Documenting Evidence for an Indiana Lemon Law Claim

Documentation is the foundation of every Indiana Lemon Law case. Indiana’s 18-month / 18,000-mile Rights Period requires consistent, well-documented ROs.

What to document

1. Repair orders (the most important documents)

Every visit to the manufacturer-authorized service facility must produce a written repair order (RO). Each RO must contain:

• Date of vehicle drop-off and pickup.
• Mileage at drop-off and pickup.
• Customer complaint in your own words (the “C/M” line). Be specific.
• Technician findings and work performed.
• Parts replaced.
• Authorized dealer name.
• VIN.

Insist on receiving a printed RO at every visit, even for diagnostic-only or no-trouble-found visits.

2. OOS day tracking — business days

For the 30-business-day threshold, track every day the vehicle is at the dealer EXCLUDING weekends and holidays:

RO#	Drop-off	Pickup	Business Days OOS	Reason
12345	Mon 6/2	Fri 6/6	5	Transmission diagnosis
12678	Mon 7/14	Fri 8/15	25	Waiting parts

Use a simple spreadsheet. Loaner-car receipts and rental agreements corroborate.

3. Written communications

Save copies of:

• Email correspondence with dealer service manager.
• Text messages with service advisor.
• Letters to/from manufacturer’s customer relations.
• BBB Auto Line filings if any.

4. Manufacturer customer-relations case file

Manufacturers open a customer-relations case when you escalate. Demand a written case summary including:

• Case number.
• Date opened.
• Issue description.
• Manufacturer position.

For home-state defendants (Toyota Princeton, Subaru SIA, GM Fort Wayne, Honda Greensburg, Elkhart RV makers), discovery can compel internal case-file production.

5. Photos and video

• Defect manifestation (dashboard lights, fluid leaks, paint defects).
• Repair-shop intake photos.
• Driving-condition video (transmission shifts, brake feel, electrical glitches).

6. Diagnostic data

For Tesla / EV cases, request the diagnostic logs. Most manufacturers maintain telematics records:

• Tesla: request via in-app or service request.
• GM OnStar: diagnostic reports.
• Ford SYNC: vehicle health reports.

Common documentation mistakes

• Going to independent mechanics — repairs don’t count toward Lemon Law thresholds.
• Vague RO descriptions — “check engine light on” is too generic; describe symptoms.
• No printed RO — some dealers issue verbal findings without paperwork. Demand one anyway.
• Inconsistent complaint language — describe the same symptom the same way at each visit to establish “same nonconformity” under § 24-5-13-15.
• Counting calendar days for OOS — Indiana uses business days; exclude weekends.

Indiana-specific considerations

• Tornado / hail damage — be ready to distinguish defect from weather damage (Indiana tornado exposure).
• Salt corrosion — northern Indiana lake-effect snow + salt; document defects as defects, not corrosion.
• Multi-county travel — Indiana plaintiffs often visit dealers in different counties; any authorized dealer counts.

Bottom line

The repair orders and OOS day tracking ARE the case. Indiana’s business-day OOS counting (more generous than calendar-day jurisdictions) means careful tracking pays off.

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