California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law on April 2 that allows carmakers to choose whether to participate in recent changes made to a state law that protects consumers who purchase defective cars.
Senate Bill 26 amends last year’s Assembly Bill 1755, which added procedural reforms to the state’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act—often called the state’s “lemon law.”
The lemon law allows consumers to go back to the car dealer or manufacturer to get a replacement vehicle or return it if it has defects and can’t be repaired.
Newsom signed AB 1755 in September 2024 and said it aimed to speed up the resolution of lemon law claims and reduce litigation, according to his signing memo at the time. However, he said many automakers “expressed serious concerns that some of the specific procedures prescribed in AB 1755 are unworkable for them.”…