States
Idaho lemon law: when a new car is a lemon
What Idaho Code §§ 48-901 to 48-913 asks before a manufacturer must repurchase or replace a car, the steps on the way and the last day to act.
Does your car meet the Idaho lemon law tests?
Idaho, November 5, 2026 read in the statute
Not yet: one more repair attempt
| Protection period | 2 years or 24,000 miles or the warranty term, whichever ends first: until January 5, 2028 or 24,000 miles. You are inside it. |
| Repair attempts, same defect | Not met: needs 4, you have 3 |
| Serious safety defect | Not met: needs 1 attempt, you have no safety defect |
| Days out of service | Not met: needs 30 business days, you have 12 |
| Also | The 1-attempt test is limited to a complete failure of the braking or steering system that is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury; the manufacturer still gets at least one chance to repair (§ 48-903(3)). |
| Notice | Written notice at least once, from you or on your behalf, and a chance to cure; a dealer who receives it forwards it by certified mail (§ 48-903(5)). |
| Dispute step | The manufacturer must offer a consumer arbitration program in Idaho (§ 48-903(7)); use it first when it applies. Check the Attorney General’s guide for the time to contest a decision: it gives two different figures. |
| File a lawsuit by January 5, 2029 (792 days left) | Within 3 years of the original delivery (Attorney General’s guide; the section itself was not read). |
Tests as written in the law; a court or arbitrator decides. Idaho Code §§ 48-901 to 48-913 · Idaho Attorney General
The Idaho lemon law in detailIdaho’s lemon law, chapter 9 of title 48 of the Idaho Code, protects a new motor vehicle during the warranty term, two years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. Section 48-903 presumes a reasonable number of attempts after four repairs of the same defect, or after 30 business days out of service. One repair is enough only when the defect is a complete failure of the braking or steering system that is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, and the manufacturer must still have had at least one chance to repair. Repairs made within three years still count when the defect was first reported during the warranty. The presumption applies only if the manufacturer or its dealer had written notice at least once. We read section 48-903 in an archived copy of August 28, 2026, and the Attorney General’s guide on November 1, 2026; the other sections were not read.
When is the last day to act?
File a lawsuit, Idaho
September 5, 2028
| Days from today | 670 left |
| Rule: Within 3 years of the original delivery (Attorney General’s guide; the section itself was not read). | |
State laws read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Report early in Idaho
The three-year rule only helps owners whose first report falls inside the warranty. A defect written up and left unfixed in month twenty can still feed the count in month thirty. The first repair order is therefore the most valuable piece of paper in an Idaho claim.
A narrow safety test
Most dangerous defects follow the ordinary count in Idaho: the single attempt is for complete failure of the brakes or the steering, not for any fault that feels unsafe.
The money
The refund, trade-in included, is capped at 105 percent of the suggested retail price, and the deduction for use cannot exceed miles up to the arbitration hearing times the price, divided by 120,000. The manufacturer must offer a consumer arbitration program. The Attorney General’s guide gives two different figures for the time to contest a decision, 30 days and three months, so check the current text before you rely on either.
The Idaho lemon law at a glance
| Law | Idaho Code §§ 48-901 to 48-913 |
| Protection period | 2 years or 24,000 miles or the warranty term, whichever ends first |
| Repair attempts | 4 attempts on the same defect |
| Serious safety defect | 1 attempt for a serious safety defect |
| Days out of service | 30 business days |
| Also | The 1-attempt test is limited to a complete failure of the braking or steering system that is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury; the manufacturer still gets at least one chance to repair (§ 48-903(3)). |
| Written notice | Written notice at least once, from you or on your behalf, and a chance to cure; a dealer who receives it forwards it by certified mail (§ 48-903(5)). |
| Dispute step | Manufacturer program first. The manufacturer must offer a consumer arbitration program in Idaho (§ 48-903(7)); use it first when it applies. Check the Attorney General’s guide for the time to contest a decision: it gives two different figures. |
| Deadline | Within 3 years of the original delivery (Attorney General’s guide; the section itself was not read). |
| Use offset in a buyback | At most miles up to the arbitration hearing × price ÷ 120,000; the refund itself is capped at 105% of the suggested retail price (§ 48-903(1)). |
| Vehicles covered | New motor vehicles up to 12,000 lb bought or registered in Idaho. Not motorcycles, farm tractors, trailers or ATVs. Repairs within 3 years still count if the defect was first reported in the warranty (§ 48-903(6)). |
| Used cars | Not covered. |
| State page | Idaho Attorney General |
| Level of reading | read in the statute |
| What we read | Section 48-903 in an archived copy of August 28, 2026, and the Attorney General’s guide, read on November 1, 2026. The other sections of the chapter were not read. |
From written notice to a decision
Certified mail, return receipt requested.
Earliest decisionbetween Oct 16, 2026 and Nov 25, 2026
1. Done · milestone
Written notice reaches the manufacturer
Oct 16, 2026
Written notice at least once, from you or on your behalf, and a chance to cure; a dealer who receives it forwards it by certified mail (§ 48-903(5)).
Idaho Code §§ 48-901 to 48-9132. Done · milestone
Final repair attempt
Oct 16, 2026
No fixed number of days for this step in the Idaho text we read.
3. In progress · 0 day – 6 weeks
Dispute program decides
Oct 16, 2026 – Nov 25, 2026
A program that follows 16 CFR Part 703 must decide within 40 days of receiving your dispute. The manufacturer must offer a consumer arbitration program in Idaho (§ 48-903(7)); use it first when it applies. Check the Attorney General’s guide for the time to contest a decision: it gives two different figures.
16 CFR 703.5(d)4. Upcoming · milestone
Accept, refuse or go further
Oct 16, 2026 – Nov 25, 2026
Within 3 years of the original delivery (Attorney General’s guide; the section itself was not read).