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Miami Lemon Law

Lemon Law Attorneys in Miami

Our Florida office is on Brickell Avenue, and RockPoint Law's core practice is lemon law. Maybe your new car keeps going back to a Miami-Dade service department for the same fault, like an air conditioner blowing warm on the Palmetto in August, or a transmission that slips every time you pull away on US-1. Florida gives you a way to hand it back.

Free Case Evaluation

Three quick questions. No cost, no obligation.

  1. The year and make of your vehicle
  2. What the dealer has already tried
  3. How to reach you, and we review it
Start My Free Case Review  Call (305) 697-6690

Sending this does not create an attorney-client relationship. A case evaluation is a first step, not legal representation.

A Miami claim goes to the Attorney General's arbitration board, not a courtroom, and you pay nothing to file it. The defect has to be reported within 24 months of delivery, and the request for arbitration is due 60 days after those months end. We accept Miami-Dade claims in both English and Spanish.

  • Brickell office, Suite 900
  • 24 months from delivery
  • No fee unless we recover
Key facts

Miami lemon law at a glance

Florida's rules apply in Miami-Dade exactly as written. These are the figures and local facts a Miami claim runs into, in order, with where each one comes from.

Key facts for a Miami-Dade lemon law claim under Chapter 681, Florida Statutes
Key figureWhat it meansWhere it comes from
24 monthsno mileage capThe defect has to be first reported within 24 months of delivery. A daily run up the Turnpike can't push you out of the window.Sec. 681.102(9)
3 + 1repairs, then a final tryThree repairs of the same defect, a registered or express letter to the manufacturer, and one more failed attempt.Sec. 681.104(1)(a), (3)(a)
30 daysout of serviceThirty days in the shop in total, for one or more defects, with a letter due at day 15. A hurricane closure can stretch the 30.Sec. 681.104(1)(b), (3)(b)
Not listedJeep, Ram, Dodge, ChryslerStellantis brands aren't on the certified-program list, so their claims go straight to the state Board.Sec. 681.109(3); AG certified list
60 daysto request arbitrationDue 60 days after the 24 months end, or 30 days after a certified program's final action, whichever is later.Sec. 681.109(4)
20 daysto screenThe Attorney General date-stamps your request on arrival and makes a first eligibility decision within 20 days.AG Request for Arbitration instructions
MIAcase suffixAn approved Miami case is run from the Attorney General's Fort Lauderdale office, which takes its filings.AG Lemon Law notices
Englishat the hearingBoard hearings "are conducted in English," in a county where two in three residents speak Spanish at home.AG hearings page; ACS 2024
11th Circuitfor an appealEither party can appeal within 30 days. The appeal is a new trial, and Miami-Dade's circuit court is the Eleventh.Sec. 681.1095(10), (12); Sec. 26.021(11)
The Short Answer

What is the lemon law in Miami?

Miami has no lemon law of its own. Miami-Dade drivers use Florida's, Chapter 681 of the Florida Statutes. If a new or demonstrator vehicle you bought or leased in Florida has a defect that substantially impairs its use, value or safety, and the manufacturer can't fix it after three repairs plus one final attempt, or it spends 30 days in the shop, the manufacturer has to buy it back or replace it. You choose which. The Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board hears the claim, and there's no filing fee.

The Board sits inside the Attorney General's office, not the tax collector's or the DMV's. Section 681.116 also stops Miami-Dade County, or any city in it, from writing a local version. So the rules are the same in Hialeah as in Homestead. What changes from one Florida city to the next is the practical side: who runs your case, which courthouse hears an appeal, and what the climate does to a car. Our Florida lemon law guide covers the statute section by section.

The dates that close a Miami claim

Florida counts calendar days, not business days, under section 681.102(5). Four dates matter:

  • the defect has to be first reported within 24 months of delivery, with no mileage limit;
  • if your manufacturer runs a certified program, you file there within 60 days after those 24 months end;
  • the Request for Arbitration has to reach the Attorney General within 60 days after the 24 months end, or 30 days after the program's final action, whichever is later;
  • a lawsuit under the chapter has one year from the end of the rights period, or from the program's or Board's final action.

Miss the arbitration deadline and, in the Attorney General's words, you lose your Lemon Law arbitration rights. The defect notice letter doesn't stop the clock either. The Attorney General says filing a copy of that form "is not the equivalent of filing a claim."

There are two ways to qualify under section 681.104(3), and only two. Florida has no one-repair or two-repair safety shortcut. Under paragraph (a), the same defect has been repaired at least three times, you've written to the manufacturer by registered or express mail, and its final attempt failed too. Under paragraph (b), the car has been out of service for one or more defects for 30 days in total, after you wrote at the 15-day mark and the manufacturer had one more look. Routine maintenance days don't count.

Check the badge before anything else

A Ford, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan or Toyota claim has to go through the manufacturer's certified program first, under section 681.108(1). A Jeep, Ram, Dodge or Chrysler claim doesn't, because those brands aren't on the Attorney General's certified list. It goes to the state Board directly. The list is renewed every year, so we check it on the day we file.

You can do all of this yourself, and the Attorney General's hotline will send you the forms. Most people who call us have already lost months to a service desk telling them to "bring it back if it happens again." Our guide to how to file a lemon law claim sets out the paperwork order, and the lemon law glossary explains the terms.

Eligibility

What qualifies for the lemon law in Miami?

The tests are Florida's, and they work in Miami-Dade exactly as they do in Pensacola. The defect has to be real: section 681.102(15) calls it a nonconformity, something that substantially impairs the car's use, value or safety. Damage from an accident, abuse, neglect or an aftermarket modification is left out.

Florida gives a car two ways to qualify. A good claim can still fail on two traps, the wrong forum and the wrong date, so those get cards of their own. Each card has a Miami example and a self-check.

