In Tampa and Hillsborough County, Florida, Bad Vehicle represents owners and lessees of defective new vehicles in claims under Fla. Stat. ch. 681. Tampa also has a direct place in Florida’s Lemon Law system: it is one of three Attorney General offices, along with Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale, that administer the Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board. The Board is the forum that decides eligible Florida Lemon Law disputes.
A Tampa lemon law attorney reviews the repair record, handles the required notices, prepares the arbitration claim, and deals with the manufacturer. Florida law may create a presumption after three failed repairs of the same defect followed by the manufacturer’s final repair process, or after 30 total days out of service. Case reviews are free. Call (813) 736-4004.
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Engine Failure
Engine Failure
A/C Failure
Fuel Tank Expansion
Steering Issue
Battery Issue
Water Leak
Tonneau Issue
Fuel Leak
Center Screen Issue
Screen Issue
Not all cars with issues qualify, but many do. If your car has been repaired several times for the same issue, or has sat in the shop for weeks without success, you may already have a valid claim. Every receipt, repair order, and service note adds strength to your case.
If you want a fast way to find out, try our quick online quiz. It only takes a few minutes.
When you buy a car, you expect it to be safe and reliable. If it is defective, the law protects you. Depending on your case, you may be entitled to:
The Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board holds weekday hearings at different locations across the state. The Attorney General says the Board is administered by its offices in Tallahassee, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale.
Florida law allows the Attorney General to create as many Board regions as needed. Each region may have up to eight members. Hearings must be held in locations that let an approved consumer attend at a reasonably convenient place.
That gives Tampa a real role in the state’s Lemon Law process. It does not mean every Tampa claim is assigned to the Tampa office.
Once a claim is approved for arbitration, the Board generally must hold the hearing within 40 days and decide the case within 60 days. In 2020, consumers filed 506 claims statewide. Of 343 approved cases that reached a reported resolution, 213 settled before a hearing and 130 ended in an arbitration decision. The program reported more than $11.1 million in relief that year. The Attorney General’s annual-report page currently stops at 2020.
Bad Vehicle Lemon Law Attorney – Tampa
7320 E Fletcher Ave #101-04
Tampa, FL 33637
(813) 736-4004
A Tampa lemon law attorney is a consumer lawyer who represents Hillsborough County vehicle owners against manufacturers under the Florida Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act. The work may include:
Florida Chapter 681 covers qualifying new vehicles, demonstrators, and certain leased vehicles. Used vehicles are outside the statute’s definition of a covered motor vehicle.
A used vehicle that still has a written warranty may have a claim under another law, including the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. A lemon law lawyer can determine which law fits the vehicle and its warranty.
Start with the year, make, model, VIN, purchase or lease date, and every repair order.
Bad Vehicle reviews those records to see whether the history may meet Florida’s repair-attempt or out-of-service standards.
After three attempts to repair the same defect, Florida law requires written notice to the manufacturer by registered or express mail.
The manufacturer has 10 days after receiving the notice to respond and provide an opportunity to bring the vehicle to a reasonably accessible repair facility. It then generally has 10 days after delivery to that facility to complete its final repair attempt. Different rules apply to RVs.
The consumer may need to use a certified manufacturer dispute program first.
A Request for Arbitration is then submitted to the Florida Department of Legal Affairs. The Attorney General states that the request generally must arrive no later than 60 days after the Lemon Law Rights Period ends, or 30 days after final action by a state-certified manufacturer program, whichever is later.
The Department screens the claim before approving it for arbitration.
Once approved, the matter is scheduled for a Board hearing at a reasonably convenient location. The parties may submit documents, call witnesses, question witnesses, and be represented by a lawyer.
The Board generally has 40 days from approval to hold the hearing and 60 days to issue its decision.
If the Board finds for the consumer, it may award a refund or replacement under the statute.
A Board decision is final unless one side appeals within the required time. If a consumer wins before the Board and that decision is later upheld by a court, §681.1095(13) allows continuing damages of $25 per day after the manufacturer’s 40-day compliance period.
