California
California lawmakers scramble to fix ‘lemon’ vehicle law — again
In summary
California lawmakers are rushing to fix last year’s controversial changes to the state’s lemon law, which critics say weakened protections for car buyers.
For more than half a century, California’s “lemon” law was considered one of the best in the nation at giving consumers the legal right to demand car companies fix or replace defective vehicles still under warranty.
Now, California lawmakers are scrambling to repair recent changes they made to the law to satisfy the very car companies accused of making so many lemon vehicles that their lawsuits have been clogging the state’s courts.
But the “fixes” lawmakers are considering have angered consumer groups, frustrated legislators and seemingly divided the car makers between ones that face a lot of lemon lawsuits and the ones that don’t.
“I think what we have is a messy and frankly — all due respect — illogical resulting situation,” Sen. Roger Niello, a Republican whose family owns several car dealerships in the Sacramento area, said at a hearing last week. “I feel like I’m in Alice in Wonderland, quite frankly. What’s up is down and what’s down is up.”
With hope of granting relief to the courts, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation last year intended to speed up the process, in part, by cutting years off the time consumers can exercise their rights to get their defective vehicles fixed or replaced. The law also puts more responsibilities on car owners to initiate claims instead of on the car companies.
But that law divided car makers because those that face fewer lawsuits wanted more time to prepare their best defense, and they felt it was too friendly to lemon law attorneys. So when he signed the bill, Newsom told lawmakers to act quickly this year to allow car makers to opt out of the new process and continue to work under the old rules.
Now, legislators are racing to pass the changes before the new law takes effect April 1. And they need a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to make the bill effective immediately.
Meanwhile, they’re hearing concerns about a confusing two-tier lemon law with fewer consumer protections that is primarily intended to help the companies facing the most lawsuits. Just four companies are responsible for more than 70% of California’s lemon law cases: GM, Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler), Nissan and Ford, according to consumer groups.
It makes Susan Giesberg furious.
She spent almost a decade working on lemon law issues at the California Department of Justice. Now retired, she says she and her husband had to invoke their rights under the state’s lemon law under the old rules when their Chevy Volt broke down last summer.
“This lemon law has gone through Republican and Democratic (attorneys general) and governors with support over the years,” she said in an interview. “It’s just so shocking that under Democratic leadership that this would have gotten through.”
So how did it?
To answer that you have to go back to August, in the final chaotic days of the legislative session.
How lawmakers jammed through new lemon law
As lawmakers were rushing through hundreds of pending bills – most of which had been under discussion for months – two Democrats, Sen. Tom Umberg of Santa Ana and Assemblymember Ash Kalra of San Jose, changed a stalled child-support bill into new, never-vetted legislation that sought to reform how lemon law disputes are resolved. Stripping out stalled legislation, replacing it with a completely different bill and jamming it through at the last minute is disparagingly known in the Capitol as a “gut-and-amend.”
The lawmakers acknowledged that the bill, Assembly 1755, was the product of months of secret negotiations between U.S. car companies – primarily General Motors – consumer attorneys and judges who were frustrated that their courtrooms have become clogged with lemon law cases.
Between 2018 and 2021, GM’s 9,800 lemon law suits accounted for nearly one in three lemon law suits filed in California, according to the most recent stats from consumer groups. A company spokesperson in a written statement to CalMatters defended its record and the new California law.
“General Motors is continuously recognized by top consumer intelligence groups for vehicle reliability, quality, and customer loyalty,” GM spokesperson Colleen Oberc said in an email. She called the legislation “a pro-consumer bill that will help drivers get back on the road sooner, while also helping clear court backlogs, benefitting both customers and the auto industry.”
California defines a “lemon” vehicle as one that has serious warranty defects that the manufacturer can’t fix, even after multiple attempts. The lemon law applies only to disputes involving the manufacturer’s new vehicle warranty.
