The Minnesota Lemon Law (Minn. Stat. § 325F.665)

The Minnesota Lemon Law is codified at Minn. Stat. § 325F.665. Minnesota’s framework pairs a 2-year Rights Period with distinctive 1-attempt serious safety defect rule and § 325F.665 subd. 9 attorney fees. Combined with the unique Minnesota Private AG Statute, Minnesota is solidly consumer-favorable.

The core promise

Minn. Stat. § 325F.665 subd. 2(a) requires a manufacturer to refund or replace a new motor vehicle when:

The manufacturer (or its authorized agent) cannot repair a defect that substantially impairs the use or market value of the vehicle within a reasonable number of attempts; AND
The defect was reported during the warranty period; AND
The dispute arises within 2 years of original delivery OR the term of the express written warranty, whichever is earlier (no statutory mileage cap).

Who’s covered

The Act covers:

New motor vehicles purchased or leased in Minnesota.
Vehicles primarily for personal, family, or household use.
Demonstrators sold under new-vehicle warranties.
Motorcycles — explicitly covered.
Subsequent transferees during the manufacturer’s warranty.

Vehicles over 10,000 lbs GVWR, motor homes (except chassis), and commercial vehicles are excluded.

The 2-year window

Minnesota’s eligibility window under § 325F.665 is the term of the applicable express warranties OR 2 years from original delivery, whichever is earlier. Unlike many peer states, Minnesota imposes no statutory mileage cap — the window is purely time-based:

Minnesota: 2 years (or warranty term), no mileage cap
Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Texas, Washington, Arizona: 24 months / 24,000 miles
Ohio: 12 months / 18,000 miles

Beyond the 2-year window, CFA + Private AG Statute (6-year SOL under Private AG Statute) and Magnuson-Moss (4-year limit) remain available.

The 1-attempt serious safety defect rule — distinctive

§ 325F.665 subd. 3(b)(2) provides that a single repair attempt suffices for a “serious safety defect” — a defect that is life-threatening or substantially impairs the consumer’s ability to control or operate the vehicle.

Minnesota joins only Georgia and Virginia as the three states with one-attempt safety thresholds. This is among the strongest consumer protections of any state for serious safety defects.

What “substantially impairs” means

§ 325F.665 subd. 1(d) defines a “nonconformity” as a defect that “substantially impairs the use or market value” of the vehicle. Two-prong test — though safety defects almost always qualify.

What “reasonable number of attempts” means

Minnesota’s framework under § 325F.665 subd. 3(b):

One attempt for serious safety defects under subd. 3(b)(2), OR
Four or more attempts for the same nonconformity under subd. 3(b)(1), OR
30 or more cumulative business days out of service under subd. 3(b)(3).

See our repair-attempt presumption article.

The written notice with final repair opportunity

Before invoking Lemon Law remedies, the consumer must serve written notice to the manufacturer under § 325F.665 subd. 3(a). The manufacturer then has a reasonable time for the final repair.

The manufacturer’s informal dispute settlement procedure

Under § 325F.665 subd. 9, if the manufacturer has established a qualifying procedure meeting 16 C.F.R. Part 703, the consumer must use it before filing suit.

What you can recover

Refund — purchase price plus sales tax plus collateral charges, minus reasonable use deduction.
Replacement — comparable new vehicle.
§ 325F.665 subd. 9 attorney fees (costs, disbursements, and reasonable attorney fees in a civil action).
Reimbursement of incidental damages.

§ 325F.665 subd. 9 — civil action and attorney fees

§ 325F.665 subd. 9 provides:

Any consumer injured by a violation of this section may bring a civil action to enforce this section and recover costs and disbursements, including reasonable attorney’s fees incurred in the civil action.

Subd. 9 also authorizes treble damages plus costs and reasonable attorney fees where a party removes an IDS decision to court in bad faith. Fee recovery for prevailing consumers is a strong feature, though the statute frames it as a recoverable item in a civil action rather than an automatic mandatory award.

Court action

Minnesota Lemon Law cases are pursued in Minnesota District Court. Magnuson-Moss provides concurrent federal-court jurisdiction (D. Minn. — St. Paul, Minneapolis, Duluth, Fergus Falls) for cases over $50K.

How Minnesota compares to other states

Feature	Minnesota
Rights Period	2 yr (or warranty term), no mileage cap
Safety-defect attempts	1 (joins GA, VA)
Same-defect attempts	4
OOS threshold	30 business days (joins MA, NC, CO)
Lemon Law fees	§ 325F.665 subd. 9 (civil action)
Private AG Statute	§ 8.31 subd. 3a — unique
Arbitration	Manufacturer IDS (subd. 6); no state board

Bottom line

Minnesota’s Lemon Law combines a 2-year Rights Period (no mileage cap) with the distinctive 1-attempt serious safety defect rule. The § 325F.665 subd. 9 fee recovery plus the unique Minnesota Private AG Statute make Minnesota one of the stronger consumer-favorable jurisdictions in the Upper Midwest.

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