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Florida Lemon Law may apply to buyers and qualifying lessees of new cars, SUVs, vans, light trucks, demonstrators, and certain RVs. Common Tampa-area cases include:
Used vehicles also raise another issue in Tampa Bay. CARFAX estimated in August 2025 that about 29,900 flood-damaged vehicles were still in use in the Tampa/St. Petersburg metro, second only to Houston.
A used vehicle with undisclosed flood damage is not a Florida Lemon Law claim under Chapter 681. Depending on the facts, federal warranty law or a separate claim involving the seller may apply.
Florida Lemon Law also excludes motorcycles, mopeds, off-road vehicles, and trucks over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.
Bad Vehicle handles the parts of a claim that can determine whether it reaches a refund, replacement, settlement, or hearing:
Florida’s reasonable-use offset is based on mileage through the settlement agreement or arbitration hearing, whichever happens first. The mileage is divided by 120,000 for most vehicles and 60,000 for an RV.
Florida also requires certain disclosures when a manufacturer buys back and later resells a vehicle. The manufacturer must provide a one-year or 12,000-mile warranty on the problem that caused the buyback.
Jonathan D. Schwartz, Esq., has practiced law in Florida since 1999. His Florida Bar number is 178268, and The Florida Bar lists him as a member in good standing and eligible to practice. He earned his law degree from Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law.
Bad Vehicle focuses its practice on Lemon Law and consumer warranty claims and represents consumers throughout Florida.
Clients deal directly with the attorney handling their file instead of working through a call center. Repair orders, notices, questions, and case updates can also be handled by phone and email.
For Tampa callers, the local number is (813) 736-4004.
Bad Vehicle Lemon Law Attorney – Tampa
7320 E Fletcher Ave #101-04
Tampa, FL 33637
(813) 736-4004
Bad Vehicle serves Tampa and Hillsborough County through its Florida practice. Claims can be handled by phone and email, and an in-person visit is not required.
The firm’s primary Miami address is 13611 S Dixie Hwy, Suite 335, Miami, FL 33176.
Bad Vehicle offers a free consultation and free case review. The firm handles Lemon Law claims on a contingency basis, with no upfront attorney fee for legal services.
There is also no filing fee for a consumer to request arbitration through the Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board.
Florida law allows a consumer who prevails in a civil action under Chapter 681 to recover reasonable attorney fees and litigation costs. That provision appears in Fla. Stat. §681.112(1).
There is no fixed length for every claim. The early stages depend on the repair history and required manufacturer process. Once arbitration is approved, the Board generally must hold the hearing within 40 days and decide the claim within 60 days.
To start, send the year, make, model, VIN, purchase or lease date, and every repair order.
No. Florida allows consumers to request arbitration without hiring a lawyer, and there is no filing fee. A lawyer can review the repair record, prepare notices, organize evidence, deal with the manufacturer, and represent the consumer before the Board. Florida law expressly allows both sides to have counsel at an arbitration hearing.
A vehicle may qualify when a defect substantially impairs its use, value, or safety and the manufacturer cannot repair it after a reasonable number of attempts. Florida creates a presumption after three attempts followed by the required final repair process, or after 30 cumulative days out of service. Different rules apply to RVs.
There is no sound basis for naming one lawyer as the best for every Florida Lemon Law case. Check the attorney’s Florida Bar status, years in practice, discipline history, experience with Lemon Law arbitration, and who will actually handle the claim. You can verify Jonathan D. Schwartz under Florida Bar No. 178268.
There is no consumer filing fee to request arbitration from the Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board. Attorney fee arrangements depend on the firm. Bad Vehicle offers free case reviews and handles claims on a contingency basis. Florida law also allows a consumer who prevails in a Chapter 681 civil action to recover reasonable attorney fees and litigation costs.
Florida Lemon Law under Chapter 681 does not cover used vehicles. A used-car buyer may still have other legal rights. A written manufacturer or dealer warranty may support a claim under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Misrepresentation or failure to disclose known flood or storm damage may also raise separate issues depending on the facts.
There is no single timeline for the entire claim. Repair attempts and the manufacturer’s final repair process come first. After a Request for Arbitration is approved, Fla. Stat. §681.1095 generally requires the Board to hold the hearing within 40 days and issue its decision within 60 days. Some claims settle before the hearing.
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