Indiana Lemon Law Statute (§ 24-5-13)

Ind. Code § 24-5-13 — the Indiana Motor Vehicle Protection Act — is the core Indiana Lemon Law. It provides refund or replacement for vehicles that don’t conform to express manufacturer warranties despite a reasonable number of repair attempts, plus mandatory attorney fees under § 24-5-13-22.

Core eligibility

Under § 24-5-13-1 to § 24-5-13-5, the statute covers:

• New motor vehicles purchased or leased in Indiana.
• Purpose: personal, family, or household use (not commercial-only).
• GVWR: under 10,000 lbs.
• Vehicle types: passenger cars, light trucks, demonstrators.
• Excluded: motorcycles (§ 24-5-13-5), motor homes (except chassis), commercial-only vehicles, vehicles above 10,000 lbs.

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

§ 24-5-13-7 establishes the eligibility window:

• 18 months from original delivery, OR
• 18,000 miles, OR
• End of express written warranty, whichever first.

This 18/18K combination is distinctive — sitting between Virginia’s 18-month with no mileage cap and the 2-year states.

Repair-attempt thresholds

Under § 24-5-13-15, the “reasonable number of attempts” presumption applies when:

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

The 4-attempt threshold matches CT/CA/WA/NC/AZ/CO/WI/MN. The business-day OOS counting (not calendar days) joins Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and North Carolina — more consumer-favorable than calendar-day jurisdictions.

See our repair-attempt presumption article.

Written notice requirement

§ 24-5-13-12 requires written notice to the manufacturer with at least one final opportunity to repair before the Lemon Law applies.

Mandatory § 24-5-13-22 attorney fees

§ 24-5-13-22 provides for attorney fees to be awarded to the prevailing consumer. Indiana courts treat this as mandatory for prevailing consumers.

Suit deadline — § 24-5-13-23

A Lemon Law action must be commenced within 2 years following the date the buyer first reports the nonconformity to the manufacturer, its agent, or authorized dealer (§ 24-5-13-23). This deadline is tolled while a certified informal dispute settlement procedure (BBB Auto Line) is being conducted.

Remedies

§ 24-5-13-13 and § 24-5-13-14 require manufacturer to either:

• Refund: full purchase price + sales tax + registration + finance charges + incidental + minus reasonable use offset, OR
• Replacement: comparable new vehicle.

Consumer chooses between refund and replacement.

Manufacturer IDS required first

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

Indiana does NOT have a state-administered Lemon Law arbitration board.

See our BBB Auto Line article.

Bottom line

Indiana’s § 24-5-13 provides an 18-month / 18,000-mile Rights Period, 4-attempt / 30-business-day OOS thresholds, and mandatory § 24-5-13-22 fees, with suit due within 2 years of first reporting the defect (§ 24-5-13-23). Combined with IDCSA treble damages (with cure notice) and Magnuson-Moss, the framework provides solid consumer protection.

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Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act (IDCSA) and Cure Notice

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Indiana's Repair-Attempt Presumption (4 Attempts / 30 Business Days OOS)

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Indiana Lemon Law Statute of Limitations

Indiana's timing rules — the 18-month / 18,000-mile Rights Period, 2-year IDCSA SOL, and 4-year Magnuson-Moss / UCC backstop.

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