BBB Auto Line: Indiana's Manufacturer-Certified IDS

BBB Auto Line is the certified IDS used by most major manufacturers in Indiana. Under § 24-5-13-19, if the manufacturer’s IDS is certified (16 C.F.R. Part 703 compliant), the consumer must use that procedure first before court action.

Why BBB Auto Line matters in Indiana

Indiana does NOT have a state-administered Lemon Law arbitration board. The procedural choice is:

• Manufacturer’s certified IDS (BBB Auto Line for most) — required first.
• Court action — Indiana Circuit/Superior Court or D. Ind.

BBB Auto Line process

Step	Detail
Filing	Online at bbbprograms.org/programs/all-programs/bbbautoline
Filing fee	$0 (manufacturer pays)
Acknowledgment	Within 5-10 days
Manufacturer response	14-30 days
Hearing	In-person, telephonic, or document review
Decision	Within 40 days of filing
Acceptance/rejection	Consumer has 14 days to accept or reject

Manufacturers using BBB Auto Line

• Toyota / Lexus (Princeton plant is home-state)
• Honda / Acura (Greensburg plant is home-state)
• Ford / Lincoln
• General Motors (Fort Wayne plant is home-state)
• Nissan / Infiniti
• Hyundai / Genesis
• Kia
• BMW / Mini
• Mercedes-Benz
• Volkswagen / Audi / Porsche
• Subaru (SIA Lafayette is home-state)
• Volvo
• Stellantis (Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler) — varies

Tesla and Rivian generally do NOT participate in BBB Auto Line.

What BBB can award

• Refund of purchase price + tax + fees + incidental damages, minus reasonable use offset.
• Replacement vehicle.
• Repair (rare — usually consumer has already exhausted repair).

What BBB cannot award

• IDCSA treble damages — court only.
• Attorney fees — § 24-5-13-22 fees apply only in court action.
• Punitive damages.

Acceptance vs. rejection

• Accept the BBB award → binding on both parties; manufacturer must comply within 30 days.
• Reject the BBB award → court action available with de novo review.

The BBB decision does not preclude court action — even if BBB denies, you can proceed in court.

When BBB Auto Line is the right path

• Clean refund/replacement case without IDCSA treble exposure.
• Quick resolution preferred (40 days).
• Don’t want to litigate discovery + depositions.

When to skip BBB Auto Line

• IDCSA / deceptive practice case — court only.
• Dealer fraud / misrepresentation — court only.
• Manufacturer not in BBB Auto Line (Tesla, Rivian) — court direct.
• Complex damages beyond statutory refund.

Indiana strategy

For most Indiana Lemon Law cases, the sequence is:

1. Send Lemon Law § 24-5-13-12 notice + IDCSA § 24-5-0.5-5(a)(2) cure notice.
2. Manufacturer’s 30-day response window (also cure window).
3. BBB Auto Line filing (required if manufacturer is certified).
4. Accept BBB award if favorable, OR
5. File court action (Indiana Circuit/Superior Court or D. Ind.) with parallel IDCSA + Magnuson-Moss claims for treble damages.

Bottom line

BBB Auto Line is the gateway for most Indiana Lemon Law cases — required first under § 24-5-13-19. Use it for clean refund/replacement claims. For IDCSA treble damages exposure or dealer fraud, file court action directly (Tesla/Rivian cases) or after BBB rejection.

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