Iowa Lemon Law rules at a glance
The Iowa Defective Motor Vehicles (Lemon Law) is Iowa Code ch. 322G.
| Rule | What Iowa law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Statute | Iowa Code ch. 322G | Iowa Code § 322G.1 |
| Vehicles covered | New or previously untitled self-propelled vehicles bought or leased in Iowa for transporting people or property on public roads; Leases of one year or more where the lessee pays for repairs | |
| Not covered | Mopeds, motorcycles and autocycles; Motor homes; Vehicles over 15,000 lbs gross vehicle weight rating | |
| Protection window | The lemon law rights period: the warranty term, 2 years from delivery or 24,000 miles, whichever expires first | Iowa Code § 322G.2(8) |
| Serious Safety Defect Test | 1 examination or repair of a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, plus a final repair attempt after written notice, and the defect continues | § 322G.4(3)(a)(2) |
| Three Repairs Test | At least 3 examinations or repairs of the same defect, plus a final repair attempt after written notice, and the defect continues | § 322G.4(3)(a)(1) |
| 30 Days Out of Service Test | Out of service for repair a cumulative total of 30 or more days, not counting routine maintenance | § 322G.4(3)(a)(3) |
| Written notice | After 3 repairs (or 1 for a safety defect), send written notice by certified or registered mail or overnight service so the manufacturer gets a final attempt. Within 10 days it must offer a reasonably accessible repair facility, then repair within 10 days of delivery. After 20 days out of service you can also send notice; the manufacturer then has 10 more cumulative days. | Iowa Code § 322G.4(1) |
| Dispute program first? | Manufacturers may run a program certified by the Attorney General. It must be free, allow an oral presentation and decide within 60 days. You have 25 days to accept a decision; the manufacturer then has up to 30 days to comply. | |
| Deadline | File in district court within 1 year after the lemon law rights period (or its extension) ends, if there is no certified program or it does not decide in time. After a program decision, other limits apply | Iowa Code § 322G.8(1) |
| Usage deduction | Iowa deducts the miles you drove up to the third repair attempt for the defect, the first repair of a safety defect, or the 20th day out of service, whichever comes first, × the purchase price ÷ 120,000 (Iowa Code § 322G.2(18)). |
Three repairs plus a final attempt, or 30 days, in Iowa
Iowa presumes a reasonable number of attempts when, during the lemon law rights period:
Serious Safety Defect Test
1 examination or repair of a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, plus a final repair attempt after written notice, and the defect continues.
§ 322G.4(3)(a)(2)Three Repairs Test
At least 3 examinations or repairs of the same defect, plus a final repair attempt after written notice, and the defect continues.
§ 322G.4(3)(a)(1)30 Days Out of Service Test
Out of service for repair a cumulative total of 30 or more days, not counting routine maintenance.
§ 322G.4(3)(a)(3)The defect must substantially impair the vehicle: make it unfit, unreliable or unsafe for ordinary use, or significantly lower its value. If a reported defect is not cured before the rights period ends, the tests extend up to 2 years or 24,000 miles.
Notice to the manufacturer in Iowa
After 3 repairs (or 1 for a safety defect), send written notice by certified or registered mail or overnight service so the manufacturer gets a final attempt. Within 10 days it must offer a reasonably accessible repair facility, then repair within 10 days of delivery. After 20 days out of service you can also send notice; the manufacturer then has 10 more cumulative days.
In Iowa the 3-repair and safety tests include a final repair attempt after written notice by certified or registered mail or overnight service.
Dispute program first. Manufacturers may run a program certified by the Attorney General. It must be free, allow an oral presentation and decide within 60 days. You have 25 days to accept a decision; the manufacturer then has up to 30 days to comply.
Each time the vehicle comes back from warranty work, you are entitled to a fully itemized repair order with the diagnosis, the work done, the date and the odometer reading (§ 322G.3(4)).
Iowa’s 1-year deadline after the rights period
File in district court within 1 year after the lemon law rights period (or its extension) ends, if there is no certified program or it does not decide in time. After a program decision, other limits apply (Iowa Code § 322G.8(1)).
| Event | Date | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle delivered | Mar 15, 2025 | The protection window starts |
| Protection window ends | March 15, 2027 | Repairs after this date do not count toward the tests |
| Sue by | March 15, 2028 | File in district court within 1 year after the lemon law rights period (or its extension) ends, if there is no certified program or it does not decide in time. After a program decision, other limits apply |
How to file an Iowa lemon law claim
- Report each defect during the rights periodThe warranty, 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever ends first.
