Consumer Protection · Lemon Law
Lemon Law in Indiana
How many repair attempts and days out of service before Indiana presumes your vehicle is a lemon, and whether used cars are covered.
presumption trigger (same defect)
Do I meet the Indiana lemon presumption?
Enter your repairs and downtime. This checks the presumption; it is not a legal verdict.
This checklist is educational, not a legal verdict. Every state writes these numbers as a rebuttable presumption: hitting them shifts the burden to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer can still rebut it. Keep every repair order, send any required written notice, and consult a lawyer about your specific facts. This is legal information, not legal advice.
How the presumption works in Indiana
The prongs that shift the burden to the manufacturer.
Indiana has no lower safety track: the 4-attempt count applies to every covered defect. The pre-suit step matters, because a consumer must first give written notice and a final repair opportunity before filing.
Every state, Indiana included, writes these thresholds as a rebuttable presumption. Reaching them shifts the burden onto the manufacturer to prove your vehicle is not a lemon; it does not mean you automatically win. You may also qualify with fewer attempts if a "reasonable number" of repairs is shown some other way, and the manufacturer can rebut the presumption. This is legal information, not legal advice.
Used cars & leased vehicles
Which of the three coverage categories Indiana falls in.
The full picture, with the source
Every figure, and where it comes from.
| Same-defect attempts | 4 |
| Serious-safety attempts | No separate safety count |
| Days out of service | 30 business days |
| Coverage window | Earlier of 18 months or 18,000 miles from delivery |
| Used cars | New vehicles only |
| Leased vehicles | Covered |
| Statute | Ind. Code §24-5-13-15 |
What Indiana car buyers get wrong
Indiana’s lemon law is Ind. Code §24-5-13, and it keeps the presumption simple: 4 repair attempts on the same defect, or 30 business days out of service. Unlike many states, Indiana has no separate one- or two-attempt track for serious safety defects; the 4-attempt count covers everything. Two figures do the heavy lifting. The "term of protection" runs 18 months or 18,000 miles from delivery, whichever comes first, which is shorter than the 2-year / 24,000-mile windows common elsewhere. And the out-of-service count is in business days, so weekends and holidays are excluded. Before filing suit, Indiana adds a step: the consumer must send the manufacturer written notice by certified mail and give a final repair opportunity. Meeting a track shifts the burden to the manufacturer; it is not an automatic verdict.
Common questions
How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Indiana?
Indiana presumes a lemon after 4 attempts on the same defect, or 30 business days out of service, within the 18-month / 18,000-mile term of protection. There is no separate lower count for safety defects. These are presumption triggers that shift the burden to the manufacturer.
How long does Indiana’s lemon law protection last?
The term of protection runs 18 months or 18,000 miles from the date the vehicle was delivered, whichever comes first. The repair attempts or out-of-service days generally have to fall inside that window.
Do I have to notify the manufacturer before suing in Indiana?
Yes. Before filing suit you must send the manufacturer written notice by certified mail and give a final opportunity to repair the defect. Skipping that step can undercut the claim.
Does the Indiana lemon law cover used or leased vehicles?
It covers leased vehicles on the same terms as purchased ones. It has no separate used-car law, so a used vehicle has a claim only if the defect was reported while the car was still inside the 18-month / 18,000-mile term of protection.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.