Illinois lemon law

Illinois operates one of the shorter lemon-law windows in the country: 12 months or 12,000 miles from delivery, whichever comes first, codified at 815 ILCS 380. To qualify, the same defect must be repaired four or more times — or the vehicle must be out of service for a cumulative 30 business days — while still inside that statutory term. Illinois consumers must use the manufacturer's certified arbitration program (typically BBB AUTO LINE) before filing suit, but the arbitrator's decision is non-binding on the buyer, who can still proceed to court within 18 months of delivery. Successful claimants are entitled to a full refund or a comparable replacement vehicle, plus collateral charges, finance charges, and reasonable attorney fees under 815 ILCS 380/3. The Illinois Attorney General's Consumer Fraud Bureau in Chicago, Springfield, and Carbondale will mediate complaints at no cost.

Pricing

Free: VIN decoding and NHTSA safety recall lookups, unlimited, no signup and no credit card. Paid: a full vehicle history report is $9.99 for one VIN, $14.99 for a 3-report pack and $24.99 for a 10-report pack. One-time payment, no subscription and no auto-renewal.

Frequently asked questions

How many repair attempts does Illinois require?

Illinois generally requires 4 attempts for the same substantial defect, or a cumulative 30 days out of service, within first 12 months / 12,000 mi.

Does the Illinois lemon law cover used cars?

Illinois's New Vehicle Buyer Protection Act does not cover used cars. However, the Illinois Used Car Buyers Bill of Rights (625 ILCS 5/5-104) requires dealers to disclose prior salvage, flood, and rebuilt status — and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act lets you sue if a remaining manufacturer warranty is breached on a used purchase.

What is the deadline to file a Illinois lemon law claim?

Illinois buyers must report defects to the manufacturer within the 12-month / 12,000-mile statutory term and file any lawsuit within 18 months of delivery — one of the tighter deadlines in the US. Document every dealer visit with repair orders that show date in, date out, mileage, and the specific defect described.

Data sources

CleanVins is not affiliated with Carfax, AutoCheck, NHTSA or NMVTIS.