You bought a used car in Minnesota, something is badly wrong with it, and you want to know if the lemon law can help. Usually it cannot. That does not mean you have no protection, though. Here is what the Minnesota lemon law covers, where it stops for used and private-party cars, and what protects a used-car buyer instead.
Still shopping? Every car on our live Minnesota car auction shows a full inspection report and a free Carfax before you bid, and budget picks are on our Minnesota cars under $5,000 page.
The short answer: Minnesota’s lemon law covers new cars, plus used cars still under the original manufacturer’s warranty when the defect shows up within two years of first delivery. Most used cars fall outside it. A private seller owes you no warranty. A used car bought from a dealer usually comes with Minnesota’s used car warranty instead: 60, 30 or 15 days, depending on mileage, with exclusions.
Updated November 7, 2026. Checked against Minnesota Statutes 325F.665 and 325F.662 (revisor.mn.gov) and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Car Laws handbook (ag.state.mn.us). Sources are linked at the bottom.
Key takeaways
- The lemon law is a new-car law: it makes the manufacturer repair, replace or refund a car with a serious defect it cannot fix.
- Used cars count only inside the factory window: a used car is covered only while it is still under the original manufacturer’s warranty and within two years of first delivery.
- The claim is against the manufacturer: the dealer or person who sold you the used car is not the one on the hook under the lemon law.
- Private sales have no state warranty: Minnesota’s used car warranty law applies only to sales by a used car dealer.
- Dealer sales usually do: 60 days or 2,500 miles, 30 days or 1,000 miles, or 15 days or 500 miles, depending on mileage.
- No cooling-off period: Minnesota has no three-day right to cancel a car purchase.
What does the Minnesota lemon law cover?
The lemon law is Minnesota Statutes 325F.665. It covers passenger cars, pickup trucks and vans, plus the chassis or van portion of a recreational vehicle or ambulance. You have to be a consumer, meaning you did not buy it to resell, and the vehicle has to be used for personal, family or household purposes at least 40 percent of the time. Leases longer than four months count, according to the Attorney General lemon law guide.
The manufacturer must repair any defect covered by its warranty that you report during the warranty term or within two years of the car’s original delivery, whichever comes first. If it cannot fix a defect that substantially impairs the car’s use or market value after a reasonable number of tries, it has to replace the car or refund the purchase price.
When is a car presumed to be a lemon in Minnesota?
| Situation | What triggers the presumption |
|---|---|
| Same defect keeps coming back | Repaired four or more times without a fix |
| Car stuck in the shop | Out of service 30 or more cumulative business days for repairs |
| Complete brake or steering failure likely to cause death or serious injury | Repaired at least once and still not fixed |
A refund covers the full purchase price, minus a use allowance of no more than 10 cents per mile or 10 percent of the price, whichever is less. A lessee gets a refund, not a replacement.
Lemon law arbitration and deadlines
- Arbitration first: manufacturers must offer an arbitration program located in Minnesota, and you generally have to use it before suing for a refund or replacement.
- Not binding on you: the decision is nonbinding unless both sides agree otherwise, so either side can take it to district court.
- Deadline to sue: within three years of the car’s original delivery, or within six months of the arbitration decision if you used arbitration inside those three years.
Does the Minnesota lemon law cover used cars?
Only a narrow slice of them. The Attorney General’s guide says the law also covers used vehicles still under the original manufacturer’s warranty. The catch is the clock. The two-year window starts when the car was first delivered to its first owner, not when you bought it, so in practice only late-model used cars can qualify.
If your used car is still inside that window, the claim runs against the manufacturer, exactly as it would for a new car. Once the factory warranty term or the two years from first delivery have passed, the lemon law no longer applies, no matter how bad the problem is.
Does the lemon law apply to private party sales in Minnesota?
A private seller has no duty under the lemon law, because the lemon law only puts duties on the manufacturer. If a car you bought from a neighbor is still inside the factory window, the manufacturer may still owe you repairs. Outside that window, you are on your own.
Minnesota’s used car warranty law does not help here either. According to the Attorney General used car warranty guide, it applies only when you buy from a used car dealer, not from a relative, friend or neighbor, your employer, a bank, the company that leased you the car, or the state or a Minnesota county or city. A private sale is, in practice, as-is unless the seller gave you something in writing.
And there is no undo button. The Attorney General’s guide says plainly that Minnesota has no three-day right to cancel a car contract. Once you sign, the car is yours.
Minnesota used car warranty law: what dealers must give you
For most used-car buyers, this is the law that matters. Under Minnesota Statutes 325F.662, every used car a dealer sells to a consumer comes with a written warranty, and if the dealer skips it, the law treats the warranty as given anyway.
| Miles at sale | Minimum warranty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Under 36,000 | 60 days or 2,500 miles | Longest parts list |
| 36,000 to 74,999 | 30 days or 1,000 miles | Shorter parts list |
| 75,000 to 199,999 | 15 days or 500 miles | Not required when a new car dealer sells it |
| 200,000 or more | None required | Excluded |
Which parts are covered?
Under 36,000 miles, the minimum coverage is the engine, transmission, drive axle, brakes, steering, water pump, externally mounted mechanical fuel pump, radiator, alternator, generator and starter. From 36,000 to 199,999 miles, the radiator, alternator, generator, starter and steering rack drop off the list. Parts not listed are not covered, and neither is damage from a collision, abuse, negligence or poor maintenance after the sale.
Which used cars are excluded?
- Cheap or older cars under 75,000 miles: a cash price under $3,000, or eight model years old or older. These two exclusions do not apply to the 75,000 to 199,999 mile tier.