If the manufacturer or dealer is unable to repair a serious warranty defect in a vehicle after what the law says is a “reasonable” number of attempts, the manufacturer must either replace it or refund its purchase price, whichever the customer prefers, according to the California Department of Consumer Affairs.
Disputes can be resolved through arbitration or in court if a buyer sues.
The number of lemon law cases in California courts climbed dramatically since 2021. There were nearly 15,000 filings in 2022 and more than 22,000 in 2023. In Los Angeles County, nearly 10% of all civil filings are now lemon law cases.
Kalra and Umberg pitched their legislation last year as a way for auto companies and car buyers to settle their disputes quicker and without needing as much time in court.
But Tesla and several foreign auto companies including Volkswagen and Toyota that aren’t sued nearly as much said they were cut out of negotiations. They opposed the legislation.
Consumer groups, meanwhile, called the legislation a blatant and shameless attempt at weakening the lemon law by the very companies that get sued the most because they sell the most defective vehicles.
There was a lot more in the bill, which was about 4,200 words long (the equivalent of a 16-page double-spaced term paper). What’s more, the bill’s legislative analysis, intended to explain the context and impact of a bill in non-legal language for lawmakers, was more than 10,000 words.
The bill passed easily even though some lawmakers complained they were uncomfortable with having to decide such a complicated, confusing piece of legislation so quickly.
“There wasn’t a single person who represents the people of California who knew about this and was a part of those conversations – for months,” Democratic San Ramon Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan told her colleagues on the Assembly Judiciary Committee in the final days of the 2024 legislative session. “They dropped this in our lap, and they expect us to buy an argument related to the urgency that feels, to be honest, not real. And we’re supposed to move this in a week’s time.”
Newsom signed the bill in September, with an accompanying letter to lawmakers demanding they fix the law.
Meanwhile, just a few weeks after Newsom signed the bill, the California Supreme Court weakened California’s lemon law even more. The court ruled that the state’s lemon law doesn’t require manufacturers to honor a car’s warranty when it’s re-sold as a used vehicle.
Before the Supreme Court’s ruling, courts had interpreted the lemon law to require manufacturers to replace or repair a defective used car or truck if the clunker was sold within the window of its original new-vehicle warranty.
Uncomfortable lawmakers pass bill anyway
Fast forward to last week and the Senate Judiciary Committee’s first hearing of the new two-year session. There was one bill on the agenda: Senate Bill 26, the legislation that Newsom requested. The new bill does not address the state Supreme Court ruling.
And again the clock is ticking toward a new deadline.
The bill frustrated Sen. Aisha Wahab, a Democratic senator from Fremont. She told her colleagues she was worried the two-track legal system for different car companies would make an already confusing scenario for desperate car owners more difficult to understand.
“I’m very concerned about those first-time buyers, those immigrant communities, those people that don’t have the privilege to understand half of the stuff that was mentioned here,” she said. “It makes it too hard to begin with.”
Umberg, the bill’s author, suggested that after lawmakers pass this bill to meet the April deadline, they might need to pass other legislation to address lawmakers’ concerns as well as the Supreme Court’s used-vehicle ruling.
That didn’t sit well either.
“It’s unfortunate that protections for the consumers have gotten so complicated that we can’t more easily explain this law or the previous law, and I thought this was a clean-up (bill),” said Sen. María Elena Durazo, a Democrat from Los Angeles. “Now it seems like there may be a clean-up to the clean-up, maybe another clean-up, you know, after that.”
Nonetheless, the bill ended up easily passing the 13-member committee. Wahab declined to vote, and Democratic Sen. Angelique Ashby of Sacramento cast the only “no” vote. Ashby was one of the lawmakers who opposed last summer’s bill as well.
“I still believe that it does not do enough to remove unsafe vehicles from our communities,” she said of this latest bill. “In fact, I argue that this might have more unsafe vehicles in our communities, and I think I would not be alone in that assessment. I don’t think it holds manufacturers accountable.”
Sen. Niello said he had to reluctantly vote for Umberg’s bill since it would help negate – at least for some auto companies – the legislation he also opposed last summer.