Three Repairs, Then One More

The same nonconformity has been in for repair at least three times and is still there. Then you write to the manufacturer, not the dealer, by registered or express mail. It has 10 days to respond and point you to a shop, and 10 days from drop-off to fix it. If it misses either deadline, the final attempt stops counting against you.

A Miami example A new SUV back at a Kendall service department three times for an air conditioner that blows warm at idle, then a registered letter to the manufacturer's regional office, then a fourth visit that fails too

Thirty Days Out of Service

The car has been off the road for repair for 30 days in total, and the days can come from different faults. At 15 days you write to the manufacturer, and after that letter it gets one more chance to inspect or repair. Weekends and holidays at the dealer count. Routine maintenance doesn't. If a hurricane or flood shuts the service department, section 681.104(3)(b) lets the 30 days stretch for as long as repairs weren't available.

A Miami example Eleven days waiting on a part for an electrical fault, nine days for a leak, then a 15-day letter and a third visit that runs the total past 30

The Right Forum, in the Right Order

If your manufacturer runs a program the Attorney General has certified, and you were told about it in writing at purchase, that program comes first. BBB Auto Line handles Ford, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, Volkswagen, Audi and Bentley. NCDS handles Toyota and Lexus, and Honda, Acura and Tesla bought on or after November 1, 2022. CAP Motors handles Porsche. Stellantis brands aren't on the list. A program that isn't certified doesn't count, and the Attorney General warns it can cost you your rights.

A Miami example A Ram pickup bought in Miami Lakes goes to the Florida Board. A Toyota bought on South Dixie Highway goes to NCDS first, then to the Board if NCDS hasn't decided in 40 days

Inside 24 Months, and the 60 Days After

The rights period is 24 months from delivery with no mileage cap, which matters in a county where a daily Turnpike commute can put 20,000 miles on a car in a year. The defect has to be reported inside those months. The request is then due 60 days after they end, or 30 days after a certified program finishes, whichever is later.

A Miami example A car delivered in Doral on March 10, 2025, has a rights period that ends on March 10, 2027, whatever the odometer says, and an arbitration deadline 60 days after that

Ask for the repair order, even when nothing was fixed

Every one of these tests is proved on paper, and Florida gives you the right to it. Section 681.103(4) says each time the car comes back from a warranty visit, the manufacturer's service agent has to hand you an itemized, legible repair order: the problem you reported, the diagnosis, the work done, the test drive, the dates and the odometer reading.

If a service advisor says there's nothing to write up because they "could not duplicate it," ask for the order anyway. The Attorney General says you're entitled to one "even if no actual work is performed."

Not sure which card your repair history fits? Send it over and we'll read it for you.

Start My Free Case Review  Call (305) 697-6690
Where your case is heard

Where is a Miami lemon law claim heard?

People ask whether a lemon law claim means a trial at the courthouse on Flagler Street. Almost never. A Miami claim is an arbitration first, and most of it is paperwork. Here's who handles each stage when the car was bought, or the owner lives, in Miami-Dade.

Screened in Tallahassee, Run From Fort Lauderdale

The Request for Arbitration goes to the Attorney General's screening unit in Tallahassee, which makes a first eligibility call within 20 days. An approved case goes to one of the three offices that run the Board, in Tallahassee, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale. Papers in a case with an MIA suffix go to the Fort Lauderdale office's filing mailbox.

Three Panel Members, One Who Knows Cars

Section 681.1095 has three Board members hear the case, and each region must include someone with expertise in vehicle mechanics. None of them may work for a manufacturer or a dealer. The Board aims to hear the case within 40 days of approval and decide within 60, at a location reasonably convenient for you.

The Hearing Is in English

In Miami-Dade, two in three residents aged five and over speak Spanish at home. The Attorney General's hearings page says Board hearings "are conducted in English." Testimony is under oath, the manufacturer's representative can cross-examine you, and the Board may test-drive the car. If Spanish is the language you think in, plan for that well before the hearing date.

An Appeal Is a New Trial, in the Eleventh Circuit

Either side can appeal to the circuit court within 30 days of receiving the decision, and the appeal is a trial de novo. It can be filed where you live, where you got the car, or where the hearing was held. For a Miami-Dade owner that's the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, which section 26.021(11) defines as Miami-Dade County alone. A bad-faith appeal that fails doubles the award, and the court may triple it.

When the decision goes your way

The Board's decision is final unless someone appeals. If it favors you, the manufacturer has 40 days from receiving it to hand over the refund or an acceptable replacement. After that, section 681.1095(10) lets the Attorney General ask the circuit court for a fine of up to $1,000 a day against a manufacturer that neither pays nor appeals. If the manufacturer appeals and the court upholds your award, subsection (13) adds your attorney's fees, your costs and $25 a day past the 40.

The selling dealership stays out of it. Section 681.113 says a dealer can't be made a defendant in a Chapter 681 action, except over a written warranty the dealer gave on its own account. The claim is against the manufacturer, and the manufacturer can't pass the bill back to the dealer unless the dealer's repairs ignored its published instructions.

Screening, rejection, and what happens if the Board says no

The Attorney General date-stamps your Request for Arbitration on arrival, and that stamp is your filing date. A first eligibility decision follows within 20 days. If the form is incomplete you get 30 days to fix it, and 30 more with a reasonable explanation. After 60 days the claim is rejected, and the time to request arbitration starts running again from the day the rejection is mailed.

A rejected claim can be reconsidered on new evidence. After a second review the department can reject it for clearly insufficient evidence, and it has to tell you and the manufacturer why. If it rejects the dispute, section 681.109(7) lets you go to court instead, and the rejection is admissible there. If the Board hears the case and dismisses it, you have the same 30-day appeal. Before any lawsuit, section 681.1095(4) requires you to take the dispute to the department first. For an ordinary car or truck, arbitration can't be skipped.

