(TRENTON) – A measure Assemblymen Ralph Caputo and Paul Moriarty are sponsoring would make it clear that New Jersey residents who drive leased vehicles can get safety-related vehicle recall concerns dealt with quickly.
“We’ve seen a lot of confusion lately about how leased vehicles are to be handled in some of these highly publicized vehicle recalls,” said Caputo (D-Essex). “I want to make it clear that New Jerseyans shouldn’t have to read the fine print to get their leased vehicle quickly repaired.”
The bill (A-2615) requires vehicle dealers to schedule appointments to address safety-related recalls on a first-come, first-served basis, regardless of whether the vehicle is owned or leased.
The bill was recently released 3-0-1 by the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee chaired by Moriarty.
Under the bill, whenever an owner or lessee contacts a dealer to schedule such an appointment, the dealer must offer the owner or lessee the next available appointment. If the owner or lessee cannot accept the offered appointment time, the dealer would have to schedule the appointment at the earliest possible time convenient for the owner or lessee.
“This is a perfectly reasonable law that makes clear that safety is the priority, no matter whether a vehicle is leased or purchased,” said Moriarty (D-Gloucester/Camden). “This law would shield New Jerseyans who lease vehicles from any confusion and assure them prompt repairs.”
Violations would fall under the Consumer Fraud Act, which is punishable by a monetary penalty of not more than $10,000 for a first offense and not more than $20,000 for any subsequent offense.
Also a violation can result in cease and desist orders issued by the Attorney General, the assessment of punitive damages and the awarding of treble damages and costs to the injured.
