California CARS Act, Projected to Save Car Buyers Over $230 Million, Heads to Governor Newsom’s Desk

Washington, D.C. - On September 12, the California legislature voted to pass the CARS Act (SB 766), which is projected to save car buyers over $234 million and 8.5 million hours annually. The CARS Act, partly modeled after the Federal Trade Commission's CARS Rule, requires car dealers to be honest and up front about the price of the car, and it gives used car buyers a three day cooling off period. Senator Ben Allen (D-24) has introduced the bill as a way to make buying a car more affordable and less risky in California.

"The process of buying a car has been engineered into a frustrating ordeal that wears car buyers down at every step and often saddles them with hidden fees and expenses," said Erin Witte, director of consumer protection at Consumer Federation of America. "The CARS Act will make car prices more affordable, more transparent, and it will benefit honest car dealers who don't play games or lie to car buyers."