Skip to main content
Plantation, Florida

Plantation Lemon Law Attorney

Say your new car has done the rounds, one service lane on State Road 7, another somewhere across Broward, and the same fault keeps turning up like a bad penny. Once the repair record adds up, Chapter 681 of the Florida Statutes lets a Plantation owner make the manufacturer answer for it with a refund or a replacement. RockPoint Law handles lemon law as its core practice, and if there's one thing we'd scribble on a sticky note for you, it's that the clock starts at delivery: 24 months to report the defect, and after that only a short window to file with the state. Qualifying cases run on contingency.

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 (516) 550-3323

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

When a defect outlasts the repair record the statute sets, the manufacturer has to buy the car back or replace it, and the refund is yours to insist on, not theirs to talk you out of. Repairs at any authorized dealer for your brand count, so visits split between State Road 7 and some other Broward service lane all go into the same pot.

  • 24 months to report it
  • 30 days in the shop, added up
  • No fee unless we recover
Key facts

Plantation lemon law at a glance

Nine figures a Plantation claim has to clear or count, in the order it meets them. Each one comes from Chapter 681 or from the Attorney General, who runs the state program.

Key facts of the Florida lemon law for a Plantation owner, Chapter 681 of the Florida Statutes
Key figureWhat it meansWhere it comes from
24 monthsto report itThe rights period starts at the original delivery to a consumer. For a demonstrator bought off the lot, that first consumer is usually you.Section 681.102(9)
3 repairsat any authorized dealerVisits to different franchised dealers for your brand count toward the same three attempts. An independent repair shop doesn't count.Section 681.102(1); 681.104(3)(a)
30 daysin the shop, added upDays out of service for one or more defects across every authorized shop, leaving out routine maintenance. Notify the manufacturer in writing once the total reaches 15.Section 681.104(1)(b), (3)(b)
10 + 10days for the final repairTen days from receiving your letter to offer a reasonably accessible shop, then ten from drop-off to finish. A dealer elsewhere in Broward is a different request from one three counties away.Section 681.104(1)(a)
3 programson the certified listBBB Auto Line, NCDS and CAP Motors. A brand on the list goes there first. A customer-care review from the manufacturer is not one of them, and its case number is not a filing.Attorney General's certified program list
60 daysafter month 24The Attorney General has to receive the Request for Arbitration by then, or within 30 days of a certified program's final action if that is later. Mailing it on the last day is not enough.Section 681.109(4)
Keep itthe car stays with youYou must currently own or possess the vehicle to be eligible for a hearing, so trading it in out of frustration can end the claim.Attorney General's hearing procedures
120,000offset divisorThe deduction for use divides by 120,000. Miles on the odometer at delivery are not yours, so a demonstrator's showroom miles come off first.Section 681.102(19); AG remedy calculation guideline
40 daysto pay or replaceFrom the day a manufacturer receives a decision against it, it has 40 days to deliver the refund or an acceptable replacement.Section 681.1095(9)
The Short Answer

Plantation Lemon Law, in Brief

A Plantation lemon law attorney works under state law, because the City of Plantation cannot write its own: section 681.116 preempts any county or municipal rule on new-vehicle warranty rights. Chapter 681 reaches new and demonstrator vehicles sold in Florida, provided the defect was first reported to the manufacturer or an authorized dealer in the 24 months after delivery. If that defect survives three repairs and a final attempt, or the vehicle racks up 30 or more days out of service for repair in that window, the manufacturer must buy it back or replace it. The refund is yours to insist on.

Plantation grew up along a car road. The City's own history says Frederick Peters bought 10,000 acres beside State Road 7/441 in 1931, and that road is still the eastern edge of town and its busiest place to buy a car. Three franchised new-vehicle dealers have North State Road 7 addresses inside the city limits. The City describes itself as geographically centered in Broward County, so owners here often end up with repair orders from more than one service department for the same car.

That pattern is fine under the statute, as long as each shop is authorized by the manufacturer. The work is in keeping the paper straight: which dealer saw which defect, on which dates, at what mileage, and when the manufacturer heard about it in writing. The statewide rules are laid out in our Florida lemon law guide. Neighbors a few miles south can use our Davie lemon law page.

Four dates to write on the calendar

Chapter 681 counts calendar days, weekends and holidays included (section 681.102(5)). These are the dates a Plantation file is built around:

  • Delivery day. The Lemon Law rights period in section 681.102(9) ends 24 months later, whatever the odometer says. The defect must be first reported to the manufacturer or an authorized dealer before then.
  • 60 days after month 24, for brands with a certified program. Section 681.109(1) makes that the last day to file with the program.
  • 60 days after month 24 at the Attorney General, or 30 days after a certified program's final action if that comes later. The Attorney General's office must receive the Request for Arbitration by then; its own filing note warns that missing it means losing your arbitration rights.
  • One year to sue. Under section 681.112(2) a Chapter 681 lawsuit must be filed within a year after the rights period expires or, if you used a program or the state process, within a year of its final action.

A letter to the manufacturer does not move any of these dates, and neither does a copy of it sent to Tallahassee.

