Which Manufacturers Opted In to California's New Lemon Law Rules?

What is the lemon law manufacturer opt-in list?

The opt-in list is the official roster, published by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, of vehicle manufacturers that have elected to be bound by the new lemon law procedures created by AB 1755. When AB 1755 was signed in September 2024, its procedures, codified at Code of Civil Procedure sections 871.20 through 871.30, were set to phase in during 2025 for lemon law claims generally. Then SB 26, signed April 2, 2025, changed the design: the new procedures now bind only manufacturers that affirmatively elect in by written notice to the DCA's Arbitration Certification Program (ACP).

That single design choice is why California now effectively runs two lemon law systems side by side. Opted-in manufacturers get the new procedures: a shorter filing deadline, a mandatory pre-suit notice for civil penalties, early mandatory mediation with a discovery stay, and a standardized release. Manufacturers that stayed out remain under the older Song-Beverly framework. The substantive rights, including the refund and replacement remedy under Civil Code section 1793.2(d)(2), exist in both systems; what changes is the procedure and the timeline.

How do I check whether my car's manufacturer opted in?

Check the Department of Consumer Affairs' published list of accepted manufacturers at dca.ca.gov/acp/accepted_manufacturers.shtml, which is the authoritative source for opt-in status. The ACP also maintains an information page about the new lemon law at dca.ca.gov/acp/new_lemon_law.shtml, and manufacturers file their elections through the ACP's SB 26 webform. A few mechanics worth knowing:

• Updates are fast. A manufacturer is added to the published list within 2 business days of a verified election, so the list can change at any point in the year.
• Annual publication. The ACP must publish the list by December 15 each year.
• Check the right entity. Elections are made by the manufacturer entity that warrants the vehicle. Automotive brands often sit under a parent company, so confirm the name on the list matches the warrantor named in your warranty booklet.
• Check as of your filing date. Which rules apply to your claim is a legal question tied to the manufacturer's status and timing; screenshots and dated printouts of the list are cheap insurance.

Which manufacturers have opted in so far?

As of July 6, 2026, the DCA's published list shows 59 manufacturers elected in to the AB 1755 procedures. The major automakers on the list, with their election dates, are General Motors (April 23, 2025), Ford and FCA US, the Stellantis entity behind Jeep, Ram, Dodge, and Chrysler (both April 25, 2025), Hyundai, Genesis, Nissan, and Infiniti (all April 28, 2025), and Kia (May 1, 2025). Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Jaguar Land Rover, Maserati, VinFast, and dozens of RV manufacturers, including Winnebago, Thor, Jayco, Keystone, and Forest River, are also on it. Notably absent as of that date: Toyota, Lexus, Honda, and Tesla. This page deliberately does not reproduce all 59 entries: the list changes, and the DCA's published list is the only source you should rely on.

Be cautious with articles and firm websites that state opt-in status as a fixed fact. Anything written about the list has a shelf life measured in days, because a new election takes effect on the published list within 2 business days. Before you send a pre-suit notice, calculate a deadline, or decide how to plead a case, pull the current list yourself, or have a lawyer do it.

How long does a manufacturer's opt-in election last?

An opt-in election binds the manufacturer for five years. A manufacturer cannot elect in for a good quarter and duck back out when the procedures stop suiting it; once it files a verified election with the ACP, it is committed to the AB 1755 framework for the five-year term. For consumers, that means opt-in status is sticky: if your manufacturer is on the list today, it will almost certainly still be on the list when your case resolves. It also means the list will develop in waves, as manufacturers watch how the new procedures perform for the early adopters before making their own five-year commitment.

Why would a manufacturer opt in, and why does it matter to me?

Manufacturers opt in because the new procedures give them predictability: a shorter and more definite filing window, a 30-day advance warning before civil penalty exposure attaches, an early structured mediation before litigation costs mount, and a standardized release. For consumers, the same features cut both ways. The trade-offs that matter most:

• Deadlines shrink. Against an opted-in manufacturer, suit generally must be filed within one year after the express warranty expires, and never later than six years after original delivery. Under the old rules, consumers generally had four years under the prior limitations framework. The arithmetic is worked through on our deadlines page.
• Civil penalties require a letter. The up-to-double civil penalty under Civil Code section 1794(c) is preserved only by a compliant 30-day pre-suit notice.
• Early resolution is built in. Mandatory mediation within a set window can produce a faster buyback, but it comes with a stay on most discovery while it runs.
• Fee-shifting survives. In both systems, a prevailing consumer's attorney fees are paid by the manufacturer under section 1794(d).

What if my manufacturer did not opt in?

If your manufacturer is not on the DCA list, the AB 1755 procedures do not apply to your claim, and the older Song-Beverly rules continue to govern. That generally means the longer, pre-AB 1755 limitations framework, no mandatory pre-suit notice as a condition of civil penalties, and no automatic early mediation with a discovery stay. Your underlying rights are the same either way: a vehicle the manufacturer cannot fix after a reasonable number of attempts must be bought back or replaced. What qualifies as a lemon, and what a buyback includes, is covered in the California lemon law guide, and the full picture of the 2025 changes is on the AB 1755 hub.

Because the two systems have different deadlines, the single most consequential fact in a new lemon law matter today is often not the transmission or the battery: it is whether the manufacturer's name appears on a state webpage. Check it early, and get help reading it if anything is unclear.