The year 2025 is shaping up to be a confusing one for Californians unlucky enough to buy a new or used car that turns out to be a clunker.

Starting Jan. 1, car buyers who purchase a faulty vehicle will have to navigate a new version of California’s “lemon law” that for five decades has given consumers the right to demand car companies fix or replace defective vehicles they sell.

That is, unless lawmakers quickly pass a law that allows some of the car companies to opt out of the new requirements.

The confusion stems from a law Gov. Gavin Newsom reluctantly signed in late September, after the bill was hastily jammed through the Legislature in the waning days of the session following secret negotiations between lobbyists.

Newsom said it was important to address the problem of California’s courts getting clogged with lemon law cases, even as critics said the bill significantly watered down consumer protections.

But Newsom said he signed it only after lawmakers said they’d introduce legislation next year to make the reforms voluntary for automakers.

Lawmakers have already introduced legislation that they say meets Newsom’s demands. It’s now anyone’s guess how long it will take the bill to make it through the Senate and the Assembly and get Newsom’s signature. Meanwhile, portions of the new lemon law take effect Jan. 1; others in April.

Adding to the confusion, a month after Newsom signed the new lemon bill, Assembly Bill 1755, the California Supreme Court ruled that the state’s lemon law doesn’t require manufacturers to honor a car’s warranty when it’s re-sold as a used vehicle. Before the Supreme Court’s ruling, courts had interpreted the lemon law to require manufacturers to replace or repair a defective used car or truck if the clunker was sold within the window of its original new-vehicle warranty.

The justices said that if Californians have a problem with how they’ve interpreted the statute, state lawmakers are welcome to write a new bill.“Those arguments are best directed to the Legislature, which remains free to amend the definition of ‘new motor vehicle’ to include used vehicles with a balance remaining on the manufacturer’s new car warranty,” the court wrote in its Oct. 31 opinion. At least one lawmaker has suggested to CalMatters he and his colleagues could take the court up on that suggestion.

As the Legislature sorts this out, Rosemary Shahan of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety said car buyers next year are going to have a tough time figuring out what to do if they drive a lemon off the lot.

“It’s going to be really confusing for consumers,” she said.

Lemon law cases clog California courts

California’s lemon law defines a “lemon” vehicle as one that has serious warranty defects that the manufacturer can’t fix, even after multiple attempts. The lemon law applies only to disputes involving the manufacturer’s new vehicle warranty.

If the manufacturer or dealer is unable to repair a serious warranty defect in a vehicle after what the law says is a “reasonable” number of attempts, the manufacturer must either replace it or refund its purchase price, whichever the customer prefers, according to the California Department of Consumer Affairs.

Disputes can be resolved through arbitration or in court if a consumer sues. The new lemon law was a compromise between U.S. automakers, consumer attorneys and judges who came together to address a growing backlog of lemon law cases in the state’s courts.

The number of such cases in California courts climbed from nearly 15,000 in 2022 to more than 22,000 last year. In Los Angeles County, nearly 10% of all civil filings are now lemon law cases.

Proponents argue the bill Newsom signed will speed up the process of getting consumers a working vehicle, while setting new procedural rules for the litigation process that will ease the burden on courts.

But Shahan and other critics argue the changes will primarily benefit U.S. car companies, since they’re the ones most commonly sued under the state’s lemon law at the expense of consumers. Foreign car companies largely opposed the measure.

Shahan says the statistics on lemon law cases show why U.S automakers wanted the rule changed. U.S. car companies have a significantly higher number of lemon law cases in California than their foreign counterparts.

It’s also why, if lawmakers pass the bill Newsom wants, the foreign companies are likely to choose to abide by the original version of the lemon law.

In the meantime, until lawmakers pass the pending legislation, buyers who purchase any defective new vehicle will have less time to sue, and they’ll get less money from rebates, according to Shahan and other critics.The new rules also shrink the period they can use the lemon law to just six years instead of the entire life of a vehicle’s warranty, which can last longer, Shahan said.

And because of the Supreme Court’s ruling that said new vehicle warranties do not cover the car once it’s resold used, plaintiffs such as Mariana Alvarado Rodriguez are now feeling the squeeze.

“It’s going to be really confusing for consumers”
— Rosemary Shahan , Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety

Court ruling impacts used lemon vehicle disputes

In 2021, Alvarado Rodriguez, a seasonal farmworker who lives in Tulare County, purchased a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 with 40,002 miles from a Fresno County car dealer for $25,000, according to court records.