Section 681.104(3) presumes the manufacturer has had a fair chance in either of two situations. The first is three repairs of the same defect, a written notice to the manufacturer by registered or express mail, and a final attempt that fails. The second is a cumulative total of 30 or more days out of service by reason of repair of one or more defects, with a registered or express mail notice once the total reaches 15. Routine maintenance the owner's manual calls for does not count. Florida has no separate one-repair route for a safety defect.

Using the state's process does not cost a filing fee. The Consumer Guide to the Florida Lemon Law, the Attorney General's statement adopted by Rule 2-30.001, says there is no fee to have the Board hear your case, and no fee to use a manufacturer's certified procedure.

Do not sell or trade the car while this is going on. Eligibility for a hearing requires that you currently own or possess it, according to the Attorney General's hearing procedures, which also tell consumers to keep up the loan or lease payments. Our guide on how to file a lemon law claim covers the forms, and the lemon law glossary covers the terms.

Eligibility

What Qualifies for the Lemon Law in Plantation?

Start with the defect. The statute's word is nonconformity, and section 681.102(15) limits it to a defect or condition that substantially impairs use, value or safety. A rattle you can live with rarely gets there. A transmission that slips on the merge, or a screen fault that takes the backup camera with it, usually does. Damage from an accident, abuse, neglect, or a modification by someone other than the manufacturer or its authorized service agent is excluded. Then four tests decide whether the claim is ready to file.

Three Repairs, Then the Maker's Last Chance

The same nonconformity has been in for repair three times, at any authorized dealer for the brand, and it is still there. You then write to the manufacturer by registered or express mail. From receipt it has 10 days to offer a repair at a reasonably accessible shop, and 10 days from drop-off to finish. Miss either and the final attempt is excused.

A Plantation example A crossover bought on North State Road 7 hesitates at every light; two visits there, one at another authorized dealer for the brand, a registered letter, and the manufacturer's final repair does not hold

Thirty Days Out of Service, Added Up

Add up every out-of-service day, which Rule 2-30.001(2)(c) defines as any day, weekends and holidays included, that the vehicle is left at an authorized service agent for examination or repair of a defect, from drop-off to the day the work is done. 30 meets the presumption, or 60 for a motorhome. At 15, notify the manufacturer in writing by registered or express mail, and give it at least one more chance to inspect or repair. The days must fall inside the 24 months, and routine maintenance is left out.

A Plantation example A sedan spends nine days on an infotainment fault that also blanks the backup camera and eight on a coolant leak; at day seventeen the owner writes to the manufacturer, and a third visit brings the total to thirty-one

Certified Program First, If Your Brand Has One

Where your maker runs a state-certified dispute program and gave you written directions for it, section 681.108(1) puts that program ahead of the state Board. On the Attorney General's list, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Genesis, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, Infiniti, Volkswagen, Audi and Bentley use BBB Auto Line; Toyota and Lexus use NCDS, as do Honda, Acura and Tesla sold from 1 November 2022; Porsche uses CAP Motors. Any other badge files with the state directly.

A Plantation example A Genesis from the State Road 7 corridor goes to BBB Auto Line first; a Chrysler minivan, whose maker has no certified program on the list, goes straight to the Attorney General

First Reported Within 24 Months

The Lemon Law rights period ends 24 months after delivery, with no mileage cap. The defect must be first reported inside it. After it ends, the Attorney General must receive your request within 60 days, or within 30 days of a certified program's final action if that is later.

A Plantation example Delivered on 3 March 2025, a car's rights period ends on 3 March 2027; for a brand with no certified program, the Attorney General must receive the request by 2 May 2027

Paper answers the defenses in section 681.104(4)

Expect the manufacturer to push back. The defenses are listed in section 681.104(4): the fault is not a substantial impairment, it was caused by an accident, abuse, neglect or an alteration by someone outside the manufacturer's network, or the claim lacks good faith. Paper answers most of those arguments. Under section 681.103(4) the dealer owes you a fully itemized, legible repair order every time the vehicle comes back from warranty work: the problem you reported, the diagnosis, the work done, any test drive and roughly how long it lasted, and the dates and odometer readings in and out. When the car has been to more than one dealer, that order is the only thing that ties the visits together.

Repair orders from two or three different dealers? Send them all and we can read them as one history.

Start My Free Case Review  Call (516) 550-3323
How Your Claim Moves

Filing From Plantation: Screening, Hearing, Decision

A new-car claim has to go through the state before any lawsuit, under section 681.1095(4). Here is the path, and the manufacturer can settle at any point along it.

Date-Stamped at the Capitol

The Request for Arbitration goes to Lemon Law Arbitration Screening in Tallahassee. The stamp on arrival is your filing date, and staff make a first eligibility decision within 20 days.

Heard Within 40 Days

Once a claim is approved, section 681.1095(6) sets a hearing within 40 days and a decision within 60. The Board can continue a hearing for good cause, and if you ask for a continuance, those time limits are waived.

A Panel of Three, Majority Rules

Three Board members hear each case and two votes decide it. No member may work for a manufacturer or a franchised dealer, and every region needs one with motor vehicle mechanics expertise. Testimony is under oath, and the panel may inspect or test drive the car. Hearings are held on weekdays and are open to the public.

