Consumer warranties: Automotive Consumer Notification Act.

Existing law requires every manufacturer of consumer goods sold in this state, including motor vehicles, to maintain sufficient service and repair facilities to carry out the terms of its express warranties. Existing law further provides that if a manufacturer or its representative is unable to service or repair a new motor vehicle to conform to the applicable express warranties after a reasonable number of attempts, the manufacturer shall either promptly replace the vehicle or make restitution to the buyer, at the buyer's option. The Tanner Consumer Protection Act defines "new motor vehicle" for the purposes of those provisions as including, among other things, a new motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight under 10,000 pounds that is bought or used primarily for business purposes by a person, including a partnership, limited liability company, corporation, association, or any other legal entity, to which not more than 5 motor vehicles are registered in this state. This bill would additionally include in the definition of "new motor vehicle" a new commercial motor vehicle or combination of new vehicles that requires a class A or class B license, or a class C license with a specified endorsement, regardless of weight. The Automotive Consumer Notification Act requires, among other things, the manufacturer to retitle specified defective vehicles in its name, request the Department of Motor Vehicles to inscribe the ownership certificate with the notation "Lemon Law Buyback," affix a specified decal to the left doorframe of the vehicle, deliver a specified notice to the transferee of the vehicle as prescribed, and obtain the transferee's acknowledgment. The bill would define "motor vehicle" for the purposes of that act to include the resale of a new motor vehicle as defined in the Tanner Consumer Protection Act.