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Idaho lemon law: when your car is a lemon and how to claim

In Idaho, a new car counts as a lemon after 4 repairs for the same problem, 1 for a serious safety defect or 30 business days in the shop within the first 24 months or 24,000 miles. First, send the manufacturer a written notice: the free letter below does it.

Checked against official sources: Oct 22, 2026

24 mo / 24,000 milemon law period
4 triesrepairs for the same problem
30 business daysout of service
Requiredarbitration or state process before suing
3 years from deliverydeadline to sue or file
Get your letter ↓

Your next 4 steps in Idaho

  1. Keep every repair order

    Get a written repair order at every visit, with the date, mileage and days in the shop. In Idaho, a car is presumed a lemon after 4 repairs for the same problem, 1 for a serious safety defect or 30 business days in the shop.

  2. Send the manufacturer a written notice

    You (or someone for you) must notify the manufacturer, its agent or authorized dealer of the defect in writing at least once and give them an opportunity to fix it. Write your notice letter ↓

  3. Let the manufacturer make its final repair attempt

    If the manufacturer asks for one more repair after your notice, take the car in and get a repair order.

  4. Ask for a refund or replacement, use arbitration, or call a lawyer

    Before suing, Idaho requires you to go through the manufacturer’s dispute program. See the Arbitration section below for who goes first and the deadlines. If you win, the court can make the manufacturer pay your lawyer (see What you can get), so many lemon law lawyers charge nothing up front.

When a car is a lemon in Idaho

The manufacturer is presumed to have had a reasonable number of attempts if, within the period: the same defect was repaired 4 or more times and still exists; a defect causing complete failure of the brakes or steering, likely to cause death or serious injury, was repaired at least once and still exists; or the car was out of service for repairs for a total of 30 or more business days. The manufacturer must have received your written notice at least once and had at least one chance to fix the defect.

Period: You must report the defect within the manufacturer's express warranty term, 2 years from original delivery, or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. If you reported it within the warranty term, you can still qualify if the repair attempts happen within 3 years of delivery.

Is your car a lemon in Idaho? A quick check

Idaho: You must report the defect within the manufacturer's express warranty term, 2 years from original delivery, or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. If you reported it within the warranty term, you can still qualify if the repair attempts happen within 3 years of delivery.

Count only business days, as Idaho’s law does.

Fill in what you knowThe result updates as you type.

A rough guide to Idaho’s presumption, not legal advice. Even if your car falls short, you may still have a claim under your warranty or federal law.

Notice to the manufacturer

Required. You (or someone for you) must notify the manufacturer, its agent or authorized dealer of the defect in writing at least once and give them an opportunity to fix it. A dealer who receives the notice must forward it to the manufacturer by certified mail. The Attorney General recommends sending your letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, and sending a copy to the manufacturer if you write to the dealer.

Write your notice letter below.

Arbitration

Required. Idaho has no state-run program. Every manufacturer must offer an informal dispute settlement (arbitration) program located in Idaho, and you must use it before suing for a refund or replacement unless the manufacturer lets you skip it. Any fee to you can be no more than the county conciliation (small claims) court filing fee. The decision is not binding unless both sides agree; either side can take the case to district court.

Deadline to sue or file in Idaho

A lawsuit must be filed within 3 years of the vehicle's original delivery. If you applied to the manufacturer's arbitration program within those 3 years and disagree with its decision, you must go to court within 3 months after the final decision (Idaho Code § 48-910).

Enter the delivery date to see the date.

What you can get

A comparable replacement vehicle, or a refund of what you paid (including trade-in value), capped at 105% of the manufacturer's suggested retail price, plus sales or excise tax, license and registration fees, and towing and rental-car costs caused by warranty repairs. If offered a replacement, you may insist on a refund. The manufacturer may deduct a use allowance of no more than: miles you drove up to the arbitration hearing times the purchase price, divided by 120,000. Lessees get a refund only (pro-rata down payment and other charges; the lease payments made count as the use allowance).

Attorney fees: A consumer who sues under the Lemon Law can recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs of the lawsuit, but not attorney's fees spent in the manufacturer's arbitration program (Idaho Code § 48-909).

Free lemon law notice letter

Most states require you to tell the manufacturer in writing and give it a last chance to fix the car. Fill this in, download the letter, sign it and mail it to the manufacturer. Keep a copy.