Federal court in Miami, and the Magnuson-Moss Act

The federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act covers written warranties with no 24-month limit and no vehicle-type exclusions, and 15 U.S.C. section 2310(d)(2) lets a consumer who wins recover costs and attorney's fees based on the time actually spent. A Magnuson-Moss claim can go to federal court if at least $50,000 is in controversy across all the claims, under section 2310(d)(3)(B). Miami-Dade sits in the Southern District of Florida, and 28 U.S.C. section 89(c) lists Miami as one of the places that court sits.

Chapter 681 leaves other routes open too. Section 681.111 makes a manufacturer's violation of the chapter an unfair or deceptive trade practice under Florida's consumer protection law, and section 681.112(3) says nothing in the chapter stops you pursuing other rights.

Anyone who says a Florida claim is "three strikes and they have to take it back" has left out the letter, the final attempt, the forum and the 60 days. Our note on how the lemon law works covers the basics.

Not sure you're still inside the Florida window? That's the first thing we check, at no cost.

  • Bring your repair orders with the dates and odometer readings. That's usually enough to see whether the three-repair or the 30-day route fits.
  • Bring the purchase or lease contract. The delivery date on it starts the 24 months.
  • If you already wrote to the manufacturer, bring the mail receipt. Registered or express mail is what the statute asks for.
  • We can meet at the Brickell office, by phone or by video, in English or Spanish.
Start My Free Case Review 
A Miami driver on the phone at home while a Request for Arbitration is prepared for the Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board
You Stay Put

Most of a Miami claim happens on paper

You don't have to sit in traffic on the Dolphin Expressway to bring a claim. The Request for Arbitration is sent by mail or email to the Attorney General, screening happens on paper, and many claims settle before a hearing is ever set. Initial filings can be sent by email as PDF attachments, up to 8 megabytes, with no photos or video.

We gather the repair orders, check each one for the odometer reading and the dates, send the registered letter to the manufacturer's regional office, file in the right forum in the right order, and prepare you for the hearing. Your part is the call that starts it.

How It Works

How long does a Miami lemon law case take?

Compared with some states a Florida claim has fewer routes, and compared with most it has more steps, because there's a letter and then a final repair attempt and then for many brands a stop at the manufacturer's own program before the state will hear you at all. Once your Request for Arbitration reaches the Attorney General, the screening and hearing clock looks like the one here, and the five steps below follow the order a Miami claim runs in, while our guide to how to file a lemon law claim goes through each document.

  1. Day 0Your Request for Arbitration arrives and is date-stamped. That stamp is your filing date
  2. Day 20Latest day for the first eligibility decision on a complete request
  3. Day 60Latest target day for the hearing, when the request is approved on Day 20 (40 days)
  4. Day 80Latest target day for the Board's decision, when the request is approved on Day 20 (60 days)

Check the Car Is Covered, and Who Built It

Florida covers a new or demonstrator vehicle sold in Florida, and a lease of a year or more where you're responsible for repairs. It leaves out motorcycles, mopeds, off-road vehicles, trucks over 10,000 pounds and the living quarters of a motorhome, under section 681.102(14). A car bought from its first owner inside the 24 months may still be covered. After that you look at the badge on the grille, since that's what decides where you file, and the warranty booklet should say whether the manufacturer runs a certified program and how you reach it.

Get the Itemized Repair Order, Every Visit

Section 681.103(4) makes the dealer give you an order listing what you reported, the diagnosis, the work done, any test drive and how long it was, the date in, the date out and the mileage. Read it before you drive off, since "Customer states noise" is weaker than "customer states grinding from front left when braking at low speed." It's worth keeping your own notes as well, with the drop-off date and the date you were told it was ready and who you spoke to.

Write to the Manufacturer, by Registered Mail

After the third repair, or at 15 days out of service, write to the manufacturer at the zone, district or regional address that section 681.103(2) makes it print in your warranty book. The Attorney General publishes an optional Motor Vehicle Defect Notification form, and if you use it you print three copies, with one going to the manufacturer by registered or express mail with a return receipt and one for your file and one by ordinary mail to the Attorney General's Lemon Law Research Unit. Don't send it to the dealer.

File in the Right Place, Inside the 60 Days

If the brand has a certified program, file there first, within 60 days of the 24 months ending. If it decides nothing within 40 days, or you don't like the result, or the manufacturer doesn't honor it, you can go to the Board. With no certified program, file the Request for Arbitration with the Attorney General directly. Send copies and keep the originals, and leave off the highlighter and the sticky notes. The Consumer Guide to the Florida Lemon Law says there's no fee to have the Board hear your case.

The Hearing, Then the 40 Days

Once the claim is approved, the Board aims to hear it within 40 days and decide within 60. Hearings run on weekdays in business hours, in English, at a location chosen to be convenient for you. First the panel decides whether the car is a lemon, then what the manufacturer owes. It often announces the result at the end, with the written decision by mail. If you win, the manufacturer has 40 days to pay or replace, and either side has 30 days to appeal. Hearings are open to the public, and the Attorney General suggests watching one before yours.

Any one of those steps is a place where a Miami claim can come apart, whether it's a repair order with no mileage on it or a letter that went to the dealership on Coral Way instead of the manufacturer's regional office, or a Ford claim sent straight to the Board when BBB Auto Line had to see it first, or a request that gets to Tallahassee on day 61.

Plenty of people run this themselves and the Attorney General's staff are helpful on the phone, but the hard part is that the 60 days keep running the whole time you're working out which forum comes first. Nobody can tell you in advance how a Board will rule. What we can do is keep the record clean and the letter right and the dates intact while all that's going on.

Outcomes

What compensation can you receive?

Your money back, or a replacement you accept

If the manufacturer can't fix the car after a reasonable number of attempts, section 681.104(2)(a) gives it 40 days to buy it back and refund the purchase price, or to replace it with a vehicle you accept. Either way it covers the collateral and incidental charges you reasonably ran up. The choice is yours: Florida gives the consumer an unconditional right to take the refund over a replacement. If a dealer offers a new car as though that settles it, you can say no.

