Wisconsin Lemon Laws

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Lemon Law Basics: Wisconsin Lemon Laws

Summary of Wisconsin lemon law

What vehicles are covered under Wisconsin lemon law?
Wisconsin lemon law covers vehicles which were sold in Wisconsin and which are required to be registered before use (or which are already registered in another state). Mopeds and truck trailers are not covered by the lemon law, nor are used vehicles or people who have purchased their leased vehicles.

What protections do I have under Wisconsin lemon law?
Wisconsin lemon law says that if you report a serious defect which prevents your vehicle from conforming to its warranty within the warranty period or the first year of ownership, then the manufacturer must repair the nonconformity. Serious defects are covered by warranty and negatively affect the vehicle's value, safety, or usability. Manufacturers are not liable for nonconformities that were caused by abuse or neglect of the vehicle by the consumer.

If the nonconformity is not repaired after a reasonable number of attempts, Wisconsin lemon law states that the manufacturer must repurchase a new or leased vehicle, or replace a new vehicle. Replacement of leased vehicles is not covered by Wisconsin lemon law.

What steps must occur before seeking settlement under Wisconsin lemon law?
Wisconsin lemon law presumes that the manufacturer has had a reasonable number of attempts to repair the vehicle if, during the warranty period or first year of possession, there have been four unsuccessful attempts to repair the same nonconformity or if the vehicle has been out of commission for repairs for a total of 30 days.

After this presumption has been fulfilled, you must notify the manufacturer and stipulate that you would like your vehicle to be repurchased or replaced, and agree to transfer the vehicle's title.

How do I file a claim under Wisconsin lemon law?
If the manufacturer has an approved settlement process in place, Wisconsin lemon law says that you must attempt to reach resolution through this process before bringing a case to court.

What are the settlement details under Wisconsin lemon law?
If an owned vehicle is repurchased under Wisconsin lemon law, the manufacturer must pay a sum which includes the full amount paid at the time of sale, such as the vehicle's purchase price and tax, tags, and registration fees, all finance charges, and any costs associated with the nonconformity, such as alternate transportation. An offset for the consumer's use of the vehicle is subtracted from this amount, which is calculated by dividing the number of miles on the vehicle at the time of the first report of the nonconformity by 100,000 (or 20,000 for a motorcycle), and multiplying the result by the purchase price.

If a leased vehicle is repurchased under Wisconsin lemon law, the manufacturer must pay a sum to the lessor which includes the remainder of the lease, including all payments not yet made by the lessee, any early termination fees, and the value remaining on the vehicle at the end of the lease, as stated in the contract. An offset for any fees that the lessor saves by early termination of the lease may be subtracted from this amount.

The manufacturer must also pay a sum to the lessee which includes all lease payments made, any sales tax or collateral costs such as alternate transportation. An offset for usage of the vehicle, as described above, is subtracted from this sum.

If a vehicle is replaced under Wisconsin lemon law, the new vehicle must be comparable to the old. The manufacturer must also pay collateral costs associated with the nonconformity, and no usage offset may be applied. The consumer must transfer ownership of the original vehicle to the manufacturer.