• Indiana's lemon law applies to all late model vehicles.yellow car, a honda japanese sport car model image by alma_sacra from Fotolia.com
  
  Lemon laws offer consumers recourse in the event they purchase or lease a vehicle that suffers from defects that affect use, safety and/or resale value. Indiana's lemon law protects all late model vehicles, which includes the most recent model year and the previous five model years, meaning some used vehicles qualify. Model years and calendar years do not necessarily coincide. For example, most 2010 cars were for sale starting in the last sales quarter of 2009. The use of model years means that determining a covered vehicle is not always easy. The office of the attorney general can offer information regarding this or any other aspect of the lemon law.
  
  

Covered Vehicles

• The law covers cars and light trucks purchased in Indiana. The period of protection covers the first 18,000 miles of the vehicle or the first 18 months after delivery, whichever comes first.
  
  

Qualifying Factors

• To qualify as a lemon, the vehicle must have been out of service for at least 30 business days or have undergone at least four unsuccessful repair attempts for the same problem. Consumers should request written repair records every time--this will come in handy in the event they pursue protection under the law.
  
  

Manufacturer Notification

• Indiana law does not require the consumer to notify the manufacturer of problems with the vehicle and the intent to proceed under the lemon law in writing, but the consumer must if the manufacturer requires it. The attorney general recommends doing so regardless. Consumers should read their owner's manual and warranty to find out what the manufacturer requires, and should contact the manufacturer directly if unsure.
  
  

Dispute Resolution

• If the manufacturer has an attorney general-approved dispute resolution program in place, the consumer must follow the procedures outlined. If the manufacturer does not have a dispute resolution program, or the consumer does not agree with the ruling, he or she can file a lawsuit.