The Florida lemon law is in place to protect consumers that ended up buying or leasing a defective vehicle. The law is not applicable if the vehicle in question was purchased used.
If the defect is substantial and jeopardizes occupant safety or the value or use of the vehicle and the defect cannot be put right after a specified number of tries over a specified period of time, the manufacturer will normally give you a refund or replace the vehicle.
If your new vehicle meets the criteria, you are well advised to contact a Florida lemon law attorney before you take any action; the law is complex.
Lemon law eligibility:
When you buy or lease a new car in Florida, it is covered by the state lemon law for two years from the date you took delivery. To qualify as a lemon, it must:
* Have a defect that is detrimental to its use, value or safety
* You must have tried at least three times to have the defect repaired, and
* The car must have been out of service for 15 days or more
If your car meets these conditions, you must notify the manufacturer directly, not the dealer from which it was purchased or leased. Upon receipt of this notice, the manufacturer gets one more chance to repair the defect, and the repair attempt must be done within ten days. It is at this stage you can seek arbitration.
Remedies under the Florida lemon law:
If the manufacturer of your vehicle has a state certified arbitration process, this is the first place to seek a solution. If you fail to get satisfaction, this is the time to hire a Florida lemon law attorney.
Your attorney will contact the Attorney General’s office on your behalf. Once your request has been granted by this office, you and your attorney will be invited to a hearing. You will have to support your claim with proof; this is why any and all service orders and repair documentation must be kept as well as a log of the days the car was out of service.
Although the lemon law in Florida provides for arbitration, you may wish to consult with a seasoned Florida lemon law attorney before proceeding. For a list of attorneys that can help, you are invited to visit LemonLawAmerica.com.
