Missouri Lemon Law Refund Calculator

How the Missouri buyback is calculated

Under the Missouri Lemon Law.

• Under RSMo § 407.567 the manufacturer, not you, chooses between a comparable new vehicle acceptable to you and taking title back and refunding your money.
• A refund is the full purchase price, including all reasonably incurred collateral charges, which the act defines as sales tax, license fees, registration fees, title fees and motor vehicle inspections.
• The refund is reduced by a reasonable allowance for your use of the vehicle. The statute gives no formula, cap or measuring point for that allowance, so the calculator shows an approximation, not a statutory figure. The allowance applies to a replacement as well as a refund.
• Refunds are made to the consumer and the lienholder of record, if any, as their interests may appear. The act names no finance charges and no towing, rental or other out-of-pocket costs in the refund, so the calculator does not add them; the act does not limit other rights or remedies at law or in equity.
• The manufacturer can recover the sales tax and fees it refunds from the Missouri Department of Revenue, or direct you to apply to the Department for a refund of them.
• The act provides no multiplied damages. A consumer who sues after complying with the act and finally prevails is allowed costs and attorney's fees. If a court finds the claim was filed in bad faith, or the final recovery is not at least ten percent greater than the manufacturer's earlier settlement offer, the consumer is liable for the manufacturer's costs and reasonable attorney's fees incurred as a direct result of the bad faith claim.

Missouri lemon law: frequently asked questions

How much can I recover under the Missouri lemon law?

A refund of the full purchase price including collateral charges (sales tax, license, registration and title fees, and motor vehicle inspections), less a reasonable allowance for your use. The act sets no formula for the allowance. Run your numbers through the calculator for an estimate.

Do I get to choose between a refund and a replacement?

No. The statute says the manufacturer chooses, at its option, between replacing the vehicle with a comparable new vehicle acceptable to you and taking title and refunding the purchase price.

How is the deduction for my use calculated?

The statute only says "a reasonable allowance for the consumer's use of the vehicle" and applies it to both a replacement and a refund. It states no per-mile figure, formula, cap or measuring point, so any number you see, including the calculator's, is an estimate.

Who pays for my attorney?

If you sue after complying with the act and finally prevail, the court allows you to recover your costs and expenses, including attorney's fees based on actual time expended. If a court finds the claim was filed in bad faith, solely to harass, or without a substantial justifiable issue, or your final recovery is not at least ten percent greater than the manufacturer's earlier settlement offer, you are liable for the manufacturer's costs and reasonable attorney's fees incurred as a direct result of the bad faith claim.

Can I get my sales tax and fees back?

Sales tax, license, registration and title fees are part of the refund. The manufacturer may apply to the Department of Revenue for reimbursement, or direct you to apply to the Department yourself; in that case it must give you the documentation that proves you paid them.

Does the calculator cover a lease, finance charges or towing and rental costs?

The act names no lease refund, so a lease estimate is an approximation. It lists no finance charges and no towing, rental or other out-of-pocket costs in the refund, so the calculator leaves them out; the act does not limit other rights or remedies at law or in equity.