The Lemon Law in Iowa

Iowa's lemon law covers self-propelled vehicles bought or leased in Iowa for highway use (not mopeds, motorcycles, autocycles, motor homes or vehicles over 15,000 pounds). The "lemon law rights period" is the manufacturer's warranty term, two years from delivery, or the first 24,000 miles, whichever ends first. A reasonable number of attempts is presumed if, during that period, the same defect substantially impairing the vehicle was examined or repaired at least three times plus a final repair attempt by the manufacturer, a defect likely to cause death or serious injury was examined or repaired at least once plus a final attempt, or the vehicle was out of service 30 or more days in total. If the vehicle is not fixed, the manufacturer must replace it with one acceptable to the consumer or repurchase it and refund the full purchase or lease price, including collateral and incidental charges, minus a reasonable offset for use; the consumer has an unconditional right to choose a refund.

1) Written notice and final repair attempt: after three repair attempts for the same defect that substantially impairs the vehicle (or one attempt for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury), the consumer may notify the manufacturer in writing, by certified or registered mail or overnight service, so it can make a final attempt to fix it. The manufacturer has 10 days after receiving the notice to offer a repair at a reasonably accessible facility, then 10 days after the vehicle is delivered there to fix it; if it does not, the final-attempt requirement no longer applies. After 20 or more total days out of service, the consumer may send a similar written notice, and the manufacturer then has 10 more days of out-of-service time to fix the vehicle. 2) Arbitration: Iowa has no state-run lemon law arbitration program. If the manufacturer has a program certified under the lemon law and told the consumer in writing how to use it, the consumer must use it before the refund/replacement remedy applies. A certified program may not charge consumers any fee. Its decision is final unless either party petitions district court within 50 days after receiving it or within 25 days after the consumer tells the manufacturer it accepts the decision, whichever comes first. 3) Deadline: if the manufacturer has no certified program (and the consumer gave the written notice), or the program does not decide in time, a lawsuit may be filed within one year after the lemon law rights period (2 years or 24,000 miles, or the warranty term, whichever ends first) expires, or any extension of it. If the manufacturer does not carry out an accepted decision, the consumer may sue within six months after the date the decision set for performance.

The lemon law covers newer vehicles. For used cars, the Attorney General advises confirming whether the vehicle is sold "as is" or with a warranty and getting all promises in writing, and notes Iowa law does not generally give a three-day right to cancel a vehicle bought from a dealer's lot.