Florida lemon law: a consumer guide

Who is covered?

Florida's new-motor-vehicle law addresses nonconformities that substantially impair use, value or safety. Read § 681.102 for the definitions of consumer and motor vehicle; a vehicle's location, sale and use can affect coverage.

Start with the purchase or lease agreement, registration, original delivery date and complete warranty. A vehicle marketed as new, used or certified may need a closer look under the statute's definitions. If you moved, bought across state lines or use the car for business, flag those facts before assuming the rules below apply.

Coverage periods and mileage

The Lemon Law rights period is the first 24 months following original delivery. The period for reporting a problem is different from the later deadline for seeking arbitration.

Keep three dates separate: when the symptom began, when you reported it and when the facility attempted repair. Also keep the mileage for each event. An appointment booked before a deadline is not necessarily the same as a legally sufficient report. Preserve emails and work orders so the actual sequence can be checked.

Repair attempts and days out of service

For ordinary passenger vehicles, the statute's presumption addresses at least three repairs of the same continuing nonconformity plus the manufacturer's final attempt when required, or 30 or more cumulative days out of service for repair. Recreational vehicles have different downtime and final-repair provisions.

These figures are not an automatic qualification score. The nature of the defect, whether it remains or recurs, and the applicable evidence rules still matter. Count actual visits and downtime separately. Keep raw drop-off and ready-for-pickup dates rather than relying on your own legal interpretation of which days should count.

Manufacturer notice and final repair

After three attempts on the same problem, send the manufacturer written notification by registered or express mail to allow a final repair. The statute gives response and repair periods. At 15 cumulative repair days, written notice is also required to provide an inspection or repair opportunity; 15 days is a notice trigger, not the ordinary 30-day presumption.

Read the warranty's contact section and the official instructions before sending anything formal. Include a factual description, repair chronology and vehicle identification in a private submission. Keep a complete copy and proof of delivery. Sending a complaint to a dealer, agency or online review site is not necessarily the same as notifying the manufacturer.

Arbitration and dispute programs

If the manufacturer has a certified procedure, the statutory route generally begins there. Florida's New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board is a separate step, including where no certified program applies or the certified procedure does not resolve the matter. Follow the Attorney General's eligibility screening instructions.

Identify the specific program, who administers it, what claims it accepts and whether participation or acceptance is required. Request the rules before applying. A customer-service case, manufacturer informal program, state hearing and binding contractual arbitration are different processes. Keep the application, acknowledgment, evidence packet and decision together.

What about used cars?

Florida's program concerns qualifying new motor vehicles, not a general dealer warranty on every used-car sale. A transferred vehicle can raise definition and timing questions. Check the statutory definition of consumer and ask the Attorney General's program about your acquisition rather than relying on the label 'used.'

Preserve the advertisement and any written promises made at sale. A service contract sold separately is not interchangeable with a manufacturer's warranty. A history report can supplement your file but does not establish legal coverage or replace a mechanical inspection. Our used-car guide explains how to separate those questions.

Deadlines: do not use the protection period as a filing date

Section 681.109 gives specific arbitration deadlines: a certified-procedure claim generally must be filed no later than 60 days after the rights period expires. A board request generally is due by 60 days after that period, or 30 days after final action of a certified procedure, whichever is later. Confirm any special situation with the program.

Make a calendar entry to verify timing now, not after another repair fails. Ask which event starts the clock, whether a particular notice must be received rather than sent and whether any program affects limitations. Do not assume informal negotiations, a pending parts order or a verbal assurance extend a legal deadline.

A practical next-step plan

First, address immediate safety. Ask a qualified repair professional about safe transport and avoid recreating a dangerous failure to produce evidence. A recall search may identify model-level campaigns, but a VIN check with NHTSA or the manufacturer is the better next step for an individual vehicle.

Second, create one repair file. Keep the transaction documents, complete warranty, every repair order, dated symptom notes and receipts. Use a one-page timeline as an index, not as a substitute for the original records. Include visits where the technician could not duplicate the problem and repairs that cost you nothing.

Third, match your timeline to the official state process. Identify the responsible manufacturer contact, any final repair opportunity and the correct dispute program. If a record is inaccurate, request a written correction rather than editing the invoice yourself. Keep your own observations separate from a technician's diagnosis.

Finally, review proposed outcomes carefully. A repurchase, replacement, trade-in and cash settlement are different transactions. Ask how loan or lease payoff, deductions, expenses, vehicle return and released claims are handled. Do not stop payments, cancel insurance or surrender the car solely because someone says a resolution is being considered. A licensed attorney can explain claim-specific obligations and settlement terms.