If Someone Appeals, a Broward Court Is Likely

Either side may appeal within 30 days of receiving the decision, and the court hears the case over, as a trial de novo. The petition goes where you live, where you acquired the car, or where the hearing was held; for a Plantation owner who bought locally that is Broward County, the Seventeenth Circuit under section 26.021(17). Whoever appeals must send a copy to the Attorney General's office within 7 days. Our Fort Lauderdale lemon law page covers the Broward courts.

What a win sets in motion

Panels usually announce the result when the hearing closes. The written decision, with findings of fact, is then sent by a method that confirms delivery. From the day it receives a decision against it, a manufacturer has 40 days to deliver the refund or an acceptable replacement (section 681.1095(9)). A manufacturer that neither pays nor appeals can face a court-imposed fine of up to $1,000 a day, up to twice the vehicle's purchase price, and on your application the court affirms the award.

A manufacturer that appeals and loses pays more than the award. If the court upholds the award, section 681.1095(13) adds the fees you spent defending it, your costs, and $25 a day for each day beyond the 40. If the court finds the appeal was brought in bad faith or only to harass, it must double the total and may triple it.

Settlement offers come with their own ground rules. Under section 681.115, an agreement that waives or limits your Chapter 681 rights, or requires you to keep its terms quiet as a condition, is void. The Attorney General's hearing procedures add that settlements are not confidential, that the parties will be asked to confirm the terms, and that you can ask your case's board administrator how an offer compares with what the Board might award.

If screening returns the form, or rejects the claim

The Attorney General's filing instructions set out what follows:

  • An incomplete form is sent back. You have 30 days from receiving it to complete it, and another 30 if you have a reasonable explanation for the delay. Past that, the claim is rejected.
  • After a rejection for missing information, the time for requesting arbitration resumes running when the rejection notice is mailed to you. To go on, you file a new form.
  • If you withdraw during screening, you can reapply later with a new form. The time resumes running on the date you tell the office you are withdrawing.
  • A claim turned down for thin evidence can be reconsidered when new information comes in. After a second review, section 681.109(6) allows a rejection where the evidence is clearly insufficient, with a short written reason to both sides.
  • A rejection by the department lets you sue instead, under section 681.109(7), and the rejection can be offered in evidence.

Attach copies, not originals, and leave them clean: no highlighter, sticky notes, exhibit labels, tabs or binders. Bring the originals to the hearing.

The people in the hearing room

A lawyer from the Attorney General's Lemon Law Arbitration Program sits as board administrator and legal advisor to the panel. That lawyer explains procedure but represents neither side, and the name and number come with your Notice of Arbitration.

On representation, the Attorney General's hearings page says an attorney "is not required; however, persons appearing before the Board may be represented by attorneys, at their own expense." Some manufacturers bring one and some do not. Hearings are in English and usually run two to four hours. Bring copies of everything you filed, and consider sitting in on someone else's hearing first; the administrator's office can tell you when one is scheduled near you.

Three trips to the service lane do not, on their own, make a lemon. What turns them into a claim is the letter to the manufacturer, the final attempt, the right forum for your brand, and a request that reaches Tallahassee before the deadline. Our note on how the lemon law works goes through the basics.

Not sure how much of the 24 months is left? That is the first thing we check, and the check is free.

  • The buyer's order or lease, because the delivery date starts the clock.
  • Repair orders from every dealer that worked on the car, with dates and odometer readings.
  • Any letter already sent to the manufacturer, with its mail receipt.
  • Rental, towing and other receipts the defect cost you.
Start My Free Case Review 
A Plantation vehicle owner on the phone at home while a Florida lemon law claim is prepared for the Attorney General
No Trip Required

Most of a Plantation claim happens on paper

Nothing about starting a claim requires a drive to Tallahassee or to Brickell. You can mail the Request for Arbitration or email it. The Attorney General's e-filing rules accept PDFs up to 8 megabytes, with the case name in the subject line; photos, video and audio files are not accepted by email. Screening happens on paper, and a manufacturer can settle before a hearing date is ever set.

Our part is collecting orders from each dealer, lining up dates and mileage, sending the notice to the manufacturer, getting the filing to the correct forum before the deadline, and preparing you for the hearing. Your part starts with one call.

How It Works

The Lemon Law Process for a Plantation Driver

There are five steps, and you do them in order. When a Florida claim comes apart, getting them out of order is how it happened: the notice got mailed to the dealer, the filing went to the wrong program, or the request turned up after day 60. Our guide to how to file a lemon law claim goes through each form, if you want that level of detail.

  1. Day 0The Attorney General approves your Request for Arbitration
  2. Day 40Latest day for the hearing before a panel of three Board members
  3. Day 60Latest day for the Board's written decision
  4. Day 100Latest day for the manufacturer to deliver the refund or an acceptable replacement, when it receives the decision on Day 60

Find the Delivery Date and the Florida Address

The 24 months run from delivery, so the first thing to find is the buyer's order or the lease. Keep that folder open, because somewhere in it is the warranty booklet or owner's manual, and section 681.103(2) requires it to give the manufacturer's zone, district or regional office for Florida, which is where your letter will go. Look as well for any written notice about a certified dispute program, plus the Attorney General's statement of consumer rights the dealer had to hand you at signing. Was the car a demonstrator? Then write down the delivery mileage.

