Consumer Protection · Lemon Law
Lemon Law in Florida
How many repair attempts and days out of service before Florida presumes your vehicle is a lemon — and whether used cars are covered.
presumption trigger (same defect)
Do I meet the Florida lemon presumption?
Enter your repairs and downtime. This checks the presumption — it is not a legal verdict.
This checklist is educational, not a legal verdict. Every state writes these numbers as a rebuttable presumption: hitting them shifts the burden to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer can still rebut it. Keep every repair order, send any required written notice, and consult a lawyer about your specific facts. This is legal information, not legal advice.
How the presumption works in Florida
The prongs that shift the burden to the manufacturer.
A key trigger is the 15-day notice: once the vehicle has been out of service 15 cumulative days, the consumer must notify the manufacturer in writing. Florida has no smaller safety-defect count; the RV out-of-service threshold is 60 days, not 30.
Every state — Florida included — writes these thresholds as a rebuttable presumption. Reaching them shifts the burden onto the manufacturer to prove your vehicle is not a lemon; it does not mean you automatically win. You may also qualify with fewer attempts if a "reasonable number" of repairs is shown some other way, and the manufacturer can rebut the presumption. This is legal information, not legal advice.
Used cars & leased vehicles
Which of the three coverage categories Florida falls in.
The full picture, with the source
Every figure, and where it comes from.
| Same-defect attempts | 3 |
| Serious-safety attempts | No separate safety count |
| Days out of service | 30 calendar days |
| Coverage window | 24 months from delivery (the "Lemon Law rights period"); no mileage cap |
| Used cars | New vehicles only |
| Leased vehicles | Covered |
| Statute | Fla. Stat. §681.104 (presumption); §681.102 (definitions) |
What Florida car buyers get wrong
Florida’s lemon law (Chapter 681) leads with a notice step that trips people up. The state presumes a lemon after the same substantial defect has been repaired 3 or more times and then continues after one final repair attempt following written notice to the manufacturer — or after the car has been out of service for 30 cumulative days. There is a separate procedural trigger: once the vehicle has been out of service for 15 cumulative days, you are required to notify the manufacturer in writing (registered or express mail). Two things Florida does not do: it has no smaller repair count for safety defects, and it sets no mileage cap — the "Lemon Law rights period" is simply 24 months from delivery (recreational vehicles get a 60-day out-of-service threshold instead of 30). As everywhere, these are presumption triggers that shift the burden to the manufacturer, not an automatic verdict, and used cars fall outside the statute entirely.
Common questions
How many repairs is a lemon in Florida?
Florida presumes a lemon after 3 or more repair attempts on the same substantial defect, plus a final attempt after written notice — or after 30 days out of service — within the 24-month rights period. It is a rebuttable presumption, not an automatic win.
What is the 15-day notice in the Florida lemon law?
Once your vehicle has been out of service for 15 cumulative days, you must notify the manufacturer in writing by registered or express mail. That written notice is a required step before the out-of-service presumption is complete.
Does Florida’s lemon law cover used cars?
No. Chapter 681 applies only to new vehicles. Florida has no used-car lemon law, so a used car is not covered under the lemon statute.
Is there a mileage limit on the Florida lemon law?
No. Florida sets no mileage cap. The Lemon Law rights period is 24 months from the date of delivery, regardless of miles driven.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.