A refund goes to you and your lender as your interests appear. In practice the manufacturer usually pays off the loan and you get back what you paid in. On a lease, you get back your deposit and payments, the leasing company gets the rest, and no early termination penalty can be charged.

The offset for use, worked through

Both a refund and a replacement carry a deduction for the miles you drove. Section 681.102(19) sets the formula, and the Attorney General's remedy calculation guideline shows how the Board applies it:

  1. Start with the base selling price on the invoice, without taxes, government fees or dealer fees.
  2. Multiply by the miles you put on the car up to a settlement or the hearing. Delivery miles and dealer, manufacturer or Board test drives come off.
  3. Divide by 120,000, or 60,000 for a recreational vehicle.

A car with a $48,000 base price and 18,000 of your own miles carries an offset of $7,200. That's the whole deduction. Florida doesn't split miles into full-rate and half-rate the way Texas does. Every mile counts, including the ones the service department put on while "road testing" a fault it couldn't find, so ask for the test-drive mileage on each order.

What goes into the refund, and the trade-in trap

The refund side usually includes your down payment, the loan payments so far, a trade-in allowance, and collateral charges such as window tint, an extended warranty or accessories the dealer fitted. Incidental charges add towing, rental cars, postage and repair bills the defect caused. Watch the trade-in. If the dealer inflated it to cover money you still owed on your old car, the Board may use the NADA retail value instead, less the old debt, and that can come out negative. We check it before any settlement talk.

Section 681.112(1) makes the court award reasonable attorney's fees to a consumer who wins a lawsuit under the chapter, and section 681.1095(13) adds fees when a manufacturer appeals a Board award and loses. The federal Magnuson-Moss Act has its own fee provision. At RockPoint Law, qualifying cases run on contingency.

Possible Outcomes

Five things a successful Miami claim can bring

  • Refund

    The purchase price with collateral charges, less the offset for use, and yours to choose over a replacement

  • Replacement

    An identical or reasonably equivalent car, at no more than 105 percent of the original's MSRP, that you accept

  • A finished repair

    Section 681.103(1) makes the manufacturer finish repairs on a defect first reported inside the 24 months, even after they end

  • Charges and delay damages

    Sales tax, title, finance charges, fitted extras, towing and rentals, plus $25 a day if a failed appeal delays payment

  • Attorney's fees

    Awarded to a consumer who wins in court under section 681.112, or who defends a Board award on appeal

Outcomes depend on the facts of each case, so no attorney can tell you in advance what yours will be.

Manufacturers We've Taken to Court

We Take On the
Biggest Names

Vehicles We Handle

Which vehicles does the lemon law cover in Miami?

Florida's definition is narrower than many drivers expect. Section 681.102(14) covers a new vehicle sold in Florida, including a demonstrator and a qualifying lease, then carves out motorcycles, mopeds, electric bicycles, off-road vehicles, trucks over 10,000 pounds and the living areas of a motorhome. Where Chapter 681 stops, the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act often still applies. Pick a category to see where it stands.

Cars, SUVs and Light Trucks

Covered, and where most claims sit: family SUVs, sedans and half-ton pickups with air conditioning, electrical, transmission and infotainment faults that keep coming back. An air conditioner that can't hold a cabin temperature in a Miami summer is a different thing from a dash rattle. See our practice areas.

Heavy-Duty and Diesel Pickups

Check the sticker in the driver's door jamb. A truck rated over 10,000 pounds is outside Chapter 681, and some three-quarter-ton and one-ton pickups cross that line. Under it, a diesel pickup is covered like any other car. Over it, the claim usually runs on the written warranty and Magnuson-Moss. Derate and DEF faults are the pattern we see most. See our diesel emissions lemon law guide.

Motorcycles and Scooters

Not covered by Chapter 681. Motorcycles, mopeds and electric bicycles are excluded by name, and the Attorney General's coverage page says the same. A bike with a repeat defect under a written warranty can still have a federal Magnuson-Moss claim. See our motorcycle lemon law guide.

RVs and Motorhomes

Covered, on a separate track. A recreational vehicle goes to the RV Mediation and Arbitration Program under section 681.1097, not to a certified manufacturer program and usually not to the Board. The numbers change too: 60 days out of service instead of 30, 45 days for the final repair instead of 10, and an offset divided by 60,000. Plumbing, generator, roof air and house electrics are excluded. See our RV and motorhome lemon law guide.

Electric Vehicles

Covered like any other new car. Battery, charging, drive-unit and software faults are what we see most. Mind the forum: a Tesla bought on or after November 1, 2022, goes to NCDS first, and Hyundai, Kia, Ford and GM electric models go through BBB Auto Line. Rivian and Lucid aren't on the certified list. A charging fault that only shows up on hot afternoons still counts. See our electric vehicle lemon law guide.

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Client Stories

What Our Clients Say

Real results from real clients who trusted
RockPoint Law with their lemon law claims.

I contacted RockPoint Law in July 2025 and by mid Jan 2026, I had received my settlement proceeds. A mid 5-figure loan was paid off and the manufacturer took possession of the vehicle. Not having that car payment and the mandatory full coverage freed up about $900/month. If you're on the fence about calling RockPoint Law, let it go. The relief you will feel when it all works out will be soooo worth it.

Read more
HJ
Henry Jose
Google Review

Was having nothing but issues with the DEF system in my Ram 3500. I didn't have high hopes because 3500 trucks are generally excluded from lemon law. The entire process from the time I contacted RockPoint Law to the time I received my settlement was under 6 months! Their response times were well above expectations.

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JR
Joe Russo
Google Review

My Telluride's transmission would jerk so hard between gears that my coffee would spill. Dealer had it four times. When I called RockPoint Law, they asked the exact technical question I'd been researching for weeks. We got a buyback with reimbursement for my deductible and rental costs. They speak fluent mechanic before they speak lawyer.

