California Lemon Law Lawyer Blog

California law allows cars dealers to add a so-called document fee of $55 to each auto purchase contract. There is no good reason the law should allow dealers to add this fee because document preparation is just part of the cost of doing business. Not satisfied with the $55 fee, this year, the car dealers sponsored a bill in the California Legislature to raise the fees to $65, which we estimate would cost California car buyers an additional $40 million per year.

The Assembly passed the bill, but this week the author of the bill withdrew the bill in the face of opposition from key senators, including Senator Ellen Corbett, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. Opposition to the bill was led by Rosemary Shahan, who is head of the consumer advocacy group, Cars for Auto Reliability & Safety. Consumers have Rosemary to thank for saving them $40 million!

California car owners' have a fine advocate in the person of Rosemary Shahan, the executive director of Consumers for Automobile Reliability and Safety (CARS), Davis, California. CARS
is an effective voice for the public interest, working to expose illegal practices, improve the California lemon law, improve auto safety technology,and ensure that unsafe, seriously defective vehicles are recalled and fixed before people are hurt. Ms Shahan is CARS’ founder and executive director, and was recently re-elected to a second three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Consumer Federation of
America, the nation’s largest consumer organization. CARS has won numerous awards in recognition of its work in the public interest.
CARS is totally independent and deserves your support. Please consider sending a contribution to CARS, 1303 J Street, Ste 270, Sacramento, CA 95814. CARS website is at www.carconsumers.com.

The Center for Auto Safety, Washington, D.C., provides consumers a voice for auto safety in Washington and to help lemon car owners fight back across the country. CAS has a small budget but a big impact on the auto industry. With less than half what General Motors spends on a TV commercial,CAS has taken on the auto giants and won for consumers.

Examples of CAS’ work: recalls of the Ford Pinto with the exploding gas tanks, recalls of the GM pickups with side saddle gas tanks that caused gas-fed fires, and improved safety standards before the National Highway Safety Administration, the federal safety agency. CAS is led by its executive director, Clarence Ditlow. Clarence is often quoted by the national media on auto safety matters. The CAS website, www.autosafety.org, has a great deal of information on auto safety. If you wish to contribute to CAS, please go to the website for more information.