Florida Lemon Law: Do You Qualify?
Under the Fla. Stat. ch. 681 (Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act).
Florida's lemon law gives new-car buyers and lessees a 24-month Lemon Law Rights Period, measured from original delivery with no mileage cap, in which a defect that substantially impairs the vehicle must be reported. Florida is also one of the strictest states procedurally: written notice on a statutory form and the state arbitration process generally must come before any lawsuit. If your vehicle keeps going back for the same problem, you may qualify for a refund or replacement, and the free checker below applies Florida's rules to your answers in minutes.
Florida lemon law at a glance
- Coverage window
- The Lemon Law Rights Period runs 24 months from the date of original delivery. It is purely time-based: Florida sets no mileage cap. Once a problem is first reported in-period, later repairs of that same defect still count.
- Repair attempts
- 3 attempts for the same defect, plus a final manufacturer repair attempt after written notification. Florida grants no reduced attempt count for safety defects.
- Days out of service
- 15 cumulative days out of service triggers a separate written-notice requirement, which then leads to a 30-day cumulative out-of-service presumption.
- Written notice
- Required. After the 3rd attempt (or 15 days out of service), the consumer must notify the manufacturer using the Motor Vehicle Defect Notification form by registered, express, or certified mail, giving it a final 10-day repair opportunity.
- Used vehicles
- No freestanding used-car lemon law. A used vehicle may qualify only if the defect arises during the 24-month rights period measured from original delivery. Motorcycles, off-road vehicles, and trucks over 10,000 lbs GVWR are excluded.
- State program (mandatory)
- Florida requires exhausting the manufacturer's certified dispute program (if disclosed) and then the Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board before suit. A Request for Arbitration is due no later than 60 days after the rights period ends.
Check your Florida eligibility now
Free, anonymous, and specific to Florida. Answer a few questions about your vehicle and repair history to see whether you may qualify.
Florida lemon law: frequently asked questions
- How long does Florida lemon law coverage last?
- The Lemon Law Rights Period ends 24 months after the date of original delivery, and unlike most states there is no mileage cap. If you first report a nonconformity during the period, the manufacturer must keep repairing that same defect even if later attempts happen after the 24 months are up.
- Do I have to use a special form to notify the manufacturer?
- Yes. After the 3rd repair attempt for the same defect (or 15 cumulative days out of service), Florida requires written notification on the Motor Vehicle Defect Notification form, sent by registered, express, or certified mail. The manufacturer then gets 10 days to respond and a final repair opportunity. Skipping the statutory form is a common reason claims fail.
- Can I go straight to court under the Florida lemon law?
- Generally no. Florida is one of the strictest states: you generally must first use the manufacturer's certified informal dispute program if one was disclosed, then the Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board. A Request for Arbitration must reach the Attorney General no later than 60 days after the rights period expires (or within 30 days after the manufacturer's program decides, whichever is later).
- Does the Florida lemon law cover motorcycles or used cars?
- Motorcycles are excluded, as are off-road vehicles and trucks over 10,000 lbs GVWR. There is no freestanding used-car lemon law; a used vehicle can qualify only when the defect arises within the 24-month rights period that started at original delivery. Outside that, FDUTPA and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act are the main backstops.
- What can I recover if my car is a lemon in Florida?
- A qualifying consumer chooses between a refund of the full purchase price plus collateral charges, minus a reasonable offset for use, and a replacement vehicle. A prevailing consumer can also recover attorney fees.
Think you qualify? Estimate your refund with the Florida lemon law calculator →
Statutes cited on this page
- Fla. Stat. § 681.10 (Florida Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act: short title)
- Fla. Stat. § 681.102(9) (Lemon Law Rights Period: 24 months from original delivery)
- Fla. Stat. § 681.104 (Nonconformity; reasonable number of attempts presumption)
- Fla. Stat. § 681.104(1)(a) (consumer written-notification requirement after 3 repair attempts or 15 days out of service; MVDN form)
- Fla. Stat. § 681.108 (Dispute-settlement procedures: certified-procedure exhaustion before the Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board, which is created at § 681.1095)
- Fla. Stat. § 681.109(4) (Filing deadline: 60 days after expiration of Lemon Law Rights Period)
This page summarizes the statute in plain language and is not legal advice. The linked official text controls.