You would be surprised how many cars are lemons. The Attorney General of Florida lists each and every vehicle that has been declared a lemon and bought back or replaced by the manufacturer.
The Florida lemon laws cover a car for the first 24 months. There are two basic reasons a car is deemed a lemon — recurring problems and time out of service (in the shop).
If a car has been back for service for the same recurring problem at least three times and is not fixed it may be a lemon. When this happens the consumer must give the manufacturer a final opportunity to fix the problem. Note that the law states you must contact the manufacturer — not the dealer — when you are giving them a final opportunity to fix the problem. If the manufacturer fails to fix the problem the laws requires the dealer to buy back the defective car and give the consumer a purchase price refund or a replacement vehicle.
Florida Lemon Laws do not apply to defects caused by accidents, neglect, abuse, modification, or alteration by persons other than the manufacturer or its authorized service agent — typically an authorized dealer.
If a vehicle is in and out of an authorized repair show for one or more different problems for 15 or more cumulative days then the consumer gives written notice of this fact to the manufacturer.
For any Florida Lemon Law claims you must complete a specific form provided on the Florida Secretary of State website.
To formally file your Lemon Law dispute you must submit your information to the proper arbitrator. Many car makers sponsor state certified programs.
