Terre Haute Lemon Law

Civil actions under Ind. Code 24-5-13 are filed in Indiana state court, typically the circuit or superior court of the county where you live or where the selling dealer is located. For Terre Haute residents that is the Vigo County Circuit and Superior Courts at 33 S 3rd St. Before filing you must complete the manufacturer's informal dispute settlement program if it meets 16 C.F.R. Part 703 standards (most major automakers' BBB AUTO LINE programs do). The two-year statute of limitations is tolled while arbitration is pending.

Indiana presumes a reasonable opportunity to repair after four attempts on the same nonconformity, or after 30 cumulative business days out of service within the 18-month/18,000-mile term of protection. The 30-day clock counts business days only and is extended for natural disasters, strikes, and other listed events. Keep every Vigo County dealer repair order, including 'no problem found' visits, because each visit counts toward the statutory presumption.

Generally no. Indiana's Motor Vehicle Protection Act covers only new motor vehicles. The narrow exception is a used vehicle still inside the original 18-month/18,000-mile window where the defect was reported during that window; the new owner can step into the original consumer's shoes. For most used purchases from Terre Haute or surrounding Vigo County dealers, your remedies are the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, or any written dealer warranty.

Long sustained-speed commutes on I-70 and US-41 are a meaningful source of repeat defects in Vigo County, particularly DCT shudder, eight-speed harsh shifting, and torque-converter chatter. These defects often only appear during extended highway driving and may not reproduce in short test drives by a dealer technician. Documenting the conditions and route where the defect occurs strengthens the repair-attempt record. The legal standard does not change, but specific factual evidence helps establish that the nonconformity continues to exist.

If the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts, you can demand a comparable replacement vehicle or a full refund. The refund includes the total contract price, sales tax, the unexpended portion of registration and excise tax, finance charges actually paid, dealer-installed options, and necessary towing and rental costs, less a use allowance. The use allowance equals miles driven before the manufacturer accepts the vehicle return, multiplied by the contract price, divided by 100,000. Indiana does not authorize civil penalties, but prevailing consumers recover attorney's fees and costs.

Civil actions must be filed within two years from the original delivery date of the vehicle. Defects must have been reported within the 18-month/18,000-mile term of protection, but the four-attempt or 30-business-day finding can mature later. The two-year period is tolled while you participate in a qualifying manufacturer dispute settlement program. Federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act claims have a four-year limitations period, which sometimes serves as a backstop if Indiana's two-year clock has expired.