Wisconsin · Lemon law · Updated Oct 2026
Wisconsin Lemon Law (Wis. Stat. § 218.0171) protects buyers of new vehicles that can't be fixed. Here is what counts as a lemon in Wisconsin, the notice you must send and what you can get back.
According to WisDOT, your vehicle is a lemon if, during its first year and before the warranty expires, the dealer failed 4 times to fix the same defect, or the vehicle was out of service 30 days or more because of defects. The defect must seriously affect use, value or safety. A vehicle you still have counts as out of service if a serious defect makes it unusable and the dealer has tried to fix it at least twice.
Period: The first year after delivery, and only while the manufacturer's warranty is in effect.
Send the manufacturer a written claim asking for a refund or a replacement and offering to return the vehicle. WisDOT's form MV2691 (optional, but it contains the required wording) works; mail it with copies of your repair orders, and WisDOT recommends certified mail.
According to WisDOT, arbitration is through manufacturer programs and is free. If the manufacturer's program is certified by WisDOT, you must use it before you can sue under the lemon law; if it is not certified (or the maker has no program), you need not use it. WisDOT's Lemon Law Guide lists which brands have certified programs.
Refund: the full purchase price plus sales tax, finance charges, amounts paid at the point of sale and collateral costs (such as the cost of alternative transportation while the car is being repaired), minus a use allowance of no more than purchase price × miles at your first report of the defect ÷ 100,000 (÷ 20,000 for motorcycles). Replacement: a comparable new vehicle within 45 days (120 days for vehicles over 10,000 pounds); if the manufacturer cannot deliver it in time, it must give a full refund with no use deduction. You must return the vehicle and sign over the title.
Deadline: The Wisconsin Department of Transportation says you have 36 months from delivery to file a claim. Check the statute (Wis. Stat. § 218.0171) or ask WisDOT before you rely on it.
Used vehicles do not qualify under the lemon law. A Wisconsin dealer must inspect a used car and disclose known problems on the Wisconsin Buyers Guide window sticker even when selling 'as is', and WisDOT's Dealer & Agent Section can investigate complaints.
Most states require you to tell the manufacturer in writing and give it a last chance to fix the car. Send the manufacturer a written claim asking for a refund or a replacement and offering to return the vehicle. WisDOT's form MV2691 (optional, but it contains the required wording) works; mail it with copies of your repair orders, and WisDOT recommends certified mail. Fill this in, copy the letter, sign it and send it by certified mail with return receipt. Keep a copy. Nothing you type here is sent to us; the letter is made in your browser.
Official page · Official lemon law guide
According to WisDOT, your vehicle is a lemon if, during its first year and before the warranty expires, the dealer failed 4 times to fix the same defect, or the vehicle was out of service 30 days or more because of defects. The defect must seriously affect use, value or safety. A vehicle you still have counts as out of service if a serious defect makes it unusable and the dealer has tried to fix it at least twice.
The first year after delivery, and only while the manufacturer's warranty is in effect.
Send the manufacturer a written claim asking for a refund or a replacement and offering to return the vehicle. WisDOT's form MV2691 (optional, but it contains the required wording) works; mail it with copies of your repair orders, and WisDOT recommends certified mail.
According to WisDOT, arbitration is through manufacturer programs and is free. If the manufacturer's program is certified by WisDOT, you must use it before you can sue under the lemon law; if it is not certified (or the maker has no program), you need not use it. WisDOT's Lemon Law Guide lists which brands have certified programs.
Refund: the full purchase price plus sales tax, finance charges, amounts paid at the point of sale and collateral costs (such as the cost of alternative transportation while the car is being repaired), minus a use allowance of no more than purchase price × miles at your first report of the defect ÷ 100,000 (÷ 20,000 for motorcycles). Replacement: a comparable new vehicle within 45 days (120 days for vehicles over 10,000 pounds); if the manufacturer cannot deliver it in time, it must give a full refund with no use deduction. You must return the vehicle and sign over the title.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation says you have 36 months from delivery to file a claim. Check the statute (Wis. Stat. § 218.0171) or ask WisDOT before you rely on it.
Used vehicles do not qualify under the lemon law. A Wisconsin dealer must inspect a used car and disclose known problems on the Wisconsin Buyers Guide window sticker even when selling 'as is', and WisDOT's Dealer & Agent Section can investigate complaints.
Car not covered, or the period has passed? Federal warranty law may still help, and small claims court can handle smaller repair bills.
Federal warranty lawLast checked: Oct 2026.
Law: Wis. Stat. § 218.0171