Get an Itemized Order From Every Shop

Whichever authorized dealer does the work, don't leave without an itemized repair order, and read it right there at the counter, making sure it records your complaint the way you actually said it, what the technician found, what was done, whether anyone test drove the car and for how long, and the mileage and dates on arrival and completion. Hang on to the orders that say no problem was found, annoying as they are, since they prove you reported it, and under Rule 2-30.001(2)(b) an examination with no repair can count as an attempt if repair work is later shown to have been justified. When a second dealer takes over, bring along copies of the first dealer's orders so the history doesn't get chopped in half.

Write to the Manufacturer, Not the Dealer

After the third repair of the same defect, or once out-of-service days reach 15, notify the manufacturer in writing by registered or express mail, as section 681.104(1) requires. Send it to the Florida office listed in your booklet, not to the dealership. The Attorney General's Defect Notification form is optional. If you do use it, the copies go three ways (the manufacturer gets one with a return receipt, you keep one, and one goes by regular mail to Tallahassee), and none of the three starts a claim, however official it looks.

File in the Right Place, Before Day 60

If your brand has a certified program, file there first, no later than 60 days after the 24 months end. When the program has not decided within 40 days, or you are not satisfied with its decision or how the manufacturer carried it out, you can take the dispute to the state Board. Every other brand files straight with the Attorney General. The Request for Arbitration, with copies of the documents it lists, goes to Lemon Law Arbitration Screening, PL-01, The Capitol, Tallahassee, and the date stamp on arrival is your filing date.

Inspection, Hearing, Then the 40 Days

Once you're approved, the manufacturer may inspect the vehicle before the hearing at an agreed time and place, with you there unless you waive that in writing, and it may drive the car or plug in diagnostic equipment, but it may not repair it. The hearing itself comes in two parts, first whether the car is a lemon and then, if it is, what the manufacturer owes, and a manufacturer that loses has 40 days from receiving the decision to comply.

Plantation claims tend to slip in four places, and none of them is exotic. The letter goes to the service manager who has seen the car every single time. The second dealer's repair orders never make it into the file. The owner calls the manufacturer's customer-care line, gets a case number, figures that counts as filing and waits. Or the car gets traded in on the same road it was bought on, weeks before the hearing.

You can do all five steps without a lawyer, and the Attorney General's hotline staff will answer questions as you go. Nobody can tell you in advance how a panel will rule. What we can do is keep the dates right and the file complete, and have the manufacturer's defenses answered before the hearing opens.

Outcomes

What Compensation Can You Receive?

When the defect is still there after a reasonable number of attempts, section 681.104(2)(a) gives the manufacturer 40 days to act. It must either repurchase the vehicle and refund the full purchase price, less a reasonable offset for use, or replace it with a vehicle you find acceptable, in return for that same offset. Both remedies include the collateral and incidental charges you reasonably paid. And the statute goes so far as to call your right to choose the refund over a replacement unconditional, which is about as plain as statutes get. A replacement has to be identical or reasonably equivalent, which section 681.102(21) defines as a sticker price no more than 105 percent of the original's.

When there is a loan, the statute splits the refund between you and the lienholder according to each one's interest. What usually happens in real life is that the manufacturer clears the loan balance, and your share is whatever you paid toward the car, less the offset. On a lease, the lessee cost (your deposit and rental payments) comes to you, the leasing company receives the lease price minus that amount, and you cannot be charged an early termination penalty.

How the offset is worked out

The charge for your use comes out of section 681.102(19), and here's how the Attorney General's remedy guideline puts it to work:

  1. Grab the base selling price off the purchase invoice, leaving out taxes, government fees and dealer fees (on a lease you use the agreed-upon value instead, reduced by any manufacturer rebate).
  2. Multiply that by the miles attributable to you, counting up to a settlement or the hearing, whichever comes first.
  3. Then divide by 120,000, or by 60,000 if it's a recreational vehicle.

It's easier to see with a couple of cars on the table. A $36,000 crossover with 15,000 of your miles on it carries a $4,500 offset, while a $54,000 SUV with 20,000 of your miles carries $9,000. Before any of that, though, the miles that are not yours get backed out, since the guideline takes off the odometer reading at delivery (a big deal on a demonstrator) along with road tests run by service technicians, manufacturer inspectors, program inspectors and Board members.

On a financed purchase, the guideline builds your side of the ledger out of the cash down payment, the loan payments made so far with interest, collateral charges you paid outside the loan such as tint or an extended warranty, and the trade-in allowance, then knocks off the offset and adds back incidental charges like a rental car, towing and even postage. The trade-in is the line to squint at, because it can cut both ways. Where a dealer padded the trade-in figure to absorb a loan still owed on the old car, the guideline says the Board may substitute the NADA Southeastern retail figure minus that old debt, which can leave the trade-in as a negative number.

