Disclosure of Gray Market Vehicles

A Gray Market Vehicle is a vehicle that is normally sold in the United States with an express written warranty, but has been imported through a channel other than a manufacturer’s authorized distributor, and therefore does not have an express warranty that is valid in the United States.

A Gray Market Vehicle must be disclosed to the potential buyer. California also requires that the Gray Market Vehicle have a conspicuous sign next to where the vehicle is displayed and a conspicuous ticket, label, or tag attached to the vehicle that discloses that the vehicle is not covered by a manufacturer's express written warranty that valid in the United States, if the vehicle is not compatible with United States electrical currents, if the vehicle is not compatible with United States broadcast frequencies, if replacement parts are not available through the manufacturer's United States distributors, if compatible accessories are not available through the manufacturer's United States distributors, if the Vehicle is not accompanied by instructions in English, if the vehicle is not eligible for a manufacturer's rebate as well as any other incompatibility or nonconformity with relevant domestic standards known to the seller.

The only exception to any of the required disclosures above would be if the protections and other benefits that are provided to the buyer by the express written warranty provided by the retail seller are equal to or better than the protections and other benefits that are provided to buyers in the United States of America by the manufacturer's express written warranty that normally accompanies the goods as long as the express written warranty conforms to the requirements of the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1790)), including, but not limited to, the warranty disclosure standards specified in Section 1793.1, and the standards applicable to service and repair facilities specified in Section 1793.2., and the retail seller has posted a conspicuous sign at the product's point of sale or display, or has affixed to the product or its package a conspicuous ticket, label, or tag that informs prospective buyers that copies of all of the warranties applicable to the products offered for sale by the retail seller are available to prospective buyers for inspection upon request and the retail seller has complied with the provisions on presale availability of written warranties set forth in the regulations of the Federal Trade Commission adopted pursuant to the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty-Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act (see 15 U.S.C.A. Sec. 2302(b)(1)(A) and 16 C.F.R. 702.1 et seq.). The seller would still be obligated to disclose any of the other requirements if they existed. A Vehicle that was manufactured for the United States will say “United States” or refer to “Federal Standards” on the motor vehicle safety standards decal located on the driver’s door or under the hood. If the Vehicle is from Canada it will have a maple leaf sticker that says “Canada.” If neither decal nor sticker is found, then the vehicle is from another country.

Gray market Vehicles are not protected under the CA Lemon Law or the Federal Lemon Law and can often be subjected to odometer fraud when the odometer’s mileage is changed from Kilometers to miles.

If you suspect that your vehicle was an Undisclosed Gray Market Vehicle, or that the actual miles of your odometer may have been altered when the mileage was converted from kilometers to miles, Then either give us a call at 213-612-7701 or fill out our FREE Vehicle Evaluation Form and one of our CA Dealer Fraud Attorneys will review your case to discuss what legal options are available to you.