Almost immediately after she drove it off the lot, she said the truck started having mechanical problems that she claims should have been covered under the vehicle’s warranties. But she said the car’s maker, General Motors, refused to honor them.“I kept making payments,” she said in Spanish. “Then … I finally decided to get an attorney and told the dealership, ‘That truck, it just doesn’t work.’ ”

A Fresno County judge tossed her lawsuit a year later after the Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled in a separate case that warranties that would apply to new cars don’t carry over if the vehicle is sold again. The Supreme Court affirmed that judgment.

Alvarado Rodriguez said she still doesn’t have reliable transportation for when she returns to work this spring in the fruit-packing sheds.“The process has been so long,” she said. “It’s really, really affected me.”

Democratic Sen. Tom Umberg of Santa Ana is one of the authors of the new lemon law reforms slated to take effect next year. He also co-wrote the new legislation in December to address Newsom’s concerns.. For now, it doesn’t address the Supreme Court’s ruling that impacted used vehicle warranty claims like Alvarado Rodriguez’s.

He said lawmakers will likely take that issue up as well when they reconvene after the holidays.

“I would expect that there would be further conversation,” he said. “At least it’s my point of view that you don’t want consumers to be hoodwinked.”

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CalMatters reporter Sergio Olmos contributed to this story.

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

James Erwin Fredrickson, Jr.
July 1, 1947 – December 13, 2024

James (Jim) Erwin Fredrickson, Jr. passed away peacefully on December 13, 2024 in Eureka, with his wife Kathy by his side. They were excited about making their 46th anniversary just days before on December 9. Jim was a native of Humboldt County, born to James Sr. (Erwin) and June Fredrickson on July 1, 1947 in Arcata. He attended Kneeland School while growing up, and graduated from Eureka Senior High School (Class of 1965), then attended College of the Redwoods the following year.

Jim worked over 45 years in the trucking industry until 2005, when he became disabled. He worked hauling freight, loading and hauling logs, lumber, pipe, cattle and anything that was required to be moved. Jim had fond memories of being taught to drive a cattle truck with live, moving critters by his long time friend Joel Van Vleck. He hauled and worked for most of the local trucking and lumber companies throughout the North Coast and Oregon including: Nielson Freight, Pacific Towing, Alto Bros Trucking, Baird Trucking, Simpson’s, Redwood Coast Trucking, Sierra Pacific Industries, Louisiana Pacific, Humboldt County, Georgia Pacific and his last employer, Foster Lumber in Vallejo.

To his delight and trucking career as a Teamster, he had an opportunity to work on one of the many Star Wars movies (Return of the Jedi), transporting stars and cast members around the various movie sets in Smith River. Jim was very knowledgeable about operating heavy equipment and was an asset to his employers. He enjoyed working and interacting with all of his trucking friends on the road, while they enjoyed laughing and telling jokes to pass the long hours on the highway. He could find humor in any situation.

Jim was a member of the Teamsters, Freshwater and Humboldt Granges, Native Sons of the Golden West and the Swiss Club. He loved spending time at his home on Kneeland that he and his wife built together on the family ranch. Jim looked forward to hunting season, cutting wood, and enjoying family and friends throughout the year. He also enjoyed playing rummy with his wife, Kathy, and cribbage with his father, Erwin and son, Terry. Jim and his father were very close, and he was proud of the fact that they shared the same name and birthday. He was also an avid fan of the San Francisco 49ers and Giants baseball. Jim had many loyal dogs throughout the years that brought him much joy. His last two dogs, Coco and Mazey, provided him comfort and companionship.

Jim is survived by his wife Kathleen (Kathy); his daughter Stephannie Fredrickson Sykes of Rio Linda, Calif.; his step-children Kimberly Wallace of Elk Grove, Calif., and Eric Wallace of Prineville, Ore.; his three granddaughters – Kaylee Joseph (Casey), Cheyenne Wallace, and Breana Fredrickson. He is also survived by his brother Duane Fredrickson (Karen) of Kneeland, and sister Darlene Shearer (Steven) of Eureka; nieces and nephews – Jason Fredrickson (Emily), Melissa Fredrickson Grace, Kevin Meyer (Barb), Lynn Hillegeist (Paul), Kelly Ramirez (Alejandro), Ryan Grammer, and many more relatives. He is preceded in death by his parents Erwin & June Fredrickson, his son Terry Fredrickson, his son-in-law David Sykes, and his father-in-law and mother-in-law Joseph & Lucille Arruda.