There are three ways attorney's fees can end up on the manufacturer's tab: a consumer who wins a Chapter 681 lawsuit is owed them under section 681.112(1); a manufacturer that appeals a Board award and loses pays them under section 681.1095(13); or a court awards them under federal warranty law. For what it's worth, at RockPoint Law qualifying cases are taken on contingency.

A bought-back car doesn't get a clean slate, either. Under section 681.114 it cannot be sold or leased again without a clear disclosure of the defect and a manufacturer warranty on that repair lasting a year or 12,000 miles, whichever ends first, and the Attorney General publishes a searchable list of vehicles reported as bought back.

Every claim turns on its own facts, though, and no lawyer can honestly tell you the outcome in advance.

Possible Outcomes

Five things a successful Plantation claim can bring

  • Refund

    The purchase price back with the collateral charges, less the offset for use, and it's yours to pick over a replacement

  • Replacement

    A vehicle that's identical or reasonably equivalent, that you accept, and that's priced at no more than 105 percent of the original's sticker

  • Repairs after month 24

    A defect first reported inside the 24 months still has to be fixed afterward, free while the warranty runs

  • Collateral and incidental charges

    Sales tax, title, earned finance charges and add-ons, plus the costs the defect itself caused, like towing and rentals

  • Attorney's fees

    Owed by the manufacturer when a consumer wins in court under section 681.112, or keeps 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 the Florida Statute Reaches, and Which It Does Not

The statute's reach is set in section 681.102(14): any new vehicle sold in Florida and driven by an engine or motor, plus demonstrators and leases of 12 months or longer that make you responsible for repairs. Left out: rail-only vehicles, off-road machines, motorcycles, mopeds, e-bikes, trucks rated above 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, and the living quarters of an RV. Where Chapter 681 stops, the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act may still reach a written warranty. Pick a category.

Cars, SUVs, Minivans and Demos

Covered: sedans, crossovers, family SUVs, minivans and light pickups with faults that keep returning, from stalling and shifting problems to electrical, leak and camera failures. A demonstrator sold from the lot counts, and the miles it carried at delivery come out of the offset. A lease qualifies if it runs 12 months or more and puts repairs on you. The vehicle must be sold in Florida and used mainly for personal, family or household purposes. See our practice areas.

Pickups and Diesel Trucks

Covered up to 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight; the rating is on the label in the driver's door jamb. Above it, Chapter 681 does not apply. A work body or special equipment installed on a truck chassis can make the installer a manufacturer too, under section 681.102(13). A derate that comes back after repair is a repeat defect like any other. See our diesel emissions guide.

Motorcycles, Mopeds and E-Bikes

Not a Chapter 681 vehicle. The definition names motorcycles, mopeds, electric bicycles and off-road vehicles as exclusions. A defect that keeps coming back under a written warranty can still ground a claim under federal warranty law. See our motorcycle lemon law guide.

RVs and Motorhomes

Motorhomes are covered, through a separate forum: Florida's RV Mediation and Arbitration Program under section 681.1097, where the application is due 60 days after the 24 months. The numbers change too. The day count is 60 instead of 30, the final repair window is 45 days, and the offset divides by 60,000. The living facilities, such as plumbing, the generator and the roof air conditioner, are left out. A van conversion is not a recreational vehicle under section 681.102(20). See our RV lemon law guide.

Electric Vehicles

Chapter 681 has no separate rules for EVs. A charging fault, a drive-unit failure or a software update that breaks another system is counted like any repeat defect. The forum depends on the brand. Tesla vehicles bought on or after 1 November 2022 go to NCDS first. Hyundai, Genesis, Kia, Ford and GM go to BBB Auto Line. A maker with no certified program on the Attorney General's list goes straight to the state. See our electric vehicle lemon law guide.

See All Practice Areas →
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.

Read more
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.

Read more
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.

Read more
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!

Read more
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!

Read more
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.

Read more
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.

Read more
PS
Peyman Soleimani
Google Review
Why RockPoint

Why Plantation Drivers Choose RockPoint Law

Our core practice is lemon law and warranty disputes. A Plantation claim rests on three things: the repair orders, a notice mailed when the statute calls for it, and a filing that beats the deadline, whether you live near State Road 7 or out past Flamingo Road.

Lemon Law Is Our Core Practice

Warranty and lemon law cases are our core practice, not a side department of a general firm.

Clear About Where We Are

We have no office in Plantation, and this claim does not need one. Our Florida office is in Miami, and a Plantation file can run entirely by mail, email, phone and video. For the statewide rules, see our Florida lemon law page.

One History From Many Dealers

When a car has been to two or three service departments, we consolidate every order into one timeline, tally the attempts and the days, and identify the gaps before the manufacturer does.

Straight Answers

You get regular updates and a plain answer whenever you ask where the case stands.

No Upfront Legal Fees

We take qualifying cases on contingency: you owe us no attorney fee unless money is recovered for you, and reading your repair history costs nothing.

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

Handling a Plantation Claim Alone vs With an Attorney

Here are four moments in a Plantation claim, the way they tend to go when you handle it alone and the way they go once we're involved, and flipping the switch lets you see both.

