damages attach plus mandatory fees.

This is a procedural step unique to Indiana and must be followed precisely — failure to give pre-suit cure notice can defeat treble damage exposure.

Manufacturer IDS — BBB Auto Line

Under § 24-5-13-19, if the manufacturer maintains a certified IDS procedure (16 C.F.R. Part 703 compliant), the consumer must first use that procedure. Most major manufacturers’ IDS in Indiana is BBB Auto Line.

After IDS, the consumer may file court action — Indiana does NOT have a separate state-administered Lemon Law arbitration board.

What you can recover

A successful Indiana Lemon Law case typically produces:

• Refund — purchase price, sales tax, license fees, plus incidental costs, minus reasonable use deduction.
• Replacement — comparable new vehicle.
• MANDATORY § 24-5-13-22 attorney fees.
• IDCSA actual damages + treble damages + mandatory § 24-5-0.5-4(d) fees for uncured deceptive acts (provided cure notice given).
• Reimbursement of incidental damages.

What to do next

1. Document everything. See our evidence guide.
2. Stay within the 18-month / 18,000-mile window.
3. Identify the 4th repair attempt (or 30 cumulative OOS business days).
4. Send written notice with final repair opportunity under § 24-5-13-12.
5. For IDCSA treble damages: Send separate IDCSA cure notice under § 24-5-0.5-5(a)(2) giving 30-day cure window.
6. Use manufacturer’s IDS (BBB Auto Line) if certified — required first.
7. File court action with parallel IDCSA + Magnuson-Moss claims.
8. Get a free case review from an Indiana lemon-law attorney.

Explore Indiana lemon law

Topic

The Law: Indiana Lemon Law, IDCSA, and Magnuson-Moss

The statutes behind an Indiana lemon-law claim — § 24-5-13 Lemon Law, IDCSA (§ 24-5-0.5) cure-notice + treble damages, Magnuson-Moss, and timing rules.

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The Process: Filing an Indiana Lemon Law Claim

The step-by-step Indiana lemon-law process — repair attempts, Lemon Law written notice, IDCSA cure notice, BBB Auto Line IDS, court action.

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Remedies: What You Can Recover Under Indiana Lemon Law

Refund, replacement, IDCSA treble damages (with cure notice), and the mandatory § 24-5-13-22 + § 24-5-0.5-4(d) attorney fees recovery.

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Qualifying Defects: What Counts as a Lemon in Indiana

Defect categories that meet Indiana's 'substantially impair use, market value, or safety' test under § 24-5-13.

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Vehicle Types Covered Under Indiana Lemon Law

How Indiana's Lemon Law applies to used vehicles, leases, EVs, motorcycles, RVs (Elkhart-built home-state defendants!), and commercial vehicles.

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Manufacturer Case Patterns in Indiana

Common Indiana lemon-law case patterns by manufacturer — Toyota (Princeton home plant), Subaru (Lafayette SIA), GM (Fort Wayne), Honda (Greensburg), plus Elkhart RV manufacturers.

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Indiana Lemon Law FAQ

Common Indiana lemon-law questions — when is a car a lemon, the IDCSA cure notice, do I need a lawyer, what about used cars.

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