Tamiami Lemon Law

Yes. Florida Statutes Chapter 681 covers any new motor vehicle sold or leased in Florida for personal, family, or household use. The 24-month Lemon Law Rights Period runs from original delivery, regardless of which Miami-Dade neighborhood the dealer is located in. Tamiami residents shopping along SW 8th Street, Bird Road, or the Turnpike corridor have the same statutory rights as any other Florida consumer. Keep every Repair Order from each dealer visit, including those where the dealer claims no defect found, as those visits still count toward the three-attempt presumption.

After three repair attempts and a final written notice to the manufacturer by certified mail, you can apply to the Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board administered by the Attorney General. If your manufacturer uses a state-certified program like BBB AUTO LINE, you must complete that first. The Board must hold a hearing within 40 days and issue a decision within 60 days, with Tamiami hearings typically held regionally in Miami-Dade or by video. Either party can appeal to Miami-Dade Circuit Court within 30 days for trial de novo.

Yes, if they substantially impair use, value, or safety. Miami summer heat indexes regularly exceed 105 degrees, making AC effectively a safety system for elderly drivers and young children. If your AC has been in for the same complaint three times within the 24-month rights period and still cannot hold a charge or cool properly, you likely qualify under Chapter 681. Document each dealer visit with the diagnosis, refrigerant recharge performed, and cabin temperature symptoms. Repeat compressor or evaporator replacements within the rights period strengthen the claim significantly.

Actual flood damage from storm surge or street flooding is an insurance claim, not a lemon law claim. However, if your vehicle's door seals, sunroof drains, or body construction repeatedly let water in during routine summer rains and the dealer cannot fix the source after three attempts, that qualifies under Chapter 681. The distinction matters: act-of-God flood loss falls under your comprehensive auto policy, while persistent manufacturer-defect water intrusion falls under the lemon law. Document each water intrusion incident with photos and dealer Repair Orders.

You have one year after the 24-month Lemon Law Rights Period ends to apply to the Arbitration Board, giving you up to three years from delivery. If you went through BBB AUTO LINE or another state-certified manufacturer program, the one-year clock runs from that program's final action. Any appeal of a Board decision to Miami-Dade Circuit Court must be filed within 30 days. The Florida statute of limitations is one of the shortest nationally, so Tamiami owners should act quickly when recurring defects emerge.

You can recover the full base sale price plus collateral charges (sales tax, registration, title, finance charges, certain insurance refunds), minus a mileage offset. The offset equals miles driven multiplied by the base price divided by 120,000. A Tamiami commuter with 13,000 miles on a $38,000 SUV would see an offset around $4,100, leaving a refund near $33,900 plus collateral charges. Lease cases recover down payment, monthly payments, and lease payoff to the captive finance company. Florida Statute 681.112 entitles prevailing consumers to attorney's fees and costs.

No, the Arbitration Board permits self-representation, but most consumers benefit from counsel. Florida Statute 681.112 shifts attorney's fees to the manufacturer when the consumer prevails, so qualifying cases are typically handled on contingency at no out-of-pocket cost. Attorneys handle the certified mail final-repair notice, the BBB AUTO LINE or Florida Arbitration Board filing, evidence package preparation, and any 30-day appeal to Miami-Dade Circuit Court. Bilingual representation in English and Spanish is widely available across South Florida.