- Diesel engines: excluded at any mileage.
- Heavy vehicles: over 9,000 pounds gross weight.
- Show and race cars: custom-built or modified for show or racing.
- Small manufacturers: a maker that has never built more than 10,000 vehicles in a year.
- High miles: 200,000 or more at the time of sale.
- Salvage titles: a title that carries a salvage brand.
- Noncompliant cars: not built to federal emission and safety standards.
The Buyers Guide and as-is sales
Dealers must post the federal Buyers Guide in the car’s window, and the warranty’s length and covered parts have to be printed on the front of it. A dealer cannot sidestep the warranty with a separate as-is form. You can give up coverage for one specific part only if the dealer writes the known defect on the Buyers Guide and you circle that statement and sign next to it. Read it before you sign anything.
How does the lemon law apply to cars bought at auction?
The same two tests apply. The lemon law depends on the factory warranty window, not on where you bought the car, so a late-model auction car still inside that window is treated like any other. The used car warranty law depends on who the seller is. Its definition of a dealer leaves out a licensed auctioneer selling cars at an auction when the cars are incidental to selling other real or personal property.
So at any auction, read the listing, the condition report and the written terms before you bid, because they spell out what you get. Our guide on returning a car bought at auction walks through what is and is not refundable, and Minnesota car auction laws covers the rest of the rules. Buying a repo? See how to buy a repossessed car in Minnesota.
What can you do if your used car is a lemon in Minnesota?
- 1. Check the factory warranty. Give the VIN to a franchised dealer for that brand. If the car is still inside the original warranty and two years from first delivery, the lemon law may apply, and the manufacturer should get written notice from you.
- 2. Pull out the Buyers Guide. If a dealer sold you the car, it tells you which warranty applies and for how long.
- 3. Tell the dealer in writing, fast. Report the problem within the warranty period and bring the car in within a reasonable time. Reported on time, the dealer’s duty continues even after the warranty runs out.
- 4. Keep every record. Repair orders, dates, mileage, emails and texts.
- 5. Contact the Attorney General. You can file a consumer complaint or call 651-296-3353 (Twin Cities) or 800-657-3787 (outside the Twin Cities).
- 6. Consider court. The guide notes conciliation court is often an option without a lawyer. A used car warranty lawsuit must be filed within one year after the warranty expires.
Whether you have a claim depends on your facts, so talk to a Minnesota attorney before you rely on any deadline.
How to avoid buying a lemon used car
- Run the history: a report can flag title brands, odometer problems and past lemon law buybacks. Our vehicle history report guide shows what to look for.
- Read the title brand: salvage-titled cars are excluded from the dealer warranty, and branded cars sell for less for a reason. See why car title status matters and our Minnesota salvage title guide.
- Inspect before you bid: work through our free pre-bid inspection checklist on the photos and report.
- Make sure the paperwork is there: a car with no title is its own problem, covered in buying a car without a title in Minnesota.
Buying a used car through Remarket Space
Remarket Space is an online car auction in Minnesota that is open to the public. You need a free account, not a dealer license. Every vehicle is sold as-is under our arbitration plan, so we put the protection in writing. Our 3-Day Major Mechanical Guarantee covers lower-end engine damage, automatic transmission failure, frame damage and flood damage the listing did not disclose, if you file within 72 hours of delivery. It is not a warranty, and exclusions apply. Every listing has a full inspection by a Verified Remarket Space Inspector, a free Carfax and an HD virtual test drive, and every car is delivered.
See cars ending this week, read how bidding works, or check the buyer premium and fees. Or browse all used cars for sale in Minnesota.
Frequently asked questions
Only if the used car is still under the original manufacturer’s warranty and the defect is reported within two years of the car’s first delivery. The claim is against the manufacturer, not the seller. Most used cars are older than that, so the lemon law does not apply to them.
No law makes a private seller fix a lemon. The lemon law only puts duties on manufacturers, and the used car warranty law only covers dealer sales. Unless the seller gave you a written warranty, a private sale is effectively as-is.
The law presumes a reasonable number of attempts after four or more repairs of the same defect, or 30 or more cumulative business days out of service. For a complete brake or steering failure likely to cause death or serious injury, one repair attempt is enough.
For dealer sales, at least 60 days or 2,500 miles under 36,000 miles, 30 days or 1,000 miles from 36,000 to 74,999 miles, and 15 days or 500 miles from 75,000 to 199,999 miles. Many cars are excluded.
Not by law. The Minnesota Attorney General says there is no three-day right to cancel a car contract. Once you sign, the car is yours, unless the seller’s own written policy or a warranty gives you a return or repair option.
Private sales, cars with 200,000 or more miles, diesels, salvage-titled cars, vehicles over 9,000 pounds and show or race cars. Cars under 75,000 miles that cost less than $3,000 or are eight or more years old are also excluded.
A lemon law lawsuit must start within three years of the car’s original delivery, or within six months after a final arbitration decision if you used the manufacturer’s arbitration program within those three years.
Sources
- Minnesota Statutes 325F.665: New motor vehicle warranties (lemon law)
- Minnesota Statutes 325F.662: Used motor vehicle warranties
- Minnesota Attorney General: Minnesota’s Lemon Law
- Minnesota Attorney General: Used Car Warranty Law
- Minnesota Attorney General: Minnesota Car Laws handbook
- Minnesota Attorney General: File a complaint
General information, not legal or tax advice. Laws change, so confirm the current rules with the Minnesota Attorney General or an attorney before you act on a specific car.
