Consumer Protection · Lemon Law
Lemon Law in Iowa
How many repair attempts and days out of service before Iowa presumes your vehicle is a lemon, and whether used cars are covered.
presumption trigger (same defect)
Do I meet the Iowa 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 Iowa
The prongs that shift the burden to the manufacturer.
Iowa splits its counts: 3 attempts for an ordinary defect but only 1 attempt for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, each followed by a required written notice and a final repair attempt. A separate 20-day trigger lets you send that notice early, but the presumption itself runs on 30 cumulative days out of service.
Every state, Iowa 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 Iowa falls in.
The full picture, with the source
Every figure, and where it comes from.
| Same-defect attempts | 3 |
| Serious-safety attempts | 1 |
| Days out of service | 30 calendar days |
| Coverage window | Earliest of warranty expiration, 2 years, or 24,000 miles from delivery (the "lemon law rights period") |
| Used cars | New vehicles only |
| Leased vehicles | Covered |
| Statute | Iowa Code §322G.4 (presumption); §322G.2 (definitions) |
What Iowa car buyers get wrong
Iowa runs its lemon law through the attorney general, and Chapter 322G has a two-step structure that trips up quick summaries. Under §322G.4, the state presumes a lemon after the same substantial defect has been examined or repaired 3 times, or just once for a defect "likely to cause death or serious bodily injury," and in each case only after you send written notice (certified, registered, or overnight) and give the manufacturer one final repair attempt. There is also a 30-cumulative-day out-of-service track, counted in calendar days and excluding routine-maintenance downtime. One number that confuses people: the statute lets you send your notice once the car has been out of service 20 days, but that is the early-notice trigger, not the presumption. The presumption itself is 30 days. As with every state, meeting these figures shifts the burden to the manufacturer rather than handing you an automatic win. The lemon law rights period is the earliest of warranty expiration, 2 years, or 24,000 miles, and coverage is limited to new or previously untitled vehicles.
Common questions
How many repair attempts is a lemon in Iowa?
Iowa presumes a lemon after 3 attempts on the same defect, or 1 attempt for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, each followed by written notice and a final repair attempt, or after 30 cumulative days out of service. These are presumption triggers that shift the burden to the manufacturer.
Does Iowa have a lower repair count for safety defects?
Yes. For a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, a single repair attempt plus a final attempt after written notice can trigger the presumption, versus 3 attempts for an ordinary defect.
What is the difference between the 20-day and 30-day counts in Iowa?
The 20-day figure is only the point at which you may send the manufacturer written notice about out-of-service repairs. The presumption of a lemon runs on 30 cumulative calendar days out of service, excluding routine-maintenance downtime.
Does the Iowa lemon law cover used cars?
No. Chapter 322G covers a new or previously untitled vehicle only. Iowa has no separate used-car lemon law, so a car resold after being titled falls outside the statute.
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.