ACA applauds Conn. warranty bill passage

HARTFORD, Conn. (July 10, 2015) — The Auto Care Association (ACA) is saluting the Connecticut legislature for passing a bill requiring new car dealers to tell car buyers about their warranty rights at the time of a vehicle's purchase.

Connecticut Senate Bill 99 mandates that new vehicle dealers must present customers, at the time of sale, with printed explanations of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

That act makes it illegal for auto manufacturers or dealers to void a warranty or deny warranty coverage because someone other than the dealer performed service or repairs, or because recycled or aftermarket parts were used for repairs.

The ACA and the Tire Industry Association have long protested the actions of auto makers that insist on dealer service and original equipment parts as a requirement of vehicle warranties. Both associations have petitioned the Federal Trade Commission several times in recent years to strictly enforce the Magnuson-Moss Act.

ACA President and CEO Kathleen Schmatz praised Connecticut State Sen. Rob Kane for introducing S. 99, saying he had done “a tremendous service” for Connecticut vehicle buyers.

“While we are grateful that the Federal Trade Commission has recently tightened up some of the troubling ambiguities in the act, this bill adds some needed clarification for the consumer that the auto care industry has been seeking for many years,” Ms. Schmatz said. “We hope this new law becomes model legislation for other states.”