Read more
K
Kirill
Google Review

Turbo failure on my EcoBoost F-150. Dealer replaced it once, then denied the second. Steven Nassi compared my case to known manufacturing defects for that engine. Other lawyers just saw 'engine trouble.' Steven built the argument around the known defect pattern. Secured a full refund.

Read more
JR
Joshua Ragsdale
Google Review

Our minivan's sliding door would just stop working. Not a great feature with little kids. Tried to get it fixed under warranty three times. Final straw was when it almost closed on my son's arm. Leo was our attorney and got us a great outcome. They handled everything from start to finish.

Read more
JG
Jorge Garcia
Google Review

My family's cross-country road trip turned into a nightmare when our brand-new SUV broke down in three different states. Each dealership kept giving us the run-around. RockPoint Law tracked every failed repair, hotel receipt, and even our unused theme park tickets. They got us a full buyback plus $8,200 for the vacation that fell apart.

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AG
Adam Gore
Google Review

The active suspension in my Ram 1500 started making a loud 'clunk' on every bump. Dealer replaced one part but the noise just moved to another corner. After the third repair, I was done. Natalie Nassi said, 'A repeated failure of a major chassis component is a clear impairment to value and use.' She didn't see a noise; she saw a failed system.

Read more
PM
Piyawan Maprakhon
Google Review

My car is basically my mobile office. When the electrical system fried two laptops and killed my productivity, I reached out to RockPoint Law. Unlike the dealer who treated me as a nuisance, RockPoint Law saw how it impacted my ability to work. They secured a full refund on the vehicle plus $6,500 for lost income and equipment.

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SK
Sadie Kim
Google Review

The manufacturer told me I was out of luck. RockPoint Law told me otherwise — and proved it! Their lemon law experience turned my nightmare into a fair resolution. What impressed me most was their transparency — no false claims, just hard facts and harder work. Worth every penny and then some!

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KE
Kevin Eimuth
Google Review

From the moment I walked into their office shaking with frustration, the team at RockPoint Law put me at ease. They listened patiently to my whole story, then laid out a clear game plan. Six weeks later, I was holding a check that made all those repair shop trips worth it. True professionals who deliver!

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JB
Jatt James Bond
Google Review

We had two vans with the same transmission failure. RockPoint Law consolidated both claims, lined up build dates, and pushed for an extended coverage fix. Both vans were repaired, and we got downtime reimbursed.

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KS
Kishan Singh
Google Review

The hands-free liftgate on my SUV would randomly open in my garage, denting the door. I felt crazy complaining about a 'convenience feature.' Our attorney reframed it: 'An uncontrolled operation of a motorized component is a safety and property damage risk.' The team used my security camera footage as evidence. We got a solid settlement.

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PS
Peyman Soleimani
Google Review
Why RockPoint

Why Miami drivers choose RockPoint Law

Lemon law and warranty disputes are our core practice. Our Florida office is in Brickell, and a Miami claim is built from repair orders, a registered letter and a filing with the Attorney General, so the work runs the same whether you live in Aventura or Florida City.

Lemon Law Is Our Core Practice

This isn't a side practice. Warranty and lemon law is what we do, every day, for drivers with defective vehicles.

An Office on Brickell Avenue

Suite 900 at 1221 Brickell Ave is where you can meet us in person. Most clients never need to, because the filing is on paper. For the statewide picture, see our Florida lemon law page.

English and Spanish

Our team works with clients in English and Spanish. Board hearings are in English, so we go through your testimony with you beforehand in whichever language is easier.

Clear Communication

Straight updates at every stage of your case. No long silences and no surprises.

No Upfront Legal Fees

Qualifying cases run on contingency, so you pay no fee unless we recover for you. Florida charges no filing fee for the Board either.

Meet the Team →
Our Story

Meet the Firm Behind Your Claim

The same attorneys who handle claims nationwide handle them here. Two minutes on who we are and how we work.

Side-by-Side

Do I need a lemon law attorney in Miami?

Handling a Miami claim alone vs with an attorney. Flip the switch to see the same four moments from both sides.

Vehicle repair invoices spread across a kitchen table with a hand hovering over them
On your own1 / 4

Complaining to the service manager and calling it notice

A year of calls to the dealership feels like notice. Florida doesn't count it. Section 681.104(1) wants a written letter to the manufacturer, by registered or express mail, after the third repair or at 15 days out of service. Without it the final attempt never starts.

A person on the phone at a home desk with a notepad of call notes
On your own2 / 4

Filing with the state Board when the brand's program had to go first

For a Ford, GM, Toyota or Hyundai, the Board can send you back to the certified program, and the 60-day clock doesn't wait. The opposite mistake costs time too: a manufacturer "customer arbitration" that isn't on the Attorney General's list doesn't count.

A wall calendar with deadline dates circled in red beside a set of car keys
On your own3 / 4

Walking into an English-only hearing unprepared

The hearing is in English, under oath, and the manufacturer's representative can cross-examine you. If you describe the fault more precisely in Spanish, the morning of the hearing is too late to work out how to tell the story.

One person alone at the end of a long empty hearing room table
On your own4 / 4

Taking the manufacturer's refund figure at face value

The offset uses the base price without taxes and fees, and the dealer's test-drive miles come off. The trade-in can swing either way against the NADA guide. A figure built on the full invoice and the full odometer can leave real money behind.

Hands working through an organized stack of repair orders with a highlighter and index tabs
With RockPoint Law1 / 4

A registered letter to the regional office, receipt kept

We send it to the address the manufacturer printed in your warranty book, at the right point in the repair history, and keep the return receipt for the filing.

A certified mail envelope and return receipt card being prepared on a desk
With RockPoint Law2 / 4

The certified list checked against your brand and purchase date

Honda and Tesla are covered only for cars bought from November 1, 2022, and certification is renewed each year. We check the current list, then file in the order the statute sets.

