Lemon Law – Pennsylvania
"Lemon Re-Peel" "Consumer advocates say the Lemon Law proposal is a sour deal for the state's drivers."
"The automobile manufacturing industry is putting the squeeze on Pennsylvania lawmakers to weaken the "Lemon Law" that currently protects drivers from getting ripped off when they buy faulty new cars. A Senate proposal was drafted with heavy input from the auto industry, and consumer advocates say state lawmakers were duped. 'Legislators go into these meetings with lobbyists, who basically lie about what the bill would do,' says Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS) a watchdog of Lemon Law reform across the country. 'Legislators are pressed for time and lobbyists take advantage by not providing all the information. Max Gates, spokesperson for the American Automobile Manufacturers Association, says the industry initiated reforms to Pennsylvaniašs Lemon Law because it 'had some concerns' about the high cost of litigation in this state. Consumer groups say the bill is an 'open invitation' for automakers to 'dump' lemons in Pennsylvania. It limits the penalty auto manufacturers would have to pay for failing to disclose the lemon's defects to unsuspecting used car buyers---to $2,500 for the first offense and $5,000 per each subsequent offense."
– Philadelphia City Paper, March 20-26, 1998
Note: This bill was soon withdrawn by its author.