New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board Annual Report

Florida Attorney General - New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board 2001 Annual Report: "New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board 2003 Annual Report

Florida's 'Lemon Law,' Chapter 681, Florida Statutes, allows consumers to receive replacement motor vehicles or full purchase price refunds when their new or demonstrator motor vehicles are subjected to repeated, unsuccessful warranty repairs for the same defect or are constantly in the shop for repair of one or more different defects. The defects must substantially impair the use, value or safety of the vehicle, and must be first reported to the manufacturer or its authorized service agent during a specified period after the consumer takes delivery. If the manufacturer fails to provide the statutory remedy, the consumer can arbitrate their claim before the New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board, which is created within the Department of Legal Affairs. The board consists of members appointed by the Attorney General to conduct arbitration hearings throughout the state. Arbitration is an all-or-nothing proposition for the consumer, who will either win an award of a refund or replacement, or have their claim dismissed. Section 681.1095, Florida Statutes, requires that the Attorney General compile annual statistics for all disputes submitted to the board. The information contained in this report was derived from the records of the Lemon Law Arbitration Program, which is administered by the Office of the Attorney General. This report covers claims approved for arbitration from January 1 through December 31, 2003."