Newsom wants a do-over on the lemon car law he just signed. Will it hurt buyers?

In the chaotic final days of the legislative session, lawmakers jammed through major changes to California’s “Lemon Law ” that protects consumers from defective cars even as members complained that the complex legislation was rushed too quickly.

Gov. Gavin Newsom nonetheless signed the measure into law earlier this week, saying it was important to address a rising number of lemon law cases clogging the state’s court system.

But he did so reluctantly, only after lawmakers agreed to reconsider the legislation next year and make the reforms voluntary for automakers.

“This bill has drawn substantive opposition from several consumer groups and the majority of automakers, who were not party to the negotiations,” Newsom wrote in a statement to legislators. “While AB 1755 aims to speed resolution of lemon law claims and reduce litigation, many automakers … have expressed serious concerns.”

The last-minute bill and the governor’s demand for changes could create confusion for consumers and automakers while leaving some uncertainty about how much impact it will have on court workloads.

The bill adds new timetables and rules for consumers seeking reimbursement or a replacement for a defective vehicle.

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