He said he wished lawmakers would just scrap the bill Newsom signed last year “and bring all of the interested parties together” to re-negotiate reforms to the lemon law, which he said probably could use some after five decades.
Instead, he had to hold his nose and vote for another rushed bill.
“This is a perfect example of why we should not be approving legislation that is a gut and amend at the last minute of the end of session,” Niello said.
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (FOX26) — One week after ongoing efforts to ensure housing compliance statewide, Governor Gavin Newsom, through the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), has issued final warnings to 15 cities and counties that have failed to meet state housing law requirements.
These jurisdictions are more than 60 days away from securing a certified housing element, a mandatory plan that outlines how communities will meet housing needs for residents of all income levels.
The cities and counties have 30 days to respond to the Notices of Violation.
If they fail to act, HCD could take further steps, including referral to the Attorney General.
“I’m disappointed on behalf of the state and the people of California that after years of effort, we still have communities that aren’t meeting the needs of their residents,” Gov. Newsom said. “There’s no carve-out here. No community gets a pass when it comes to addressing homelessness or creating more housing access. We’ll keep pushing forward by enforcing the law, fighting NIMBY actions, and holding local governments accountable, because every Californian deserves a place to call home.”
Under California law, every community must adopt a housing element demonstrating how it will meet regional housing needs for residents at all income levels, and submit that plan to HCD for review.
With guidance and technical assistance, 92 percent of California communities have already achieved compliance in the 6th cycle.
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The 15 jurisdictions receiving Notices of Violation are now part of a final push to bring all communities into compliance.
“These communities remain more than two years behind schedule and lack a clear path to compliance within 60 days,” HCD said. “If any jurisdictions on track fail to meet the requirements within that period, they will also face potential legal action.”
The 15 cities and counties receiving notices are: Atwater, Avenal, California City, Corcoran, Escalon, Half Moon Bay, Hanford, Kings County, Lemoore, Merced County, Montclair, Oakdale, Patterson, Ridgecrest and Turlock.
HCD has previously taken legal action or entered court-enforced agreements with other cities, including Anaheim, Elk Grove, La Canada Flintridge, Norwalk and Huntington Beach.
Since its creation in 2021, Gov. Newsom’s Housing Accountability Unit (HAU) has taken more than 1,200 enforcement actions, including securing 10 stipulated judgments and settlement agreements.
The unit has also “unlocked” 12,486 housing units, including more than 3,644 affordable units, that may have otherwise been stalled in local planning processes.
Governor Newsom has made addressing the housing and homelessness crises a statewide priority.
His efforts include:
- Streamlining housing construction through legal and regulatory reforms, including CEQA updates, to remove barriers to building new housing.
- Creating shelter and support programs for people living in encampments while holding local governments accountable for providing housing solutions.
- Expanding mental health care and supportive housing, including delivering more than 6,900 residential treatment beds and over 27,500 outpatient treatment slots following voter-approved Proposition 1 in 2024.
- Updating conservatorship laws to assist those unable to care for themselves due to severe mental illness or substance use disorders, creating the new CARE court system.
- Removing dangerous encampments on state and local property while connecting residents to shelter and services, with over 20,600 encampments cleared on state right-of-ways since 2021.
Californians can track how their communities are addressing housing, homelessness, and mental health through HCD’s accountability portal.
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California
U.S. Forest Service issues Southern California rattlesnake warning after two deadly bites
The U.S. Forest Service has issued a warning regarding an increase in rattlesnake sightings in Southern California, especially after two deadly bites were reported in the last few weeks.
In a social media post, the USFS San Bernardino National Forest rangers reminded hikers and outdoor enthusiasts to be wary while exploring nature due to the increased temperatures and arrival of spring weather.
“As temperatures rise, rattlesnakes become more active in the forest,” the USFS’s post said. ” Stay alert, watch where you step and keep pets close.”