- Send the final-attempt noticeAfter 3 repairs, or 1 for a safety defect: certified or registered mail, or overnight service.
- Allow the final repairThe manufacturer has 10 days to offer a facility and 10 days to repair after delivery.
- Use the certified program if there is oneIt is free and decides within 60 days; you have 25 days to accept.
- Sue if neededWithin 1 year after the rights period ends, if there is no certified program or it misses its deadline.
Refund, replacement and the Iowa deduction for use
| Remedy | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Refund | The full purchase price (including the net trade-in allowance) with collateral charges (installed items, earned finance charges, use taxes, title charges) and incidental charges such as towing and alternative transportation, less the offset for use. You have an unconditional right to choose a refund. |
| Replacement | An identical or reasonably equivalent vehicle acceptable to you, within 40 days after you pay the offset for use, with a substitute vehicle in the meantime. |
Iowa deducts the miles you drove up to the third repair attempt for the defect, the first repair of a safety defect, or the 20th day out of service, whichever comes first, × the purchase price ÷ 120,000 (Iowa Code § 322G.2(18)).
Iowa’s final repair attempt, day by day
| Step | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer offers a reasonably accessible repair facility | Within 10 days of receiving your notice |
| Manufacturer repairs the vehicle | Within 10 days after you deliver it |
| After 20 days out of service, you send notice | Manufacturer has 10 more cumulative days to repair |
| If the manufacturer misses its deadlines | It loses the right to a final attempt |
How an Iowa refund is calculated
Iowa counts miles only up to the third repair attempt for the defect, the first repair of a safety defect, or the 20th day out of service, whichever comes first (§ 322G.2(18)).
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Purchase price (with net trade-in allowance) | $36,000.00 |
| Offset: $36,000 × 9,000 ÷ 120,000 | −$2,700.00 |
| Before collateral and incidental charges | $33,300.00 |
You have an unconditional right to choose a refund over a replacement. If you choose a replacement, the manufacturer must lend you a substitute vehicle until it arrives.
Iowa’s certified manufacturer programs
- Free to consumers, with the right to an oral presentation.
- Decision within 60 days of your notification; you have 25 days to accept it.
- The manufacturer must comply within the time the decision sets, no more than 30 days after you accept.
- If the manufacturer neither complies nor appeals, the Attorney General can seek fines of up to $1,000 a day.
- If a court upholds a decision in your favor, you also recover $25 a day for each day past the 25-day period, and a bad-faith appeal can double or triple the award.
Later owners in Iowa
Anyone entitled to enforce the warranty during the lemon law rights period is a consumer. Iowa’s Lemon Law covers new or previously untitled vehicles during the rights period.
Anyone entitled to enforce the warranty during the rights period is a consumer. Iowa excludes mopeds, motorcycles, autocycles, motor homes and vehicles over 15,000 lbs gross vehicle weight rating.
To test your own dates and repair visits, run your Iowa repair visits through our checker.
Iowa Lemon Law FAQs
What qualifies as a lemon in Iowa?
A new or previously untitled vehicle with a defect that substantially impairs it, after 3 repairs or 1 safety repair plus a final attempt, or 30 days out of service, during the warranty, 2 years or 24,000 miles.
How long do I have to file a lemon law claim in Iowa?
Within 1 year from the end of the lemon law rights period, or its extension, when there is no certified program or it misses its deadline (§ 322G.8(1)).
How is the Iowa lemon law refund calculated?
The purchase price with collateral and incidental charges, minus price × miles up to the third repair (or first safety repair, or 20th day out) ÷ 120,000.
Can I choose a refund instead of a replacement in Iowa?
Yes. The consumer has an unconditional right to choose a refund.
Does the Iowa lemon law cover motorcycles?
No. Mopeds, motorcycles, autocycles and motor homes are excluded.
Sources
Checked on October 13, 2026. We re-verify Iowa rules when the legislature, the courts or the agency change them. Read how we check every rule in our editorial policy.