Wisconsin lemon law: when your car is a lemon and how to claim
In Wisconsin, a new car counts as a lemon after 4 repairs for the same problem or 30 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
Your next 4 steps in Wisconsin
Keep every repair order
Get a written repair order at every visit, with the date, mileage and days in the shop. In Wisconsin, a car is presumed a lemon after 4 repairs for the same problem or 30 days in the shop.
Send the manufacturer a written notice
Send the manufacturer a written claim asking for a refund or a replacement and offering to return the vehicle. Write your notice letter ↓
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.
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 Wisconsin
According to WisDOT, your vehicle is a lemon if, during its first year and before the warranty expires, the dealer failed 4 times to fix the same defect, or the vehicle was out of service 30 days or more because of defects. The defect must seriously affect use, value or safety. A vehicle you still have counts as out of service if a serious defect makes it unusable and the dealer has tried to fix it at least twice.
Period: The first year after delivery, and only while the manufacturer's warranty is in effect.
Is your car a lemon in Wisconsin? A quick check
Notice to the manufacturer
Send the manufacturer a written claim asking for a refund or a replacement and offering to return the vehicle. WisDOT's form MV2691 (optional, but it contains the required wording) works; mail it with copies of your repair orders, and WisDOT recommends certified mail.
Arbitration
Maybe — check your warranty booklet for an arbitration program (e.g. BBB AUTO LINE). According to WisDOT, arbitration is through manufacturer programs and is free. If the manufacturer's program is certified by WisDOT, you must use it before you can sue under the lemon law; if it is not certified (or the maker has no program), you need not use it. WisDOT's Lemon Law Guide lists which brands have certified programs.
Deadline to sue or file in Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation says you have 36 months from delivery to file a claim. Check the statute (Wis. Stat. § 218.0171) or ask WisDOT before you rely on it.
What you can get
Refund: the full purchase price plus sales tax, finance charges, amounts paid at the point of sale and collateral costs (such as the cost of alternative transportation while the car is being repaired), minus a use allowance of no more than purchase price × miles at your first report of the defect ÷ 100,000 (÷ 20,000 for motorcycles). Replacement: a comparable new vehicle within 45 days (120 days for vehicles over 10,000 pounds); if the manufacturer cannot deliver it in time, it must give a full refund with no use deduction. You must return the vehicle and sign over the title.
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.
Who to contact
- Office
- Wisconsin Department of Transportation – Dealer & Agent Section (Lemon Law)
- Phone
- 608-266-1425
Official page · Official lemon law guide
Forms
What the law covers
- New vehicles
- Yes
- Used vehicles
- No
- Leased vehicles
- Yes
- Which vehicles
- New cars, trucks, motorcycles, motor homes and other motor-driven vehicles that must be registered in Wisconsin, including demonstrators, bought, leased or delivered to you in Wisconsin. Not covered: mopeds, semitrailers and trailers pulled by trucks, pull-behind RVs, ATVs/UTVs, snowmobiles and boats. Vehicles over 10,000 pounds have special rules.
- Who can claim
- A person who buys or leases a new vehicle that is delivered in Wisconsin. Vehicles delivered in another state do not qualify, according to WisDOT.
Used cars in Wisconsin
Used vehicles do not qualify under the lemon law. A Wisconsin dealer must inspect a used car and disclose known problems on the Wisconsin Buyers Guide window sticker even when selling 'as is', and WisDOT's Dealer & Agent Section can investigate complaints.
Good to know
- Lemons bought back by the manufacturer get a permanent 'Manufacturer Buyback' brand on the Wisconsin title, according to WisDOT.
- Owners of vehicles over 10,000 pounds give up their lemon-law rights if they sign a negotiated written settlement with the manufacturer (WisDOT form MV2691).
- WisDOT lists which manufacturers have certified arbitration programs in its Lemon Law Guide.
Questions about Wisconsin's lemon law
How many repair attempts make a car a lemon in Wisconsin?
According to WisDOT, your vehicle is a lemon if, during its first year and before the warranty expires, the dealer failed 4 times to fix the same defect, or the vehicle was out of service 30 days or more because of defects. The defect must seriously affect use, value or safety. A vehicle you still have counts as out of service if a serious defect makes it unusable and the dealer has tried to fix it at least twice.
How long does Wisconsin's lemon law cover a car?
The first year after delivery, and only while the manufacturer's warranty is in effect.
Do I have to notify the manufacturer in Wisconsin?
Send the manufacturer a written claim asking for a refund or a replacement and offering to return the vehicle. WisDOT's form MV2691 (optional, but it contains the required wording) works; mail it with copies of your repair orders, and WisDOT recommends certified mail.
Do I have to go to arbitration in Wisconsin?
According to WisDOT, arbitration is through manufacturer programs and is free. If the manufacturer's program is certified by WisDOT, you must use it before you can sue under the lemon law; if it is not certified (or the maker has no program), you need not use it. WisDOT's Lemon Law Guide lists which brands have certified programs.
What can I get under Wisconsin's lemon law?
Refund: the full purchase price plus sales tax, finance charges, amounts paid at the point of sale and collateral costs (such as the cost of alternative transportation while the car is being repaired), minus a use allowance of no more than purchase price × miles at your first report of the defect ÷ 100,000 (÷ 20,000 for motorcycles). Replacement: a comparable new vehicle within 45 days (120 days for vehicles over 10,000 pounds); if the manufacturer cannot deliver it in time, it must give a full refund with no use deduction. You must return the vehicle and sign over the title.
Is there a deadline to file a lemon law claim in Wisconsin?
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation says you have 36 months from delivery to file a claim. Check the statute (Wis. Stat. § 218.0171) or ask WisDOT before you rely on it.
Does Wisconsin's lemon law cover used cars?
Used vehicles do not qualify under the lemon law. A Wisconsin dealer must inspect a used car and disclose known problems on the Wisconsin Buyers Guide window sticker even when selling 'as is', and WisDOT's Dealer & Agent Section can investigate complaints.
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 lawSources
- WisDOT – Wisconsin Lemon Law Guide (BVS2828, 4/2024)
- WisDOT – Lemon Law
- WisDOT – MV2691 Lemon Law Notice and Nonconformity Report
- WisDOT – Problem used car
Last checked: Oct 22, 2026.
Law: Wisconsin Lemon Law, Wis. Stat. § 218.0171