An open case planner with color-coded deadline tabs being marked
With RockPoint Law3 / 4

Your testimony prepared in the language you think in

We go through the timeline with you in English or Spanish before the hearing, and we sit beside you when the manufacturer asks its questions.

A bound exhibit folder open on a conference table
With RockPoint Law4 / 4

The offset and trade-in checked line by line

We take the base price off the invoice, strip out non-consumer miles, test the trade-in against the NADA Southeastern guide, and hold the manufacturer's number up against the Attorney General's guideline.

Serving Miami-Dade County

On the ground in Miami

A county of 2.8 million that works in two languages

On the Census Bureau's July 1, 2025, estimate Miami-Dade had 2,802,029 residents, which makes it Florida's most populous county and the seventh largest in the country, and the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey estimates that 67 percent of residents aged five and over speak Spanish at home, and that 898,816 of them speak English less than "very well."

That second number matters more than it looks, because the Attorney General's arbitration hearings are in English, and a driver who can explain a fault perfectly well to a Spanish-speaking service advisor in Hialeah may find cross-examination in English a lot harder. So we prepare clients in the language they're most comfortable in.

Heat, humidity and the defects they expose

Federal climate normals for Miami International Airport show 91 days a year at 90°F or hotter, with normal highs above 90°F in both July and August, and while heat doesn't create a warranty claim on its own it does expose weak parts sooner, things like air conditioning that can't keep up at idle and batteries and charging systems and leaks around seals and sunroofs and electronics that fail in a hot cabin.

You should expect a manufacturer to blame the climate at some point, and when it does, go and read the statute. The defenses in section 681.104(4) are an accident, abuse, neglect, an unauthorized modification, a claim not made in good faith, or a defect that doesn't substantially impair the car. A car sold in Florida is intended to be driven in Florida weather.

Hurricane season, closed service departments and the 30 days

When a storm closes the dealership, the 30-day route stretches. Section 681.104(3)(b) says the 30-day period may be extended by any time repair services weren't available to you because of war, invasion, strike, fire, flood or natural disaster.

Read what that doesn't do. It extends the 30 days out of service. On its own terms it doesn't extend the 24-month rights period or the 60-day deadline to request arbitration. It's worth keeping the paper from a closure too, meaning the dealer's notice that it was shut and the date you were told the car could come in and any tow receipt you got.

Where Miami-Dade buys its cars, and where disputes end up

New-car dealerships line several Miami-Dade corridors, among them South Dixie Highway through Kendall and Biscayne Boulevard north of downtown and Coral Way and NW 57th Avenue in Miami Lakes, but wherever you bought, the claim is against the manufacturer. A Board appeal goes to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. A federal warranty claim worth $50,000 or more can be heard in the Southern District of Florida, which sits in Miami.

We accept lemon law claims from throughout Miami-Dade County, including:

  • Miami
  • Hialeah
  • Miami Gardens
  • Kendall
  • Doral
  • Homestead
  • Miami Beach
  • Coral Gables
  • North Miami
  • Cutler Bay
  • Miami Lakes
  • Aventura

We take them from the smaller places too, from Sweetwater and Palmetto Bay down to Florida City and out to Key Biscayne, and if you're elsewhere in Florida our Florida lemon law page covers the whole state.

How to reach us

Our Miami office is at 1221 Brickell Ave, Suite 900, Miami, FL 33131, though you don't have to visit to bring a claim, and the quickest way to start is the online intake form, where we review every request and respond as soon as we can, or you can call (305) 697-6690.

If you want to read up first, the Attorney General's Lemon Law pages carry the forms and the certified-program list and a searchable list of vehicles manufacturers have bought back, and our guide to whether a dealership can refuse to fix a recall covers a related problem.

Case Results

Recent RockPoint Law recoveries

We took these from the lemon law settlement record our firm publishes across brands, so what you're looking at are firmwide results and not Miami outcomes, and we'd want anybody reading this page to know that going in. The reason they're here at all is that they show what a well-documented defect claim can be worth when it's handled properly, though a number from somebody else's case can't tell you much about how yours will go.

$160,264 BMW X6

Recovery on a vehicle with engine, electrical and suspension defects.

$144,550 Porsche Macan

Recovery on a Macan with suspension, drivetrain, electrical and HVAC problems.

$110,289 Rivian R1T

Recovery after electrical, engine and suspension failures on an electric pickup.

Figures are drawn from our firm's published settlement record and are not specific to Miami matters. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. See more RockPoint Law settlements 

RockPoint Law, by the numbers

$50M+**
Recovered for clients
3,000+‡
Cases handled
25+
Years of combined experience
97%*
Resolution rate
  • Free Consultation
  • No attorney's fees unless we recover for you.†
Recent Google reviewsAcross all RockPoint offices: 4.8 from 19 Google reviews
  • ★★★★★a month ago
    I had a really good experience with RockPoint Law. The whole process was a lot easier than I expected and everyone I dealt with was helpful and responsive. Whenever I had a question, I was able to get an answer without feeling like I was chasing anyone down. They handled everything and kept me updated along the way. Definitely glad I reached out to them.
    Ronen S. Malekmehr
  • ★★★★★6 months ago
    Saw RockPoint Law and wasn't sure. Called anyway because I was at my wit's end. Natalie Nassi answered and she remembered me from somewhere else. Same calm voice, same no-nonsense approach. She took my case and handled everything. Manufacturer bought the car back. Name on the door changed but Natalie didn't. That's what matters to me.
    Tanja Moldenhauer
  • ★★★★★6 months ago
    Saw RockPoint Law online and wasn't sure because I hadn't heard of them. But I was desperate. My car had been in and out of the shop for months. Called them up and the person I spoke with was so easy to talk to. No legal mumbo jumbo, just straight talk. They took my case and got me a buyback. New name but they know what they're doing. Would recommend.
    Rodolfo Paulino
2 more Google reviews
  • ★★★★★6 months ago
    Honestly wasn't sure about RockPoint Law since I hadn't heard of them before. But I was desperate. My car had been in the shop five times for the same problem and nobody could figure it out. Service advisor started avoiding my calls. I found RockPoint online, called, and the person I talked to was really down to earth. They took my repair orders and handled the whole thing. A few months later, the manufacturer bought the car back. New name but they got it done. Would use them again in a heartbeat.
    Om Shiv
  • ★★★★★6 months ago
    Saw RockPoint Law pop up when I was googling lemon law help. Wasn't sure about the name but figured I'd give it a shot. My Jeep Gladiator had a death wobble at highway speeds—front end would shake violently. Dealer replaced the steering stabilizer twice, still shook. The person I talked to at RockPoint was super calm and explained everything clearly. They handled the claim and Jeep bought the truck back. Glad I didn't let the new name scare me off. They got the job done.
    Víctor Torres