Send it by certified mail with return receipt so you have proof, and keep the receipt.

On your registration, insurance card or the driver’s side of the dashboard. A VIN never uses I, O or Q.

Find it in your warranty booklet or owner's manual (look for 'Customer Assistance').

Other formats

Who to contact

Office
Idaho Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division
Phone
208-334-2424

Official page · Official lemon law guide

What the law covers

New vehicles
Yes
Used vehicles
No
Leased vehicles
Yes
Which vehicles
New motor vehicles sold or licensed in Idaho that carry a manufacturer's written warranty and are used for personal business or personal, family or household purposes. Not covered: motorcycles, farm tractors, trailers, and vehicles with a gross laden weight over 12,000 lbs. The AG's guide also lists ATVs as excluded. Leases must be longer than 4 months.
Who can claim
The buyer or lessee (not for resale or sublease) of a new vehicle used for personal business or personal, family or household purposes, and anyone the vehicle is transferred to for those purposes while the manufacturer's express warranty is still in effect. Lessees can get a refund but not a replacement.

Used cars in Idaho

Idaho's Lemon Law covers only new vehicles (and later owners while the manufacturer's warranty lasts); there is no separate used-car lemon law.

Used car rules in every state

Good to know

  • If a party takes an arbitration decision to court in bad faith, the court must award the other side three times its actual damages plus costs and attorney's fees.
  • A lemon returned because of a brake or steering failure that was never fixed cannot be resold in Idaho at all; other returned lemons need a written disclosure and a 12-month/12,000-mile warranty.
  • Refunds are capped at 105% of the vehicle's MSRP (including manufacturer options and dealer add-ons within 30 days of delivery).

Questions about Idaho's lemon law

How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Idaho?

The manufacturer is presumed to have had a reasonable number of attempts if, within the period: the same defect was repaired 4 or more times and still exists; a defect causing complete failure of the brakes or steering, likely to cause death or serious injury, was repaired at least once and still exists; or the car was out of service for repairs for a total of 30 or more business days. The manufacturer must have received your written notice at least once and had at least one chance to fix the defect.

How long does Idaho's lemon law cover a car?

You must report the defect within the manufacturer's express warranty term, 2 years from original delivery, or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. If you reported it within the warranty term, you can still qualify if the repair attempts happen within 3 years of delivery.

Do I have to notify the manufacturer in Idaho?

Required. You (or someone for you) must notify the manufacturer, its agent or authorized dealer of the defect in writing at least once and give them an opportunity to fix it. A dealer who receives the notice must forward it to the manufacturer by certified mail. The Attorney General recommends sending your letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, and sending a copy to the manufacturer if you write to the dealer.

Do I have to go to arbitration in Idaho?

Idaho has no state-run program. Every manufacturer must offer an informal dispute settlement (arbitration) program located in Idaho, and you must use it before suing for a refund or replacement unless the manufacturer lets you skip it. Any fee to you can be no more than the county conciliation (small claims) court filing fee. The decision is not binding unless both sides agree; either side can take the case to district court.

What can I get under Idaho's lemon law?

A comparable replacement vehicle, or a refund of what you paid (including trade-in value), capped at 105% of the manufacturer's suggested retail price, plus sales or excise tax, license and registration fees, and towing and rental-car costs caused by warranty repairs. If offered a replacement, you may insist on a refund. The manufacturer may deduct a use allowance of no more than: miles you drove up to the arbitration hearing times the purchase price, divided by 120,000. Lessees get a refund only (pro-rata down payment and other charges; the lease payments made count as the use allowance).

Is there a deadline to file a lemon law claim in Idaho?

A lawsuit must be filed within 3 years of the vehicle's original delivery. If you applied to the manufacturer's arbitration program within those 3 years and disagree with its decision, you must go to court within 3 months after the final decision (Idaho Code § 48-910).

Does Idaho's lemon law cover used cars?

Idaho's Lemon Law covers only new vehicles (and later owners while the manufacturer's warranty lasts); there is no separate used-car lemon law.

Car not covered, or the period has passed? Federal warranty law may still help, and small claims court can handle smaller repair bills.

Federal warranty law

Sources

Last checked: Oct 22, 2026.

Law: Idaho Lemon Law (Motor Vehicle Warranties), Idaho Code §§ 48-901 to 48-913

Other states