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Find out whether the vehicle and repair history may support a Lemon Law claim. There is no charge for the initial review.
Pinellas County, Florida
ST. PETERSBURG LEMON LAW ATTORNEY.
Recurring repairs, safety defects or long periods without a vehicle can disrupt daily life throughout St. Petersburg and Pinellas County. Bad Vehicle helps local consumers review the repair history, protect Florida Lemon Law deadlines and pursue the relief available from the manufacturer.
+25 Years of Experience
Direct Attorney Access
No Fees Unless You Win
Bad VehiclePinellas County Lemon Law representation.
EXPLORE ↓
Defective vehicle?Start with the repair history
Pinellas County, Florida
A new vehicle should be dependable on every trip across St. Petersburg and Pinellas County.
St. Petersburg drivers rely on their vehicles for work, school, medical appointments and travel throughout Pinellas County and the Tampa Bay region. When a newly purchased or leased vehicle repeatedly returns to an authorized service department, the lost time can become as serious as the defect itself.
Florida Lemon Law may protect qualifying new and demonstrator vehicles with defects that substantially impair use, value or safety. The repair orders should clearly document the recurring complaint, the work attempted, mileage in and out and every day the vehicle remained unavailable.
A claim is generally pursued against the manufacturer rather than the St. Petersburg dealership. Depending on the warranty documents, the consumer may need to complete a state-certified manufacturer procedure before requesting arbitration through Florida’s New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board.
Jonathan D. Schwartz has practiced in Florida since 1999 and has +25 years of Lemon Law experience. Bad Vehicle offers free case reviews, direct attorney access and remote handling by phone, email and Zoom for consumers throughout St. Petersburg and Pinellas County.
Local focus. Direct attorney access. No upfront legal fee to begin an eligible claim.
Why Bad Vehicle
LEGAL HELP WITHOUT THE RUNAROUND.
No In Betweens
You deal directly with the Lemon Law attorney handling the matter. No call center, no middleman and no unnecessary handoff.
Enforcing Your Rights
The goal is to pursue the strongest compensation or other remedy available under the law and the facts of the claim.
Most people are very reasonable when it comes to their expectations for a new vehicle. Unless you have rented a particular model or driven one owned by a friend or family member numerous times, you will only learn the basics about the car when on a test drive. But you make your choice based on that information and other research, hoping you made the right choice. In most cases, the more you drive your new vehicle, the more comfortable you feel with the car and your choice. But what is a buyer supposed to do when the longer they drive their new vehicle, the more issues they discover are wrong with it?
Because new vehicles are covered by a manufacturer’s warranty, many buyers are amenable to taking them back to the service department for repair. However, when the issue cannot be corrected after several trips to the service department or new problems arise each week, even the most patient buyers will become frustrated, as they should. Spending tens of thousands of dollars on a new vehicle should provide some confidence that the car will function reliably and safely. If that is not what you have experienced with your new vehicle, it is time to contact Jonathan Schwartz, St. Petersburg Lemon Law lawyer.
When you reach out to Jonathan Schwartz, you will be pleased to discover that you are speaking to a person in his office with legal expertise and the ability to begin answering your questions about the Florida Lemon Law. They will also explain the process of your free consultation and case evaluation to determine if you have grounds to use the Lemon Law to get a new car or sell your lemon back to the manufacturer.
Receive your free consultation now. No fee unless you win. Take our Lemon Quiz.
Testimonials
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Read feedback from consumers who turned to Bad Vehicle for help with defective vehicles and Lemon Law matters.
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Jonathan D. Schwartz
Lemon Law Attorney
About the Attorney
Jonathan D. Schwartz
Lemon Law Attorney
Jonathan D. Schwartz is a Lemon Law attorney with +25 years of experience helping consumers with defective vehicles and repeated warranty repair problems.
At Bad Vehicle, clients work directly with the attorney handling their matter, receiving clear guidance on their repair history, available legal options and the path forward for pursuing compensation or other Lemon Law remedies.
Direct attorney access. Clear guidance. Experienced Lemon Law representation.
Florida Lemon Law Vehicle Criteria
Five questions that can tell you whether the vehicle fits the Lemon Law pattern.