About this page

Written and edited by the RockPoint Law content team. Prepared September 2026 to reflect the Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act, Chapter 681 of the Florida Statutes, Secs. 681.10 through 681.118, administered by the Office of the Attorney General. See our editorial policy.

Anyone can check a Florida attorney's license and public discipline record in The Florida Bar's own member directory. We think you should, for any firm you're considering, including this one.

Start here

Tell us what the car is doing in Miami

Three details about the vehicle, and how to reach you.

  • The year and make of your vehicle
  • What the dealer has already tried, and whether you paid for it
  • Your name, phone and email. We review every request and respond as soon as we can

No cost, no obligation. Contacting RockPoint Law does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Check my case Start My Free Case Review Or call (305) 697-6690
Our Team

Meet the Team
Behind RockPoint Law

A dedicated team that stands with you through every step of your Lemon Law claim.

Steven Nassi
Steven Nassi
Managing Partner
Founder · 25+ years of litigation experience
★ Founder & Managing Partner
Natalie Nassi
Natalie Nassi
Managing Partner
Columbia University · 20+ years in consumer advocacy
Ron Kaniuk
Ron Kaniuk
Florida Managing Partner
St. John's University School of Law · Consumer protection & lemon law
Aaron Waldo
Aaron Waldo
Attorney
U.S. Marine Corps veteran · Automotive background
Liam Jones
Liam Jones
Attorney
Licensed in New York & New Jersey
Christian Garcia
Christian Garcia
Senior Case Manager
Case management from intake through resolution
Rudy Gutierrez
Rudy Gutierrez
Intake Manager
First point of contact for new clients & case evaluations
FAQ

Miami lemon law questions

The questions Miami-Dade drivers ask us most, and what to know before you send anything.

Is there a Miami lemon law, or is it the Florida one?

It's Florida's. Miami-Dade has no lemon law of its own, and section 681.116 bars a county or city from writing one.

It is the Florida one. Miami-Dade County has no lemon law of its own, and section 681.116 says Chapter 681 overrides any county or city ordinance on the same subject, so none can be written. The statute is the Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act, sections 681.10 to 681.118 of the Florida Statutes. It covers new and demonstrator vehicles sold in Florida and qualifying leases. A defect that substantially impairs the car's use, value or safety, and survives three repairs plus a final attempt or thirty days in the shop inside the first 24 months, entitles you to a refund or a replacement. The Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board, part of the Attorney General's office, hears the claim. Our Florida lemon law page covers the statute section by section.

Do I need a Miami lemon law attorney, or can I file myself?

You can file yourself, and an attorney isn't required at a Board hearing. Many people still hire one for the order of steps, the cross-examination and the refund math.

You can file yourself. The Attorney General publishes the forms, runs a toll-free hotline, and says an attorney is not required at a Board hearing. Many people still hire one, for three reasons. The order of steps is strict: the registered letter, the final repair attempt, the certified program if your brand has one, then the Board, all inside 60 days of the 24 months ending. The manufacturer often sends its own representative or lawyer, who can cross-examine you. And the refund arithmetic has traps, especially around trade-ins. If you win in court, section 681.112(1) makes the manufacturer pay reasonable attorney's fees. At RockPoint Law the first review is free, and qualifying cases run on contingency, so there is no fee unless we recover for you.

Where is a Miami-Dade lemon law hearing held?

At a location the Attorney General considers reasonably convenient for you. A Miami case is run from the Fort Lauderdale office, and hearings are in English.

Somewhere the Attorney General considers reasonably convenient for you. Section 681.1095(2) has the Board hear cases in locations around the state so that consumers can attend in person. The Board is administered from the Attorney General's offices in Tallahassee, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale. Your Request for Arbitration goes first to the screening unit in Tallahassee. Once approved, documents in a case with a MIA suffix go to the Fort Lauderdale office's filing mailbox. Hearings are held on weekdays during business hours, are open to the public, and are conducted in English. The Board must hear the case within 40 days of approval and decide within 60. To find out whether hearings are running in your area, the Attorney General suggests calling 850-414-3500.

Can my lemon law hearing be held in Spanish?

Plan on English. The Attorney General says Board hearings are conducted in English, so prepare your timeline well before the date.

The Attorney General's hearings page says Board hearings "are conducted in English." It does not describe a Spanish-language hearing, so plan on English, and plan early. In Miami-Dade, two in three residents speak Spanish at home. Testimony is taken under oath, and the manufacturer's side can ask you questions. What matters most is a clear timeline: when the fault started, each visit to the dealer, what the dealer said, and how the car behaves now. We work with clients in English and Spanish, and we go through that timeline with you before the hearing in whichever language is easier. If you have questions about the hearing itself, the Attorney General's Lemon Law office can be reached at 850-414-3500.

My Jeep, Ram, Dodge or Chrysler keeps failing. How does a Miami claim work?

