Iowa Lemon Law: Your Rights
Last reviewed: June 28, 2026
Iowa's lemon law, the Defective Motor Vehicles Act, covers new vehicles under 15,000 pounds (motorcycles, mopeds, and RVs do not qualify). If a substantial defect under warranty can't be fixed after a reasonable number of attempts, the manufacturer must replace the vehicle or repurchase it and refund the full price, less a reasonable offset for your use.
Iowa lemon law at a glance
| Time / mileage window | 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first |
|---|---|
| Repair attempts (presumption) | 3 or more for the same defect, or 1 for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury |
| Days out of service | 20 or more days |
| Covers new vehicles | Yes |
| Used-car lemon law | No (new vehicles only) |
What these rules mean for you
If your vehicle has a substantial defect that the manufacturer cannot fix after the repair attempts above, or it has been out of service for the listed time, you may have a lemon law claim. The remedy is usually a refund (a buyback) or a replacement vehicle. The details turn on your documentation, so keep every repair order from the first visit on. See what to document for a defect or lemon law claim.
A recall is not required for a claim, and recall repair attempts can count toward your total. For the full picture, read the pillar guide, recall vs. lemon law, and learn how many repair attempts before lemon law applies and how a buyback, replacement, or cash settlement compares.
Official Iowa sources
Verify the current rules with these authoritative sources: