At Rockpoint Law, lemon law is all we do. We help Illinois drivers hold manufacturers accountable when a new vehicle keeps failing. Illinois has one of the shortest windows in the country and counts its 30 days in business days, not calendar days — two details that quietly decide a lot of claims.
Start with a free case evaluation and find out whether your vehicle qualifies under the Illinois New Vehicle Buyer Protection Act.
Get Your Free Case Evaluation →Illinois' Lemon Law is the New Vehicle Buyer Protection Act, 815 ILCS 380. It covers new vehicles bought in Illinois, and the statute runs for the first 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first.
That is a short runway. Illinois ties for the tightest common lemon law window in the country, and once it closes the state statute closes with it. Two things trip Illinois drivers up: the one-year clock, and the fact that the 30-day out-of-service rule is measured in business days, which is a longer stretch on the calendar than it sounds.
The defect still has to substantially impair the use, value, or safety of the vehicle. A minor squeak is not a lemon. An engine that stalls in traffic is.
Send us your repair orders and we'll tell you honestly whether you have a claim.
Talk to Rockpoint Law →The defect has to appear within the first 12 months or 12,000 miles. Illinois ties for the shortest window in the country, so acting early matters more here than almost anywhere.
The manufacturer's dealer has tried four times to fix the same defect and it is still there. It has to be the same problem coming back, not four unrelated repairs.
The vehicle has been in the shop for 30 business days during the period. Business days skip weekends and holidays, so 30 of them can stretch across six calendar weeks.
| Requirement | What It Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the 1-Year / 12,000-Mile Window | The defect must appear within 12 months or 12,000 miles, and the vehicle must be new and bought in Illinois. | Transmission fault at month 8, 9,000 miles |
| Four Repairs, Same Defect | The same problem has gone through four authorized repair attempts and still is not fixed. | Stalling repaired four times, still stalling |
| Or 30 Business Days Out of Service | The vehicle has spent 30 business days in the shop during the coverage period. | Repair visits totaling 31 business days |
| Notice to the Manufacturer | You must give the manufacturer notice and a final repair opportunity before the claim proceeds. | Certified-mail notice before filing |
Any defect that substantially impairs use, value, or safety can qualify. In Illinois claims we see these most, and Chicago winters and road salt make corrosion and cold-start electrical faults more common.
Collect every repair order, the purchase or lease agreement, and the warranty booklet. In an Illinois claim the repair orders carry the case, and the business-day count only works if the in-and-out dates are documented. Read each order before you leave.
We review the history and tell you honestly whether you qualify under the four-repair rule or the 30-business-day rule. If the record supports neither, we say so.
Illinois expects notice to the manufacturer and a final repair chance before the claim proceeds. Send it certified mail so there is a record.
We open negotiations with the manufacturer's counsel. Many Illinois lemon claims resolve here, without arbitration or a courtroom.
If the manufacturer will not deal, we pursue the manufacturer's certified arbitration program or file suit, depending on what the facts and the program require.
Under the Illinois statute, if the vehicle qualifies you choose the remedy — a refund or a replacement. A manufacturer that offers only one is stating a preference, not the law.
We handle Illinois lemon law matters against the clock, because the one-year window leaves no room to wait. We know which manufacturers settle and which route their claims through arbitration, and that shapes how we build the demand.
We take these cases on the statute's fee provision where it applies, so the cost of bringing the claim does not fall on you first. Send us your repair orders and we will tell you what you have.
The information provided on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this content or contacting Rockpoint Law does not create an attorney-client relationship. Lemon law cases vary depending on the facts of each situation and applicable Illinois state law (New Vehicle Buyer Protection Act, 815 ILCS 380). For advice regarding your specific legal matter, please contact Rockpoint Law directly to schedule a consultation with a qualified attorney.