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

Treating a customer-care case as a filing

You call the manufacturer's hotline, they open a case number and tell you someone will look at it, and it feels like progress, except that if that program is not on the Attorney General's certified list, it is not the first step section 681.108 requires, and the Attorney General warns it may cost you time and your Lemon Law rights while the 60-day deadline just keeps running.

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

Letting each dealer describe the fault its own way

One shop writes "intermittent hesitation," the next writes "customer states rough idle," and before long you've got three orders for one defect that, read side by side, can look like three different problems, which matters because the three-repair route depends on the same nonconformity.

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

Taking the car to your usual dealer for the final attempt

After your letter, section 681.104(1)(a) gives the manufacturer 10 days to direct you to a reasonably accessible repair facility. If you go ahead and take it to your regular service lane before the manufacturer answers, which is a pretty natural thing to do, it can muddy whether the final attempt ever really happened.

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

Signing the first settlement put in front of you

The first offer isn't the only offer, since settlement terms are negotiable and the Board may award something different anyway. Clauses that waive your Chapter 681 rights or require silence as a condition are void under section 681.115, but a signed release can still close the claim on the terms you accepted.

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

The right forum, confirmed first

On the very first day we check your brand against the Attorney General's certified list, and then we file with the program or with the state, rather than with some customer-care queue that doesn't count.

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

One defect, described one way

We let you know what to say at each service counter, and we read every order before it goes into the file, so that repeat visits actually read like repeat visits once it's all on paper.

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

The final attempt on the record

We keep a log of when the manufacturer answered your letter and where it sent the car, and then whether it finished the work inside 10 days of drop-off or not.

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

Offers measured against the guideline

Before you sign anything, we hold the offer up against the Attorney General's remedy guideline, and where it's useful we also ask the board administrator how it compares.

Serving the City of Plantation

On the Ground in Plantation

The Census Bureau put the City of Plantation at 99,183 residents on 1 July 2025, which makes it the eighth largest place in Broward County, spread over about 21.8 square miles of land. If you go by the City's own history, its limits run from State Road 7 west to Flamingo Road, about seven miles, plus the Lago Mar area out to 136th Avenue, and from Sunrise Boulevard south to the North New River Canal, and the City likes to call itself geographically centered in the county.

The State Road 7 corridor

Plantation really got its start on this road, back when Frederick Peters bought 10,000 acres along State Road 7/441 in 1931, at a time when it was still far west of anything built, and the City was incorporated on 30 April 1953. These days the corridor goes by the Plantation Gateway district, with its own advisory board backed by the City's economic development staff, and three franchised new-vehicle dealers have North State Road 7 addresses inside the city.

Where the car was bought makes no difference to who the claim is against, because it's the manufacturer's obligation, and section 681.113 keeps the selling dealer out of a Chapter 681 case unless the dealer gave a written warranty of its own. The dealer does have one job at the sale, mind you: under section 681.103(3), it must hand you the Attorney General's written statement of your rights, and odds are you signed an acknowledgment that you got it, buried somewhere in that stack of paperwork.

Repairs at more than one dealer: what counts

Section 681.102(1) defines an authorized service agent as anyone the manufacturer authorizes to service its vehicles, including a franchised dealer. Repairs by any of them count toward the three attempts and the 30 days. An independent shop does not count, and neither does a rental car company authorized to fix its own fleet.

The final attempt works differently, though. After your letter, the manufacturer picks the shop, as long as it is reasonably accessible, and has 10 days from your drop-off to finish, so make a note of when and how it got in touch with you, because the Attorney General's instructions say it does not have to put that in writing.

A city people drive to for work

Plenty of people drive into Plantation rather than out of it. The City lists Plantation Midtown and Plantation Technology Park as business districts and names employers such as Magic Leap, Florida Power and Light, DHL, National Beverage and two hospitals, so a car doing that commute every day racks up miles in a hurry. Florida's 24-month period has no mileage cap, which is good news, but the miles still hit you in the wallet, because each one you drive before a settlement or hearing raises the offset for use, and that's why sitting on a claim rarely helps.

We take lemon law claims from across the City of Plantation, including owners near:

  • Plantation Gateway
  • Plantation Midtown
  • Plantation Technology Park
  • Plantation Acres
  • The Historic District
  • Lago Mar
  • Central Park
  • State Road 7
  • Broward Boulevard
  • Sunrise Boulevard
  • Flamingo Road
  • East Acre Drive

Live somewhere else in Florida? Then our Florida lemon law page is the one to read, since it covers the whole state.

How to reach us

The quickest way in is the online intake form; we review every request and respond as soon as we can, or you can pick up the phone and call (516) 550-3323. If you'd rather sit across a table from us, our Florida office is on Brickell Avenue in Miami. For some background reading, the Attorney General keeps the arbitration form, its list of certified programs and a lookup of bought-back vehicles on its Lemon Law pages, and if your car was bought used, the place to begin is our article on whether the lemon law reaches a used car.

Case Results

Recent RockPoint Law recoveries

These figures are from our firm's published lemon law settlement record. They are firmwide results, not Plantation outcomes.

