News Release
For Immediate Release
March 20, 2001
 

Greenleaf Auto Lemon Law Enhancement Clears Consumer Committee

HARRISBURG – Senate Bill 286, a measure proposed by Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf to expand coverage of the state’s auto lemon law to include leased new vehicles, received the approval of the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee.

In addition to giving purchasers of lease agreements protections if the leased vehicle is defective, the bill would require the "branding" of the title of a motor vehicle that has been returned under the provisions of the auto lemon law. In this way, potential buyers of the vehicle would be warned of its repair history. The Department of Transportation would issue a new title for a lemon law vehicle indicating that it was returned pursuant to the lemon law.

The Greenleaf bill retains the provision of the current law that prohibits the sale of any returned vehicle with serious safety defects.

The legislation also would expand coverage of the lemon law to vehicles purchased out of state but titled in Pennsylvania.

"This is a good bill because it plugs some loopholes in the current law and provides protection to more consumers," Greenleaf said. He noted that leased cars constitute more than one-third of new car transactions in the commonwealth, and that 35 other states provide coverage for leased cars under their lemon laws. He added that the bill passed the Senate unanimously last session.