Kansas Lemon Law rules at a glance
The Kansas Lemon Law (Motor Vehicle Warranties) is K.S.A. 50-645, 50-646.
| Rule | What Kansas law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Statute | K.S.A. 50-645, 50-646 | K.S.A. 50-645 |
| Vehicles covered | 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 by second-stage manufacturers or converters; Vehicles registered over 12,000 lbs | |
| Protection window | The term of the warranties or 1 year from original delivery, whichever is earlier | K.S.A. 50-645(b), (d) |
| Four Repairs Test | The same defect was repaired 4 or more times and continues, after the manufacturer receives actual notice | K.S.A. 50-645(d)(1) |
| 30 Days Out of Service Test | Out of service for repair a cumulative total of 30 or more calendar days, after actual notice | K.S.A. 50-645(d)(2) |
| Ten Repairs of Any Defects Test | 10 or more repair attempts for any defects that substantially impair use and value, after actual notice | K.S.A. 50-645(d)(3) |
| Written notice | The presumptions apply only if the manufacturer receives actual notice of the defect. Report it to the manufacturer, its agent or dealer within the warranty or the first year, and notify the manufacturer itself. | K.S.A. 50-645(d) |
| Dispute program first? | If the manufacturer has an informal dispute procedure complying with FTC Rule 703, you must use it before the refund or replacement provisions apply (K.S.A. 50-645(e)). The Attorney General has jurisdiction to enforce the act. | |
| Deadline | K.S.A. 50-645 does not set its own filing deadline. Other time limits still apply, so act promptly and ask a Kansas attorney | K.S.A. 50-645, 50-646 |
| Usage deduction | Kansas calculates the allowance for use from the most recent edition of the American Automobile Association’s “Your Driving Costs”, for miles driven before your first report and while the vehicle was not out of service (K.S.A. 50-645(c)). |
Four repairs, 30 days or ten total repairs in Kansas
Kansas presumes a reasonable number of attempts, if the manufacturer has received actual notice of the defect, when within the warranty term or the first year (whichever is earlier):
Four Repairs Test
The same defect was repaired 4 or more times and continues, after the manufacturer receives actual notice.
K.S.A. 50-645(d)(1)30 Days Out of Service Test
Out of service for repair a cumulative total of 30 or more calendar days, after actual notice.
K.S.A. 50-645(d)(2)Ten Repairs of Any Defects Test
10 or more repair attempts for any defects that substantially impair use and value, after actual notice.
K.S.A. 50-645(d)(3)The defect must substantially impair the vehicle’s use and value. Kansas’s ten-repair test counts attempts on different defects that each substantially impair use and value.
Notice to the manufacturer in Kansas
The presumptions apply only if the manufacturer receives actual notice of the defect. Report it to the manufacturer, its agent or dealer within the warranty or the first year, and notify the manufacturer itself.
In Kansas the presumptions apply only after the manufacturer receives actual notice of the defect.
Dispute program first. If the manufacturer has an informal dispute procedure complying with FTC Rule 703, you must use it before the refund or replacement provisions apply (K.S.A. 50-645(e)). The Attorney General has jurisdiction to enforce the act.
The Attorney General has jurisdiction to enforce the act (K.S.A. 50-645(f)).
Is there a Kansas lemon law deadline?
K.S.A. 50-645 does not set its own filing deadline. Other time limits still apply, so act promptly and ask a Kansas attorney (K.S.A. 50-645, 50-646).
| Event | Date | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle delivered | Mar 15, 2025 | The protection window starts |
| Protection window ends | March 15, 2026 | Repairs after this date do not count toward the tests |
| Filing deadline | Not set in the act | K.S.A. 50-645 does not set its own filing deadline. Other time limits still apply, so act promptly and ask a Kansas attorney |
How to file a Kansas lemon law claim
- Report the defect in timeTo the manufacturer, its agent or dealer within the warranty or the first year.
- Make sure the manufacturer has actual noticeA dated written notice to the manufacturer is the clearest proof.
- Keep every repair orderThey prove the 4 repairs, 30 days or 10 repairs of any defects.
- Use the dispute procedure if there is oneA manufacturer program complying with FTC Rule 703 must come first.
- Ask for the refund calculationThe use allowance comes from AAA’s “Your Driving Costs”.
Refund, replacement and the Kansas deduction for use
| Remedy | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Replacement | A comparable motor vehicle under warranty. |
| Refund | The full purchase or lease price including all collateral charges, less a reasonable allowance for use calculated from the latest AAA “Your Driving Costs”. |
Kansas calculates the allowance for use from the most recent edition of the American Automobile Association’s “Your Driving Costs”, for miles driven before your first report and while the vehicle was not out of service (K.S.A. 50-645(c)).
How Kansas calculates the use allowance
Instead of a fixed formula, Kansas tells the manufacturer to calculate the reasonable allowance for use from the most recent edition of AAA’s “Your Driving Costs” (K.S.A. 50-645(c)). Only use by you and any earlier owner counts, and only:
- before the first report of the defect, and
- later, while the vehicle was not out of service for repair.
Ask the manufacturer to show which AAA figures it used and how many miles it counted. The refund covers the full purchase or lease price and all collateral charges before that deduction.
Who Kansas covers
| Buyer or vehicle | Covered? |
|---|---|
| Original purchaser or lessee of a new vehicle sold or leased in Kansas | Yes |
| Vehicles registered for 12,000 lbs or less | Yes |
| Later owners | No; Kansas defines the consumer as the original purchaser or lessee |
| Customized parts added by second-stage manufacturers or converters | No |
Used cars and Kansas’s Lemon Law
Kansas defines the consumer as the original purchaser or lessee. Kansas’s Lemon Law covers new motor vehicles only.
Kansas defines the consumer as the original purchaser or lessee, so used-car buyers rely on any remaining warranty and federal Magnuson-Moss law instead.
To test your own dates and repair visits, check a Kansas repair history with our free tool.
Kansas Lemon Law FAQs
What qualifies as a lemon in Kansas?
A new vehicle with a defect that substantially impairs its use and value, after 4 repairs of the same defect, 30 days out of service or 10 repairs of any defects, within the warranty or the first year, with actual notice to the manufacturer.
How long do I have to file a lemon law claim in Kansas?
K.S.A. 50-645 does not set its own deadline, but other time limits apply. Act promptly and ask a Kansas attorney.
How is the Kansas lemon law refund calculated?
The full purchase or lease price with all collateral charges, minus a use allowance calculated from AAA’s “Your Driving Costs”.
Does the Kansas lemon law cover used cars?
No. It protects the original purchaser or lessee of a new motor vehicle.
Who enforces the Kansas lemon law?
The Attorney General has jurisdiction to enforce it, and consumers can also bring their own claims.
Sources
Checked on October 13, 2026. We re-verify Kansas rules when the legislature, the courts or the agency change them. Read how we check every rule in our editorial policy.