$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 Plantation or Florida 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.

Any Florida lawyer's license and public discipline record can be checked in The Florida Bar's member directory. Check any firm you are considering, including ours.

Start here

Tell us what the car is doing in Plantation

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 (516) 550-3323
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

Plantation Lemon Law Questions

Twelve questions about Chapter 681 from a Plantation angle, from dealer returns to demonstrators.

Is there a 30-day lemon law in Florida?

Not as a return window. The 30 days in Chapter 681 count time the car spends out of service for repair, and reaching them inside the 24 months creates the presumption.

Not in the sense of a 30-day return window. Nothing in Chapter 681 lets you hand a new car back within a month of buying it. The 30 days in the statute measure something else: time the vehicle spends out of service for repair of one or more defects. Under section 681.104(3)(b), a cumulative total of 30 or more days out of service during the 24-month rights period, leaving out routine maintenance from the owner's manual, creates a presumption that the manufacturer has had enough chances. Two conditions come with it. Once the total reaches 15 days, you must notify the manufacturer in writing by registered or express mail. After that notice arrives, the manufacturer or its dealer must get at least one more chance to inspect or repair the vehicle.

Can I take a new car back to the Plantation dealership where I bought it?

No. The lemon law duty sits with the manufacturer, not the store, and trading the car in out of frustration can end your eligibility for a hearing.

Chapter 681 does not work that way. The lemon law duty sits with the manufacturer, not the store. Section 681.104(2) makes the manufacturer repurchase or replace a vehicle it could not fix, and section 681.113 says the chapter puts no liability on the selling dealer except for a written warranty the dealer gave on its own. So dropping the keys at a showroom on State Road 7 starts nothing. It can also cost you. The Attorney General's hearing procedures say a consumer must currently own or possess the vehicle to be eligible for an arbitration hearing, which means a trade-in made out of frustration can end the claim. Keep the car, keep paying the loan or lease, and build the repair record the statute asks for.

Can I sue the dealership that sold me a lemon?

Usually not under Chapter 681. Section 681.113 keeps the selling dealer out except for a written warranty it gave on its own, so the claim runs against the manufacturer.

Under Chapter 681, usually not. Section 681.113 bars naming a dealer as a defendant in any action involving the chapter, with narrow exceptions. One is a written express warranty the dealer made apart from the manufacturer's. The others are the dealer's own duties under sections 681.103(3) and 681.114(2): handing you the Attorney General's statement of rights at the sale, and disclosing a returned vehicle's defect when it is sold again. The same section stops the manufacturer from charging a refund back to the dealer unless the dealer's repairs were substantially inconsistent with the manufacturer's published instructions. Section 681.112(3) keeps whatever rights you have under other laws, so a complaint about how the car was sold is a separate question. The lemon law claim runs against the manufacturer.

I've had repairs at more than one Broward dealer. Do they all count?

They can. Any franchised dealer your manufacturer authorizes is its service agent, so attempts and shop days at different Broward dealers of the same brand add together.

They can. Section 681.104(3)(a) counts repairs made "by the manufacturer or its authorized service agent," and section 681.102(1) defines that agent as anyone the manufacturer authorizes to service its vehicles, including a franchised dealer for the brand. A first visit on State Road 7 and two more at another authorized dealer of the same brand can therefore add up to three attempts on the same defect, and days at each shop add together toward the 30. Two limits apply. An independent repair shop is not an authorized service agent, and the definition leaves out a rental car company authorized to repair its own rental fleet. At every service department, ask for the itemized repair order section 681.103(4) requires, even when the shop reports no problem found.

The manufacturer wants the final repair at a dealer I've never used. Do I have to go?

The manufacturer picks the shop, but it has to be reasonably accessible to you. If it misses its 10 days to respond or its 10 days to repair, the final attempt drops away.

The statute gives the manufacturer that choice, within limits. Once your letter about three repair attempts arrives, section 681.104(1)(a) gives it 10 days to respond and offer a repair at a "reasonably accessible repair facility" within a reasonable time, then 10 days from your drop-off to fix the vehicle. Chapter 681 does not define reasonably accessible, so a dealer elsewhere in Broward County is a very different request from one three counties away. If the manufacturer fails to respond, or fails to finish the repair inside its 10 days, the final-attempt requirement no longer applies. The Attorney General's defect form instructions add that the manufacturer does not have to contact you in writing, so write down the date it reached you and how.

What is the Florida Motor Vehicle Defect Notification form?

An optional Attorney General form for the written notice the statute requires. It goes to the manufacturer by registered or express mail, and sending a copy to Tallahassee does not open a claim.

It is an optional form the Attorney General publishes for the written notice Chapter 681 requires, either after three repairs of the same defect or after 15 cumulative days out of service. The instructions say to print three copies. One goes to the manufacturer, not the dealer, by registered or express mail with a return receipt, at the address in your warranty book or owner's manual. One stays with you, along with the mail receipt. The third goes by regular mail to the Attorney General's Lemon Law Research Unit in Tallahassee, with no repair orders attached. That third copy does not open a claim: the Attorney General's filing note says filing it "is not the equivalent of filing a claim." A plain letter sent by registered or express mail meets the statute too.

