Missouri Lemon Law Statute (§ 407.560)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 407.560 et seq. — the Missouri Magnuson-Moss New Vehicle Warranties Act — is the core Missouri 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 § 407.577.

Core eligibility

Under § 407.560, the statute covers:

• New motor vehicles purchased or leased in Missouri.
• Purpose: personal, family, or household use (not commercial-only).
• Vehicle types: passenger cars, light trucks.
• Excluded (§ 407.560): motorcycles, recreational vehicles (except the chassis, engine, powertrain, and component parts), commercial motor vehicles, off-road vehicles, mopeds, and electric bicycles.

The 1-year Rights Period — short

§ 407.563 establishes the eligibility window:

• 1 year from original delivery, OR
• End of express written warranty, whichever first.

Missouri’s 1-year window is among the shortest combined Rights Periods in the country. Compare:

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

Repair-attempt thresholds

Under § 407.567, 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 working days out of service.

Working days = business days (excludes weekends and holidays). Joins CO/MA/MN/NC/IN at the business-day OOS tier.

See our repair-attempt presumption article.

Written notice requirement

§ 407.569 requires written notice to the manufacturer with at least one final opportunity to repair before the Lemon Law applies.

Mandatory § 407.577 attorney fees

§ 407.577 provides that a consumer who finally prevails in a court action recovers, as part of the judgment, the aggregate costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney’s fees based on actual time expended. Missouri courts treat § 407.577 as mandatory for prevailing consumers.

Suit deadline — § 407.573

A Lemon Law action must be commenced within 6 months following expiration of the express warranty’s terms, conditions, or limitations, OR within 18 months following the date of original delivery to the consumer, whichever is earlier (§ 407.573). If the consumer first resorts to a qualified informal dispute settlement procedure, suit may be brought within 90 days following that panel’s final action.

Remedies

§ 407.567 requires the manufacturer to either:

• Refund: full purchase price + collateral charges (sales tax, license, registration, title fees) + incidental costs, minus a reasonable use offset, OR
• Replacement: comparable new vehicle acceptable to the consumer.

The manufacturer elects — § 407.567 provides the manufacturer “shall, at its option” replace or refund. The consumer cannot be forced into a deal they don’t accept (a replacement must be “comparable” and acceptable to the consumer), but the choice between the two remedies belongs to the manufacturer, not the consumer.

Manufacturer IDS required first

Under § 407.569, 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 Missouri is BBB Auto Line.

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

Bottom line

Missouri’s § 407.560 provides a tight 1-year Rights Period, 4-attempt / 30-working-day OOS thresholds, mandatory § 407.577 fees, and a short suit deadline (§ 407.573 — 6 months after warranty expiration or 18 months from delivery, whichever is earlier). Combined with MMPA (post-SB 591) and Magnuson-Moss, the framework provides meaningful consumer protection. Act quickly — the 1-year window is unforgiving.

Related

Article

Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act in Missouri

How the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. § 2301) overlays Missouri's § 407.560 Lemon Law and provides federal-court access through E.D. Mo. and W.D. Mo.

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Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (MMPA) — Post-2020 SB 591

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 407.010 et seq. — MMPA punitive damages, mandatory attorney fees, 5-year SOL, and the significant 2020 SB 591 reforms that narrowed MMPA's historical strength.

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Missouri's Repair-Attempt Presumption (4 Attempts / 30 Working Days OOS)

How Mo. Rev. Stat. § 407.567 establishes 'reasonable number of attempts' — 4-attempt or 30-working-day OOS thresholds within the 1-year Rights Period.

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Missouri Lemon Law Statute of Limitations

Missouri's timing rules — the short 1-year Rights Period, generous 5-year MMPA SOL, and 4-year Magnuson-Moss / UCC backstop.

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