Florida eligibility depends on the timing, the type of vehicle, the seriousness of the defect, the repair history and the amount of time the vehicle has been unavailable for use.
01
Less Than 24 Months Old?
The timing of delivery matters. Florida's Lemon Law rights period makes the age of the vehicle an important part of the review.
02
Sold in Florida as New or Demo?
The state process focuses on qualifying new and demonstrator vehicles purchased or long-term leased in Florida.
03
Does the Defect Affect Value, Safety or Function?
The issue generally needs to materially affect the vehicle’s value, safety or function rather than being only a minor inconvenience.
04
Three or More Repair Attempts?
Three or more visits to the dealership or a factory-authorized repair center for the same issue, with the defect still unresolved, can be an important indicator of a qualifying claim.
05
30 or More Days Out of Service?
Cumulative time that the vehicle is unusable, held for repair or unavailable to the owner can also be relevant under Florida law.
06
Keep the Repair Records
Repair orders, dates, mileage, written complaints and dealership documentation help establish what happened and when.
If these facts sound familiar, have the repair history reviewed.
Get a Free Case Review ↗What are the criteria for a St. Petersburg lemon? While many consumers will tell you that the legal system is never a black and white situation but instead has varying shades of grey that make even a simple question complicated, the Florida Lemon Law clearly defines what it takes to deem a vehicle a lemon. If your vehicle meets these criteria, you have reason to reach out to Jonathan Schwartz to discuss processing it as a lemon:
- The vehicle was sold as a demonstrator or as new in Florida
- The issues or defects that you have experienced impact the value, safety, or use of the vehicle
- The vehicle is still within the Lemon Law Rights Period, which lasts 24 months after the vehicle was first delivered to you
- The vehicle has been out of service or in the service department for repairs for a total of 30 days or more
- You have returned the car to the manufacturer’s service center or an authorized repair shop three or more times related to the same issue that has never been corrected
Are all new vehicles covered by the Florida Lemon Law? While most new cars, SUVs, and trucks are covered by the Florida Lemon Law, there are a few exceptions that include off-road vehicles, heavy-duty trucks that weigh over 10,000 pounds, motorcycles, and any vehicle that is not in the possession of the original owner who bought it in Florida. It is also crucial to understand that the issue or damage to the vehicle must not be related to or caused by an auto accident, abuse, neglect, or any modifications made to the vehicle that was not completed in a factory-authorized service center.
When you hire Jonathan Schwartz to handle your lemon vehicle case, you have decades of experience working diligently to ensure you get the resolution that best meets your needs. While some cases can be very straightforward, many Lemon Law matters become challenging because manufacturers hate to admit they sold a subpar vehicle. However, the team working with Jonathan Schwartz will continue until they have obtained the resolution you want and need, allowing you to purchase a new vehicle that meets your needs for dependability and longevity.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Jonathan Schwartz if you have concerns about these exceptions.
How It Works
Get help with your lemon in three simple steps.
Start with the vehicle information and let the legal team handle the claim process.
Start My Review ↗01
Start with a Free Case Review
Provide the year, make, model and a summary of the problems, repair attempts and time out of service. The firm reviews the history and explains whether the facts may qualify under the Lemon Law.
02
We Handle the Legal Work
If the vehicle qualifies, the legal team prepares the paperwork, pursues the claim and communicates directly with the manufacturer. Bad Vehicle advertises no legal fees unless there is a successful recovery.
03
Return the Lemon or Pursue Compensation
Depending on the facts and applicable law, a resolution may involve a manufacturer repurchase, replacement vehicle or cash settlement. The team helps evaluate which available outcome fits the claim.
Florida Vehicle Coverage
Are all new vehicles covered?
Most passenger vehicles can fall within Florida's Lemon Law protections, but the statute does not treat every vehicle or every defect the same way.
Most Passenger Vehicles
Qualifying new cars, SUVs, vans and light trucks can be protected when the statutory requirements are met.
Original Florida Purchaser or Qualifying Lessee
The vehicle generally needs to remain with the original Florida purchaser or qualifying long-term lessee and fit the transaction categories protected by the statute.