Southern California encounters
Since the beginning of the year, hikers have already reported rattlesnake encounters near a Moreno Valley hiking trail in Riverside County, where someone was bitten and required hospitalization.
There have been deadly incidents reported in both Orange County, where a man was bitten while mountain biking in Irvine, and Ventura County, where a 46-year-old woman died from “rattlesnake venom toxicity in an accidental manner.”
“If you encounter a rattlesnake, give it plenty of space and calmly move away,” the social media post said. “Never attempt to touch or disturb wildlife.”
USFS officials credited the increase in encounters to elevated temperatures and abnormally sunny conditions as opposed to the typical winter weather that Southern California sees.
They said that snakes can use their full length to strike, sometimes equating to more than five feet.
Treating rattlesnake bites
Officials advised anyone bitten by a rattlesnake to:
- call 911 and seek immediate medical attention
- keep the bite victim still as movement allows venom to spread through the body more easily
- keep the injured body part motionless and lower than heart level
- keep the victim warm and at rest
- refraining from food and drink
- cover the bite with a clean, dry dressing
They also urged people to avoid using a tourniquet, slashing at the wound with a knife, sucking out the venom, using ice or immersing the wound in water, drinking alcohol as a painkiller or drinking caffeinated beverages.
Officials warned that people should not wait for symptoms of a bite to appear before seeking medical attention. However, they provided a list of different signs that someone may see if they are bitten by a rattler, including:
- puncture marks at the wound
- redness and swelling around the bite
- severe pain at the site of the bite
- nausea and vomiting
- labored breathing
- disturbed vision
- increased sweating and salivation
- numbness or tingling in the face and/or limbs
Spotting and avoiding rattlesnakes
While Southern California is home to several species of rattlesnake, the most common are typically the Western Diamondback and Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Aside from their infamous rattle, rattlesnakes can be identified by their broad and diamond-shaped head. They usually have spotched markings that appaer separated by lighter colored stripes that become smaller and narrower towards the tail, which is tipped with a paper-like noise-producing rattle, USFS officials said.
While they typically hide during the cold winter months, snakes venture out during warm weather. They usually hide in shady spots during the hottest parts of the day and begin hunting either in the early morning or evening. Officials advised that rattlesnakes can swim as well.
In order to avoid rattlesnakes, USFS rangers said that people should not tease or harass any wildlife, keep a distance of at least six feet if a rattler is spotted, stay on trails and watch where stepping or placing your hands when hiking or climbing over obstacles, avoid tall grass and piles of leaves and wear long pants and proper foot gear.
How Many More Records Could Fall This Week?
The most prolific March heat wave in at least 14 years has already smashed monthly records in almost 180 cities from the Southwest to the Plains and East, and will have staying power in the Southwest and Plains this week.
(MAP: Temperatures Right Now)
First, let’s recap the incredible records we’ve seen shattered so far. Then we’ll look and see how long this heat will last.
New US March Heat Record
Before this heat wave, the hottest March temperature on record anywhere in the U.S. had been 108 degrees in Rio Grande City, Texas, on March 30, 1954, and on March 14, 1902.
But at least one location in the U.S. tied or exceeded that March national record four days in a row from March 18 through 21.
On March 20, four reporting stations in the lower deserts of southeast California and southwest Arizona hit 112 degrees, shown in the map below. You can’t make it up that one of these stations was near the town of Winterhaven.
These highs were only one degree shy of tying the April U.S. record high set at Death Valley, California, according to weather historian Christopher Burt. And that happened in late April — April 22, 2012 and April 24, 1946.
March Statewide Records
It also appears that the hottest March temperatures on record in 14 states were either tied or broken.
We touched on the California and Arizona records above (112 degrees) as national records, but among some other state records that appear to have been tied or set include:
- Nevada: 106 degrees on March 21
- Colorado: 96 degrees on March 21
- Nebraska: 99 degrees on March 21
- Missouri: 97 degrees on March 21
- Minnesota: 88 degrees on March 21
The other states are shown on the map below.
