Missouri Lemon Law

Missouri’s lemon law — codified at Mo. Rev. Stat. § 407.560 et seq. (“Missouri Magnuson-Moss New Vehicle Warranties Act”) — pairs a short 1-year Rights Period with a 4-attempt or 30-working-day OOS threshold. Layered on top is the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (MMPA) under § 407.010 et seq., which historically was one of the strongest UDAPs in the country — but was significantly narrowed by 2020 SB 591 reforms. Despite the 2020 narrowing, MMPA still provides punitive damages under § 407.025(1), mandatory attorney fees, and a 5-year SOL — making MMPA a meaningful remedy layer when properly pleaded.

Missouri is distinctive in five ways:

Short 1-year Rights Period — joins Tennessee, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Massachusetts at the 1-year tier. Tight window demands fast action.
30-working-day OOS counting under § 407.567 — working days (business days) are more consumer-favorable than calendar-day jurisdictions. Joins Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Indiana.
MMPA narrowed by 2020 SB 591 but still powerful — punitive damages under § 407.025(1) + mandatory attorney fees + 5-year SOL. Heightened pleading requirements (ascertainable loss, reasonable-consumer standard) and caps on intangible damages added by SB 591.
5-year MMPA SOL under § 516.120(2) — among the longer UDAP SOLs (joins Pennsylvania UTPCPL, Minnesota Private AG Statute at long-runway tier).
TWO home-state OEM manufacturing plants — Ford Kansas City Assembly (Claycomo, MO) builds F-150, Transit, Maverick; GM Wentzville Assembly builds Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Chevy Express, GMC Savana vans. Personal jurisdiction uncontested for IN-state cases against these manufacturers.

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

The Law — § 407.560 Lemon Law, MMPA after 2020 SB 591, Magnuson-Moss, repair-attempt presumption (4 attempts / 30 working days OOS), and statute of limitations.
The Process — Documented repair attempts, written notice, manufacturer IDS (BBB Auto Line), court action, and MMPA-parallel claims.
Remedies — Refund, replacement, MMPA damages (post-2020), mandatory § 407.579 + § 407.025(1) attorney fees.
Qualifying Defects — Defect categories that meet Missouri’s “substantially impair” test.
Vehicle Types — Used vehicles, leases, EVs, motorcycles, RVs, commercial vehicles.
Manufacturers — Common case patterns by brand (Ford Kansas City + GM Wentzville are home-state defendants).
FAQ — Common questions about Missouri lemon-law claims.

Who’s protected

Missouri’s Lemon Law (§ 407.560(7)) covers:

New motor vehicles purchased or leased in Missouri 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 1-year Rights Period — short and tight

Missouri’s eligibility window under § 407.563 is 1 year from original delivery OR end of express warranty, whichever first. Among the shortest combined Rights Periods in the country:

1-year states: Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, Massachusetts
18-month: Virginia, Indiana
2-year states: most other major states

The short window forces fast action — document defects and reach the 4-attempt or 30-working-day threshold quickly.

Outside the 1-year window, MMPA (5-year SOL) and Magnuson-Moss (4-year UCC SOL) remain available.

The “reasonable number of attempts” test

Missouri applies thresholds under § 407.567:

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

See our repair-attempt presumption article.

Manufacturer IDS — BBB Auto Line

Under § 407.569, 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 Missouri is BBB Auto Line.

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

What you can recover

A successful Missouri Lemon Law case typically produces:

Refund — purchase price, sales tax, license fees, plus incidental costs, minus reasonable use deduction.
Replacement — comparable new vehicle.
MANDATORY § 407.579 attorney fees.
MMPA actual damages + punitive damages + mandatory § 407.025(1) attorney fees (post-2020 SB 591 pleading required).
Reimbursement of incidental damages.

What to do next

Document everything. See our evidence guide.
Move FAST — the 1-year Rights Period runs quickly.
Identify the 4th repair attempt (or 30 cumulative working days OOS).
Send written notice with the final repair opportunity.
Use manufacturer’s IDS (BBB Auto Line) if certified — required first.
File court action with parallel MMPA + Magnuson-Moss claims.
Get a free case review from a Missouri lemon-law attorney.

Explore Missouri lemon law

Topic

Who’s protected

The 1-year Rights Period — short and tight

The “reasonable number of attempts” test

Manufacturer IDS — BBB Auto Line

What you can recover

What to do next

Explore Missouri lemon law

The Law: Missouri Lemon Law, MMPA, and Magnuson-Moss

The Process: Filing a Missouri Lemon Law Claim

Remedies: What You Can Recover Under Missouri Lemon Law

Qualifying Defects: What Counts as a Lemon in Missouri

Vehicle Types Covered Under Missouri Lemon Law

Manufacturer Case Patterns in Missouri

Missouri Lemon Law FAQ

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