The Illinois Lemon Law works by providing consumers legal recourse after purchasing or leasing a defective vehicle. To qualify for recovery, you must first provide the manufacturer with a reasonable number of repair attempts to fix the defect. If those attempts fail, the next step is to present your case to the manufacturer’s informal dispute resolution program, a third-party arbitration panel. After hearing your case, the arbitrators will issue a ruling as to the compensation you deserve. If you are dissatisfied with their ruling, you may file your claim with the courts.