Lemon Law
Wis. Stat. 218.0171 — 4 repair attempts or 30 days out of service in the first year
When a new motor vehicle does not conform to its warranty and the consumer reports it and makes it available for repair before the warranty ends or one year after first delivery, whichever is sooner, the nonconformity has to be repaired.
A reasonable attempt to repair. The same nonconformity repaired at least 4 times and still there, or the vehicle out of service at least 30 days in total for warranty problems, within the warranty or one year after first delivery, whichever is sooner.
The consumer chooses. After that, at the consumer's direction, the manufacturer takes the vehicle back and either replaces it with a comparable new one or refunds the full purchase price with sales tax, finance charges and collateral costs, less a reasonable allowance for use tied to the miles driven before the problem was first reported. A refund is due no later than 30 days after the consumer offers to transfer title.
A consumer may sue for damages from a violation within 36 months after first delivery, and a consumer who wins recovers the pecuniary loss with costs and reasonable attorney fees.
Sources for this section (1)
- Wis. Stat. 218.0171 — Repair, replacement and refund under new motor vehicle warranties
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Wisconsin attorney.