The family wishes to extend special thanks to Dr. Chris West and his Staff at Open Door Clinic, the St. Joseph Hospital ICU/PCU Staff, Palliative Team, and Home Health for their care and thoughtfulness; as well as Jim’s brother Duane Fredrickson, and good friends Vickie McCulley, Earl Morgan, John and Lynn Raymond, Jerry and Carol Crnich, and his nephews Jason Fredrickson (Emily) and Kevin Meyer (Barb) who were always there to lend him a helping hand when needed.

Memorial services will be held at Sanders Funeral Home on March 1, 2025 at 11 a.m. (1835 E St. Eureka) with a Celebration of Life following at the Humboldt Grange #501 (5845 Humboldt Hill Rd. Eureka). A private family burial will be conducted at the Iaqua Cemetery on Kneeland at a later date.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Jim Fredrickson Jr.’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

‘Jaydean Lee Parent
Aug 26, 1956 - November 10, 2024
Wife - Mother - Friend

Jaydean Parent was a wonderful, caring, generous soul who left too soon. She passed away peacefully Sunday, November 10, with her kitties on her lap, and her husband holding her hand.

Jaydean was born in Eureka, where she attended Lincoln, Winship and Eureka High. She always had a job, and started her career at the trophy store, working for enough to buy her 1965 Ford Mustang. Later she worked at Eureka Printing for Jerry Carter as a graphic artist, for Jody Lawlor and at North Coast Advertising for Jack Daly.

In 1984 Jaydean married Mike Parent. They enjoyed over 40 wonderful years together, buying and remodeling a house into a home,and had a son named Andrew. Andrew was Jaydean’s pride and joy, and they had a special bond. They loved each other very much.

She was the kindest person you could ever meet, a devoted cat mom to countless feline companions throughout her life. A loving wife and mother, she also had a green thumb and love for 1970s and 1980s rock music. She loved to bake with her son, and everyone waited at Christmas for her famous cranberry bread. She loved arts and crafts, old movies and films, and hangouts out with her family. Halloween was always her favorite holiday, decorating the house with fake spiderwebs and barfing pumpkins.

Jaydean was preceded in death by her parents Aldean Dilling, Tom Dilling, Richard Chain, her friend Dana and her loving pets. She is survived by her husband Mike, her son Andrew, her sister Noel and her husband Chris, their kids Jack, and Katie. Her all time favorite Aunt Judy and her husband John, and their kids, Becky, and Katie. Her friends, Lauren, Janeane, Marion, All her great facebook friends, and her loving pets. A special thanks to our wonderful neighbors Jen and Kenny, and Derick and Julia, Bob, Rendel and Tasha, Ron and Sarah, Jeff and Jyoce.

A celebration of life will be held in the spring amidst blooming flowers and singing birds, a fitting tribute to a life filled with beauty and love.

We will forever remember Jaydean’s warm smile, her generous spirit, and her unwavering love. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Jaydean Parent’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Photos: Humboldt Bay Fire.

Press release from Humboldt Bay Fire:

At approximately 9:08 am on Tuesday, December 17th Humboldt Bay Fire (HBF) was dispatched to a reported structure fire on the 1800 block of Circle Dr. Several reporting parties stated flames and smoke were visible from a residence at that location. HBF responded with a full first alarm assignment consisting of four fire engines and a Battalion Chief.

Engine 8114 arrived on scene first due and reported heavy fire and smoke showing from the porch and attic area of a single-story residential structure. E8115 arrived on scene and established a water supply while E8114 began attacking the fire. Additional units arrived on scene and confirmed that everyone was out of the structure. Fire control was achieved in approximately 10 minutes. At the time of the fire the structure one resident was home. She was able to exit the structure on her own with no injuries.

The pre-fire value of the home was approximately $375,000 with estimated fire loss totaling $60,000. Fire crews did an excellent job protecting the majority of the interior of the home and contents through aggressive fire attack and salvage work. PG&E responded to the scene and secured the gas and electrical service from the residence. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Humboldt Bay Fire would like to remind everyone that smoke detectors save lives! Smoke detectors give you crucial early warning that there may be a fire in your home and allots you time to escape. Once you’ve exited a home go to your family meeting place and ensure that everyone has made it out.

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At last night’s meeting, the Eureka City Council unanimously voted to appoint Councilmember Leslie Castellano, the city’s First Ward representative, as Mayor Pro Tem for the second consecutive year. 

Castellano | Screenshot

Councilmember Scott Bauer made a motion to appoint Castellano, noting that she “has done a great job” during her time in the position. Councilmember Renee Contreras-De Loach agreed and offered a second to the motion, which passed 5-0, with Councilmember Kati Moulton appearing via Zoom.