Some Vehicles May Be Outside the Statute
Motorcycles, off-road vehicles and certain heavy-duty trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds may fall outside Florida's state Lemon Law coverage.
Owner-Caused Damage Is Different
Problems caused by abuse, neglect, an accident or an unauthorized modification are not treated the same as manufacturer defects.
RVs Have Special Rules
Some recreational vehicles can receive statutory protection, although their living facilities are treated differently from covered motor-vehicle components.
Warranty Status Still Matters
Salvage vehicles and vehicles without qualifying warranty coverage may fall outside Florida's state Lemon Law. Even when the state statute does not apply, written-warranty or federal warranty rights may still be relevant in some situations.
Ready to eliminate the lemon in your life?
Get a Free Case Review ↗Florida Lemon Law Basics
Questions St. Petersburg drivers ask before filing a claim.
These answers address local context while the governing Florida requirements remain statewide.
Ask Us Directly ↗
Florida law applies statewide. A qualifying new or demonstrator vehicle may support a claim when a warranty defect substantially impairs use, value or safety and remains unresolved after the manufacturer receives the required repair opportunities.
Florida may create a statutory presumption after three unsuccessful repair attempts for the same nonconformity followed by written notice and the manufacturer’s final repair opportunity. A separate presumption may apply after 30 or more qualifying cumulative days out of service.
The Chapter 681 claim ordinarily runs against the vehicle manufacturer. The dealership usually documents the complaints and performs warranty work as an authorized service facility, but it is generally not responsible for the statutory repurchase.
Send the purchase or lease agreement, warranty information, year, make, model, VIN, delivery date, current mileage, every repair order, total days out of service and written communications with the dealer or manufacturer.
Florida’s Lemon Law, officially known as the Florida Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act, protects consumers who buy or lease new vehicles with significant defects. If a vehicle has a recurring issue that the manufacturer fails to fix after a “reasonable number” of repair attempts, the consumer may be entitled to a refund or a replacement. Before taking legal action, consumers are required to try resolving the matter through the manufacturer’s informal dispute resolution process (usually arbitration). This involves submitting documentation and giving the manufacturer a final chance to repair the issue. If the dispute isn’t resolved in arbitration, the consumer can take the case to court. The law covers new vehicles and some motor vehicles like RVs (but not their living facilities). Salvage vehicles and cars without warranty are not covered.
Florida’s state Lemon Law only applies to new vehicles. However, used cars can still be protected under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, as long as the defect is reported during the vehicle’s warranty period. So if you buy a used car and it still has a valid manufacturer or dealer warranty, and a defect appears during that time, you may still have a case. This federal law doesn’t care whether the vehicle is new or used — it focuses on whether the warranty is active and whether the defect was properly reported.
If your vehicle qualifies and the manufacturer fails to fix the defect after multiple repair attempts, you need to: Step 1: Send a written notice to the manufacturer via certified or express mail. Step 2: Allow the manufacturer one final repair attempt. Step 3: If the issue persists, submit a Request for Arbitration with Florida’s Department of Legal Affairs along with supporting documents. Step 4: Attend arbitration. If the outcome isn’t favorable, you may file a lawsuit. An attorney can help handle these steps and increase your chances of a successful outcome.
Yes, leased vehicles are covered under Florida’s Lemon Law — as long as the defect appears during the lease and meets the same conditions as a purchased vehicle. However, keep in mind: if you’re leasing, your refund is limited to the amount you’ve paid into the lease. You won’t be refunded for the full vehicle value since you don’t own the car.
Hiring a Lemon Law attorney gives you a big advantage. Manufacturers have deep pockets and legal teams — going up against them alone can be difficult. An experienced attorney knows how to handle the process, file correctly, and present your case with strong documentation.
Serving Florida
Local Lemon Law resources throughout Florida.
Vehicle Manufacturers
Manufacturers frequently involved in defect claims.
Bad Vehicle publishes dedicated Lemon Law information for several major manufacturers, including the brands highlighted on its St. Petersburg page.
Get in Touch
Have legal questions or need guidance?
Tell us what is happening with the vehicle and how many times it has been repaired. The initial case review is free.
1-855-223-8344NO LEGAL FEES UNLESS WE WIN YOUR CASE · [email protected]
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