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

In Kansas, a new car counts as a lemon after 4 repairs for the same problem or 30 calendar days in the shop within the first 12 months. First, send the manufacturer a written notice: the free letter below does it.

Checked against official sources: Oct 22, 2026

12 monthslemon law period
4 triesrepairs for the same problem
30 calendar daysout of service
Maybecheck your warranty booklet for an arbitration program (e.g. BBB AUTO LINE)
Get your letter ↓

Your next 4 steps in Kansas

  1. Keep every repair order

    Get a written repair order at every visit, with the date, mileage and days in the shop. In Kansas, a car is presumed a lemon after 4 repairs for the same problem or 30 calendar days in the shop.

  2. Send the manufacturer a written notice

    The presumption applies only if the manufacturer has received 'actual notice' of the defect. 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

    If your manufacturer has a dispute program that meets the state’s rules (check your warranty booklet), you may have to use it first. See the Arbitration section below.

When a car is a lemon in Kansas

Once the manufacturer has actual notice of the defect, your car is presumed a lemon if: the same defect that substantially impairs its use and value was repaired 4 or more times within the first year (or the warranty term, if shorter) and still exists; the car was out of service for repairs for a total of 30 or more calendar days during that period; or there have been 10 or more repair attempts on any defects that substantially impair its use and value. (The statute does not tie the 10-attempt rule to the 1-year period in its wording, but the defects must have been reported during that period.)

Period: 1 year from original delivery or the end of the manufacturer's warranty, whichever comes first. There is no mileage limit. You must report the defect within that period.

Is your car a lemon in Kansas? A quick check

Kansas: 1 year from original delivery or the end of the manufacturer's warranty, whichever comes first. There is no mileage limit. You must report the defect within that period.

Fill in what you knowThe result updates as you type.

A rough guide to Kansas’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

The presumption applies only if the manufacturer has received 'actual notice' of the defect. The statute does not say how; writing directly to the manufacturer (not just the dealer) and keeping proof of delivery is the safest way to show it.

Write your notice letter below.

Arbitration

Maybe — check your warranty booklet for an arbitration program (e.g. BBB AUTO LINE). Kansas has no state-run program. If the manufacturer has an informal dispute settlement program that fully complies with federal rules (16 CFR Part 703), you must use it before you can claim a refund or replacement under the Lemon Law.

What you can get

A comparable replacement vehicle under warranty, or a refund of the full purchase or lease price including all collateral charges, minus a reasonable allowance for use. The allowance covers use (by you and any earlier consumer) before the defect was first reported and any later time the car was not in the shop, calculated using the latest edition of AAA's 'Your Driving Costs'. Refunds go to you and any lienholder.

Attorney fees: The Kansas Lemon Law statute does not itself provide for attorney's fees; fees may be available under other laws, such as the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

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
Kansas Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division (enforces K.S.A. 50-645)

What the law covers

New vehicles
Yes
Used vehicles
No
Leased vehicles
Yes
Which vehicles
New motor vehicles sold or leased in Kansas and registered for a gross weight of 12,000 lbs or less. Not covered: customized parts added or modified by second-stage manufacturers or converters (for example, conversion work on a van or motor home body). The statute does not separately exclude motorcycles.
Who can claim
Only the original buyer or lessee (not someone buying for resale). Later owners are not covered. The statute does not limit coverage to personal use.

Used cars in Kansas

Kansas's Lemon Law covers only new vehicles and only the original buyer or lessee; there is no separate used-car lemon law.

Used car rules in every state

Good to know

  • Kansas has a third way to qualify: 10 or more repair attempts on any defects that substantially impair the car's use and value, even if no single defect was repaired 4 times.
  • Kansas protection lasts only 1 year (or the warranty term, if shorter), one of the shortest periods in the country.
  • The use deduction is based on AAA's 'Your Driving Costs' publication rather than a fixed mileage formula.

Questions about Kansas's lemon law

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

Once the manufacturer has actual notice of the defect, your car is presumed a lemon if: the same defect that substantially impairs its use and value was repaired 4 or more times within the first year (or the warranty term, if shorter) and still exists; the car was out of service for repairs for a total of 30 or more calendar days during that period; or there have been 10 or more repair attempts on any defects that substantially impair its use and value. (The statute does not tie the 10-attempt rule to the 1-year period in its wording, but the defects must have been reported during that period.)

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

1 year from original delivery or the end of the manufacturer's warranty, whichever comes first. There is no mileage limit. You must report the defect within that period.

Do I have to notify the manufacturer in Kansas?

The presumption applies only if the manufacturer has received 'actual notice' of the defect. The statute does not say how; writing directly to the manufacturer (not just the dealer) and keeping proof of delivery is the safest way to show it.

Do I have to go to arbitration in Kansas?

Kansas has no state-run program. If the manufacturer has an informal dispute settlement program that fully complies with federal rules (16 CFR Part 703), you must use it before you can claim a refund or replacement under the Lemon Law.

What can I get under Kansas's lemon law?

A comparable replacement vehicle under warranty, or a refund of the full purchase or lease price including all collateral charges, minus a reasonable allowance for use. The allowance covers use (by you and any earlier consumer) before the defect was first reported and any later time the car was not in the shop, calculated using the latest edition of AAA's 'Your Driving Costs'. Refunds go to you and any lienholder.

Does Kansas's lemon law cover used cars?

Kansas's Lemon Law covers only new vehicles and only the original buyer or lessee; 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: Kansas Lemon Law (Motor Vehicle Warranties), K.S.A. 50-645 and 50-646

Other states