What exactly does the Mayor Pro Tem do, you ask? The Mayor Pro Tem is an appointed position that is essentially second-in-command to the Mayor. If the Mayor is absent, the Mayor Pro Tem is the person who presides over city council meetings in their place. In some cities, the Mayor Pro Tem takes on additional responsibilities, like training new council members.

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Other notable bits from last night’s meeting:

• Remember last month when a group of determined city employees braved a so-called bomb cyclone and bitter sea winds to hang up Christmas decorations at the Old Town Gazebo? That ordeal was a part of the Mayor’s Holiday Lighting Fundraising Campaign, which raised nearly $23,000 to light up Old Town for the holiday season. The city council approved a proclamation in support of the initiative.
• The city council finalized plans for the Harris Medical Center Project, a multi-use housing development and medical facility slated for the former Apostolic Faith Church on Harris Street, near Henderson Center. 
• The city council received a presentation on design standards and neighborhood character from Cristin Kenyon, the city’s director of development services. The presentation was the third and final installment in a series that looked into the city’s past, present and future design standards and how those decisions have influenced Eureka’s aesthetics and zoning regulations. The council discussed different aspects of the city’s current design review process and how it could be improved upon but did not take any formal action on the item.
• The city council also approved an amendment to the city’s Private Sewer Lateral Ordinance that will give eligible property owners a little more flexibility in making city-mandated repairs to their sewer lines.
• The city council finalized the results of last month’s General Election.
• The city council also went through the annual process of appointing its members to boards, commissions, working groups and various local committees.

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You can find a recording of last night’s meeting at this link. See you next year, Eureka City Council! 

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PREVIOUSLY: Arcata City Council Approves Long-Planned Old Arcata Road Improvement Project, Including Installation of Controversial Roundabout

IT IS FINALLY DONE!!!!

The construction project from Jacoby Creek Road to Sunnybrae is now complete (except for a few minor items) and it is marvelous. There is now sidewalk all the way and bike lanes on both sides with crosswalks and flashing crossing signs. There is also added parking across from the Grange, which was necessary because when there were events, traffic would park on both sides of the road and it would be down to one lane. The drainage ditch had underground culverts installed with pavers on top so it is safer to park, ride a bike and walk. Riding my bike to Sunnybrae used to feel like I was riding over train tracks. It is so smooth now.

Before the Jacoby Creek roundabout, people would be driving on Old Arcata Road towards Jacoby Creek School up to 48 miles per hour in the 25 mph zone. I was able to verify the speed because there was a radar speed sign as one would approach the school. Now, the traffic is much safer for all people in a car, on a bike or walking. There are still a few problems but they are minimal compared to the improvements that were made!

Now I would like to discuss the elephant in the room! It is particularly sad how the work crew from GR Sundberg was treated by the vehicle drivers. I heard stories about people yelling, cussing and spitting on them. The vehicle drivers would also ignore the flaggers by driving right past them, almost hitting them.

What was particularly sad was that adults with children in the car were displaying such horrible behavior and teaching the children that it was the way to handle a situation. Imagine if those adults saw their children being talked to like they talked to the flaggers and workers. Would they object to that treatment? Adults, please set an example and stop what is becoming common practice in today’s society. It was only a few and you know who you are!

People serve us every day no matter where we go. We need them to be there or we would not be able to get what we need. We don’t know what people are going through in their lives. One worker at the site opened up to me that he had cancer and has a port for his infusions. I said I wanted to write a letter to the editor and asked if I could mention his situation and he said, yes. We don’t know their financial, physical or emotional struggles they have just to serve us. I told the worker I make it a goal of mine to make someone smile every day and am particularly kind to those who serve me. I say “Thank You For Working” and smile. I hope I change someone’s attitude every day. Please help to pass a smile on to others. You may be the only positive interaction they have that day and it will mean a lot.

Paul Nicholson

Bayside

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If you’re anywhere near Arcata and can spare some time this afternoon, you may want to make your way down to the parade route, fill your lungs with air and make some noise for the Arcata High School football team and its stalwart cheerleader squad, who will be celebrating Saturday’s nail-biter, overtime victory in the state championship game with a procession through town. 

The parade will commence from Arcata High’s campus at 1:30 p.m., proceed along 16th Street to H and then down to the plaza for a victory lap before returning to campus.

It has been a remarkable season for this Tigers squad, which won the school’s first-ever North Coast Section championship, first-ever NorCal Regional crown and first-ever Division 6-AA state championship by defeating Portola in SoCal over the weekend.