(a) All new and used wheelchairs, including, but not limited to, wheelchairs that are motorized or have been otherwise customized to suit the needs of the user, shall be accompanied by the manufacturer’s or lessor’s written express warranty that the wheelchair is free of defects. The duration of the warranty shall be for a period of at least one year from the date of the first delivery of a new wheelchair to the consumer, or at least 60 days from the date of the first delivery of a used, refurbished, or reconditioned wheelchair to the consumer. If the written express warranty is not furnished to the consumer, the wheelchair nonetheless shall be deemed to be covered by the express warranty. This section shall not apply to wheelchairs manufactured specifically for athletic, competitive, or off-road use.
(b) The provisions of this chapter for express warranties govern the express warranty described in subdivision (a), whether or not those provisions only apply to the sale, and not the lease, of goods.
(c) A reasonable number of attempts have been made to conform a wheelchair to the express warranty if, within the warranty period or within one year of inception of the warranty, whichever occurs first, (1) the same nonconformity has been subject to repair four or more times by the manufacturer, lessor, or an agent thereof, and continues to exist, or (2) the wheelchair is out of service by reason of repair of nonconformities by the manufacturer, lessor, or an agent thereof, for a cumulative total of more than 30 calendar days since inception of the warranty.
(d) No wheelchair that has been returned to the manufacturer, lessor, or an agent thereof, by the consumer for failure to repair a nonconformity after a reasonable number of attempts, either in this state or in another state pursuant to a similar statute of that state, may be sold or leased again in this state unless the reasons for the return are fully disclosed to the prospective buyer or lessee.
(e) If the wheelchair is out of service for a period of at least 24 hours for the repair of a nonconformity by the manufacturer, lessor, or agent thereof, a temporary replacement wheelchair shall be made available to the consumer, if requested. The provider of the temporary replacement wheelchair may not charge the consumer more than the cost to the provider to make the wheelchair available to the consumer. Nothing in this subdivision is intended to prevent a consumer and a provider from negotiating an agreement in which the provider assumes the cost of providing a temporary replacement wheelchair to the consumer.
(Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 461, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1996.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018