Idaho Lemon Law Guide: Your Rights Under Idaho Lemon Law

What Is the Idaho Lemon Law? The Idaho Lemon Law is a state statute that provides remedies to consumers who purchase or lease a new motor vehicle that has a substantial defect covered by the manufacturer’s written warranty and that cannot be repaired after a reasonable number of attempts. The law is codified at Idaho Code § 48-901 et seq. and is administered in the context of both consumer protection and warranty law. The statute creates a presumption that a vehicle is a "lemon" if the manufacturer or its agent cannot repair the defect after a specified number of repair attempts or if the vehicle has been out of service for a certain number of cumulative days during the warranty period Idaho Code § 48-901 et seq.. Idaho’s program is focused exclusively on new vehicles. The statute permits consumers to seek a refund or replacement when the statutory conditions are met. The state attorney general’s consumer protection division provides guidance for Idaho consumers and can be contacted for non-legal assistance at the Idaho Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division https://www.ag.idaho.gov/consumer-protection/. Which Vehicles Qualify Under Idaho Lemon Law? Idaho’s lemon law covers new motor vehicles that are subject to a manufacturer’s express warranty. The coverage applies from the date the vehicle is first delivered to the consumer. Key qualification points are: - Coverage period: 24 months or 24,000 miles from original delivery, whichever occurs first. This is the statutory "coverage window" for asserting a lemon law claim under Idaho law. - Vehicle type: Idaho’s statute applies to new vehicles only; used vehicles are not covered under Idaho’s lemon law. - Warranty requirement: The defect must relate to a condition covered by the manufacturer’s written warranty. A consumer should verify that the defect occurred within the 24 months/24,000 miles coverage period and that repair attempts took place while the vehicle was under the manufacturer’s warranty. If those elements are not met, other legal remedies such as contract or tort claims might still be available, but they fall outside the statutory lemon law process. How Many Repair Attempts Are Required in Idaho? Under Idaho law, a vehicle is presumed to be a lemon when certain repair thresholds are met during the applicable coverage period. The two primary statutory thresholds are a specified number of repair attempts for the same defect and a cumulative number of days out of service. The law establishes a rebuttable presumption when these thresholds are reached; the manufacturer can offer evidence to rebut that presumption, but the statutory standards create a powerful basis for claiming relief. | Standard | Threshold under Idaho Law | Notes | |---|---:|---| | Repair attempts for the same defect | 4 repair attempts | Four attempts by an authorized dealer or manufacturer to repair the same nonconformity during the coverage period creates a presumption the vehicle is a lemon. | | Da