I bought a demonstrator off the lot. Is it covered?

Yes, if it was sold in Florida with a manufacturer's warranty. The miles it carried at delivery aren't yours and come off the offset.

Yes, if it was sold in Florida with a manufacturer's warranty. Section 681.102(14) includes "a vehicle used as a demonstrator" in its definition of motor vehicle, and the Attorney General's coverage page says the law applies to new or demonstrator vehicles sold in the state. The miles a demo carried when you took delivery are not yours. The remedy guideline subtracts mileage at delivery from the offset, so a demonstrator handed over with 3,000 miles is charged only for what you drove after that. Keep the buyer's order showing the delivery mileage and the demonstrator status. The 24 months run from "the original delivery of a motor vehicle to a consumer" under section 681.102(9), and a demonstrator's first consumer is usually the person who buys it.

The manufacturer's customer care line offered its own review. Is that the same as a certified program?

Not necessarily. Only a program on the state's certified list counts as the first step, and sending a claim to one that isn't certified can cost you time and your rights.

Not necessarily. Only a program the state has certified counts as the required first step. The Attorney General's current list, provisionally extended to 31 October 2026, names three. BBB Auto Line hears Bentley, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai and Genesis, Kia, Mazda, Nissan and Infiniti, and Volkswagen and Audi. NCDS hears Toyota and Lexus, plus Honda, Acura and Tesla vehicles bought on or after 1 November 2022. CAP Motors hears Porsche. The same page warns that submitting a claim to a manufacturer program that is not certified "may cost you valuable time and your Lemon Law rights." If your brand is missing from the list, the Request for Arbitration goes straight to the Attorney General, and a customer-care case number is not a filing.

My 24 months just ended. Is it too late?

Not if the defect was first reported inside the 24 months. You then have 60 days after they end to request arbitration, or 30 days after a certified program's final action if later.

Not if the defect was first reported inside the 24 months. Two rules work together here. Section 681.103(1) makes the manufacturer keep repairing a defect first reported during the rights period even after that period ends, at no cost while the written warranty lasts. The same subsection says this neither extends the rights period nor stretches any filing deadline. Then section 681.109(4) gives you until 60 days after the rights period expires to request arbitration from the Attorney General, or 30 days after a certified program's final action if that is later. A brand with a certified program has to be taken there first, also within 60 days of the end. The Attorney General's office must receive the form by the deadline; mailing it that day is not enough.

How does a car qualify as a lemon in Florida?

Four things have to line up: a covered vehicle used mainly for personal purposes, a defect that substantially impairs it, a first report inside 24 months, and enough repair attempts or shop days.

Four things have to line up. First, the vehicle must be a new or demonstrator vehicle sold in Florida and used mainly for personal, family or household purposes, under sections 681.102(4) and (14). Second, the defect must substantially impair its use, value or safety, and it cannot come from an accident, abuse, neglect or a modification by someone other than the manufacturer or its service agent. Third, it must have been first reported to the manufacturer or an authorized dealer within 24 months of delivery. Fourth, the manufacturer must have had a reasonable number of attempts: three repairs of the same defect plus a final attempt after your written notice, or 30 or more cumulative days out of service with notice sent at 15. Where you bought it in Florida does not change the test.

Can I recover what I spent on a rental car while mine was in the shop?

Often, as an incidental charge once the vehicle qualifies. Keep the rental agreement and match each rental day to a repair visit on the dealer's order.

Often, as part of an award or settlement. Section 681.104(2)(a) says a refund or replacement must include all reasonably incurred collateral and incidental charges, and section 681.102(7) defines incidental charges as reasonable costs directly caused by the defect. The Attorney General's remedy guideline gives examples: rental car, towing, postage, long-distance calls, warranty deductibles and repair charges. The word that matters is "directly," and you need proof. Keep the rental agreement and receipt, and note which repair visit each rental day covered, matched to the dealer's order. These costs come back with the rest of the remedy once the vehicle qualifies; the statute does not make the manufacturer pay them as you go. Bring the receipts to the first call so they are in the file from the start.

Do I need a lawyer for the state arbitration, and what does RockPoint charge?

You don't have to have one, and the state charges no fee for the Board to hear the case. With us, qualifying cases run on contingency, and some fees can shift to the manufacturer.

You do not have to have one. The Attorney General's hearings page says representation by an attorney is not required, but persons appearing before the Board "may be represented by attorneys, at their own expense." The state's Consumer Guide to the Florida Lemon Law adds that there is no fee to have the Board hear your case. At RockPoint Law, qualifying lemon law cases run on contingency, so there is no attorney fee unless we recover for you. Fees can also shift to the manufacturer. Section 681.112(1) requires a court to award reasonable attorney's fees to a consumer who wins a Chapter 681 lawsuit, and section 681.1095(13) adds fees for confirming a Board award the manufacturer appealed and lost. Section 681.106 cuts the other way against a bad-faith claim.

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.†

Start My Free Case Review  Call (516) 550-3323
Call Now Free Case Review →
Free & Confidential — No attorney’s fees unless we recover for you.