More directly than many brands. Stellantis isn't on the certified-program list, so a Jeep, Ram, Dodge or Chrysler claim goes straight to the Board.

More directly than for many brands. Stellantis, which makes Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler, does not appear on the Attorney General's list of state-certified programs, whose current certifications are provisionally extended to October 31, 2026. Under section 681.109(3), when a manufacturer has no certified program you apply directly to the Attorney General for the Board. The rest is the same as any Florida claim. Report the defect inside the 24 months, keep every repair order, write to the manufacturer by registered or express mail after the third repair or at 15 days out of service, and allow the final attempt. Then file the Request for Arbitration within 60 days of the 24 months ending. Do not route it through a customer program the manufacturer suggests if it is not certified.

Which court hears a Miami lemon law appeal?

The circuit court, as a new trial. For a Miami-Dade owner that's the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, and the appeal is due within 30 days.

The circuit court, and it starts over. Either side has 30 days from receiving the Board's written decision to petition the circuit court, and section 681.1095(12) makes the appeal a trial de novo, a fresh hearing rather than a review of the record. The petition can be filed where you live, where you got the car, or where the hearing was held. For a Miami-Dade owner that is the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, which section 26.021(11) defines as Miami-Dade County. The appealing side must send the Attorney General a copy within 7 days. If the court upholds an award in your favor, you recover attorney's fees, costs and $25 a day past the 40-day compliance period. A bad-faith appeal doubles the award, and the court may triple it.

Can the manufacturer blame the Miami heat for my car's defect?

It can try, but heat isn't one of the defenses section 681.104(4) lists. The defect still has to be a real warranty defect.

It can try, but the statute limits what counts as a defense. Section 681.104(4) lists the affirmative defenses. The defect does not substantially impair the use, value or safety of the car. It came from an accident, abuse, neglect, or modifications by someone other than the manufacturer or its service agent. Or the claim was not filed in good faith. Hot weather is not on that list. Miami International Airport averages 91 days a year at or above 90°F on federal climate normals, and a car sold new in Florida is sold to be driven here. That said, the defect still has to be a real warranty defect that substantially impairs the car. An air conditioner that keeps failing after repeated repairs can qualify. Normal wear usually does not.

What if a hurricane closed the dealership during my repairs?

The 30-day route allows for it. Days when repairs weren't available because of a storm can extend the 30 days, but not the other deadlines.

The thirty-day route allows for it. Section 681.104(3)(b) says the 30-day out-of-service period may be extended by any time repair services were not available to you because of war, invasion, strike, fire, flood or natural disaster. So days when the service department was shut after a storm do not work against you on that route. Two cautions. The provision speaks only to the 30-day period. It does not say it extends the 24-month rights period or the 60-day deadline to request arbitration, so do not assume those moved. And keep proof of the closure, such as the dealer's notice, the date you were told the car could come back, and any towing receipt. A clear record of which days were unavailable makes the count far easier to show.

How long do I have to file a lemon law claim in Miami?

Report the defect within 24 months of delivery, then request arbitration within 60 days after they end, or 30 days after a certified program's final action if later.

Four dates, and they do different jobs. The defect has to be first reported to the manufacturer or dealer within 24 months of delivery, with no mileage limit (section 681.102(9)). If your brand has a certified program, you file there within 60 days after those 24 months end. The request for Board arbitration is due within 60 days after the 24 months end, or 30 days after the certified program's final action, whichever is later, under section 681.109(4). A lawsuit under the chapter has one year from the end of the rights period, or from the final action of the program or Board. Florida counts calendar days. The Attorney General warns that missing the arbitration deadline means losing your Lemon Law arbitration rights.

How is a Florida lemon law refund calculated for a Miami car?

The purchase price plus collateral and incidental charges, less an offset: base price times your miles, divided by 120,000.

Start with what you paid, then take off an offset for use. The refund covers the purchase price, including any trade-in allowance, plus collateral charges such as sales tax, title and fitted extras, and incidental charges such as towing and rentals. The offset in section 681.102(19) is the base price on the invoice, without taxes, government fees or dealer fees, times your miles up to settlement or the hearing, divided by 120,000. A $48,000 base price and 18,000 of your own miles gives a $7,200 offset. Dealer and Board test-drive miles come off first. The Attorney General's remedy calculation guideline walks through financed, leased and cash purchases. If the manufacturer pays off a loan, the lender is paid its share directly.

Does the Florida lemon law cover a leased or used car in Miami?

A lease of a year or more is often covered. A used car usually isn't, unless it changed hands inside the first 24 months.

A lease, often yes. A used car, usually not. A lease is covered if it runs one year or more and you are responsible for repairs, or if it is a lease-purchase (section 681.102(10)). Chapter 681 is written for new and demonstrator vehicles. A car bought directly from its first owner during the first 24 months may still be covered if both of you use it for personal purposes. Beyond that, a used car usually depends on its written warranty and the federal Magnuson-Moss Act. If you are buying used, a car a manufacturer took back under the chapter has to be disclosed to you, and the manufacturer has to warrant the fix for one year or 12,000 miles.

Can I take a Miami lemon law case to federal court?

Sometimes, under federal law. A Magnuson-Moss claim worth $50,000 or more can go to the Southern District of Florida.

Sometimes, through federal law rather than Chapter 681. A claim under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act can be filed in federal court when the amount in controversy is at least $50,000, counting all the claims in the suit, under 15 U.S.C. section 2310(d)(3). Miami-Dade belongs to the Southern District of Florida, and federal law lists Miami among the places that court sits. Below that figure, a Magnuson-Moss claim goes to state court. A winning consumer can recover costs and attorney's fees based on the time actually spent. None of this replaces the Florida route for a new car. Section 681.1095(4) still requires you to take a lemon law dispute to the Attorney General before suing under the chapter.

Don't take on the manufacturer alone.

Tell us the vehicle and what the dealer has already tried. No fee unless we recover for you.†

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