For bigger state or national records like these, an ad hoc committee of meteorologists and climatologists is usually convened to examine the data and the reporting station before it becomes a new, official record.
City March Records
Almost 180 locations with data since the 1960s or earlier have tied or set new March records from California to Pennsylvania to South Carolina during this heat wave.
Some of those records are shown in the map below from NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center.
Phoenix only had one March day of triple digit heat on record prior to this heat wave. They hit the 100s seven days in a row from March 18-24, topping out at 105 degrees on March 20 and 21. Incredibly, that’s equal to their April monthly record, which was set almost a month later in the calendar on three dates ranging from April 20-29 in three past years.
Other major cities that tied or set new March records included San Francisco’s first March 90-degree high downtown, Las Vegas (97 degrees), Salt Lake City (84 degrees), Boise (83 degrees) and Denver (85 or 86 degrees for three straight days).
It wasn’t just a western heat wave.
March records were tied or set in Lubbock, Texas (98 degrees), Kansas City (93 degrees), Des Moines, Iowa (91 degrees), Nashville, Tennessee (89 degrees), Louisville, Kentucky (89 degrees), Indianapolis, Indiana (88 degrees), Columbus, Ohio (86 degrees), Pittsburgh (84 degrees), and Charleston, South Carolina (90 degrees).
Perhaps the most extraordinary record heat east of the Rockies happened in Nebraska on March 21.
Both Lincoln and Omaha not only demolished their March record, after reaching 97 degrees in Lincoln and 96 in Omaha, but it also tied their April record.
Many of these almost 180 cities tied or topped their previous March records multiple days in a row. Flagstaff, Arizona, reached or topped their previous March record of 73 degrees a staggering eight days in a row from St. Patrick’s Day through Tuesday. Las Vegas did that seven days in a row through Tuesday.
Several of these cities reached the 80s, 90s, or 100s for the first time in their recorded history.
Last weekend, parts of the Plains, were as much as 45 degrees warmer than average.
This is likely the most significant, long-lived March heat wave the nation has experienced since the March 2012 heat wave rewrote the record books in the central U.S. and Canada.
A sign warns hikers of trail closures due to extreme heat at Camelback Mountain on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rebecca Noble)
There’s Still More Ahead In This Heat Wave
This heat wave isn’t over.
Another pulse of heat is surging into parts of the Plains and South this week, while continuing to bake the Southwest.
We’re expecting many dozen more daily record highs from California possibly as far east as parts of Georgia and the Carolinas.
Incredibly, some new March records could be set in a few areas, though last week’s heat set a much higher bar.
Some cities that could once again flirt with March record highs include Cheyenne, Denver and Amarillo. On Thursday, St. Louis could approach its March record (92 degrees) on Opening Day, no less, a record set 97 years ago.
(MORE: Heat Safety And Preparation)
How hot are we talking about?
Triple-digit highs: Parts of the Desert Southwest, including Phoenix, and the lower Colorado River Valley could again see triple digit heat through much of this week. A few of the hottest spots in western Texas, possibly southwest Oklahoma, could reach 100 degrees around Thursday.
90s: This searing heat will spread out from the Desert Southwest into the Plains from Nebraska to Texas to parts of the mid-Mississippi Valley through Thursday.
(MAPS: 10-Day US Forecast Highs, Lows)
Relief?
Yes, there is finally relief in sight.
A late week cold front should remove the heat from the Plains and Rockies, however, above-average warmth will rebuild back into the Plains, South and Midwest this weekend.
The Southwest will have to be more patient. While daily record warmth is possible through the weekend, a pattern of somewhat cooler temperatures, even some rain and showers are possible in the West, including California and Arizona, next week.
Long-Range Temperature Outlook (NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center)
Why So Hot So Soon?
The reason for this heat wave in particular has to do with the ridge of high pressure, also known as a heat dome, that was parked over the West.
This heat dome is record-breaking for March, comparable in strength to ones we see in June. You can see the general position of the high pressure on the satellite loop below in the darker shading.
Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
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