Impossible!

That's what Toyota North America COO Jack Hollis calls the demand by California and 16 other states that 35% of 2026 model year vehicles be zero-emission or electric.

California also added a tax of 68 cents per gallon that is going into effect at the first of the year. The state is making gas and hybrid vehicles unaffordable.

Said Hollis, “I have not seen a forecast by anyone … government or private, anywhere, that has told us that that number is achievable. At this point, it looks impossible.”

He continued, “Demand isn’t there. It’s going to limit a customer’s choice of the vehicles they want.”

Welcome to the party. This is what we've been saying for years.

Automaker Stellantis — which owns Jeep — no doubt agrees. Stellantis made gasoline-powered non-hybrid Jeeps available only as a special-order vehicle in California and other states that have adopted California Air Resources Board Standards.

This has hurt Stellantis, which last week announced it would lay off 1,100 UAW-represented employees at the automaker’s Toledo South Assembly Plant in Ohio. This is where the company built the Jeep Gladiator.

Under California’s Advanced Clean Cars mandate, automakers must either sell enough cars or buy enough credits for the equivalent of 35% of their vehicles sold in California to qualify as zero-emission vehicles.

What's more, only 20% of these can be plug-in hybrids; the other 15% must be all-electric.

Automakers will pay a $20,000 fine per ZEV credit they are short, meaning carmakers will have to either buy credits from other automakers with excess credits or sell fewer non-ZE vehicles. Which means cars will get more expensive.

The Advanced Clean Cars mandate applies to Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington for model year 2026 and Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Washington, D.C., for model year 2027.

As we often point out, no carmaker will make cars for one state, so expect prices to rise in all 50.

And why isn't demand there? One strike against EVs in California is the high cost of electricity.

Energy prices in California are so high that the California Air Resources Board says the state is near the point at which it’s cheaper to propel a car on gasoline than it is on electricity. Last week, the CARB voted to create a $105 billion credit for EV charger operators, to be paid for with rising carbon emissions fees on the petroleum refineries that produce gasoline and diesel. The CARB estimates the measure will create a 47 cent-per-gallon pass-through cost for gasoline in 2025.

California also added a tax of 68 cents per gallon that is going into effect at the first of the year. The state is making gas and hybrid vehicles unaffordable.

The state believes that by raising the price of gasoline and subsidizing electric vehicle charging, the CARB’s new Low Carbon Fuel Standard can incentivize more Californians to get out of gasoline-powered cars and either acquire electric vehicles or take public transportation.

What it will accomplish in reality is to infuriate California drivers. I expect it to go about as well in any other state foolish enough to try it.

California is able to pass its own emissions standards via a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency, first granted to deal with Los Angeles' smog problem in the latter half of the 20th century.

The Obama administration ordered an expansion of California’s waiver beyond just pollution to include emissions as well. In 2019, the Trump administration revoked California’s EPA waiver, a move that was held up in courts until the Biden administration put the waiver back into place in 2021.

It’s likely that the second Trump administration could revoke California’s EPA waiver once it takes office in January, which would — if upheld in court — invalidate many of the emissions programs created by California and the other states that follow.

We will be watching and reporting as this develops.

Ford's plan to turn the inside of your car into one big eavesdropping, ad-spewing smartphone

Be careful what you say while driving — your car may be listening.

Automaker Ford has recently applied for a patent for what it calls the“In-Vehicle Advertisement Presentation System.”

If this doesn’t anger you, wait till you're bombarded with texts, messages on your center screen, and more garbage emails.

This technology uses in-car microphones to listen to passengers’ conversations and display targeted advertisements. It can also analyze voice commands and navigation data to serve relevant ads, like promoting local businesses or services.

This is no doubt welcome news for those of us who can't get enough of billboards — or those of us who've always wished our vehicles could invade our privacy as much as our smartphones do.

The Ford patent is just one of the ways automakers are exploring ways to monetize user data — a sign that the days of the automobile as a sanctuary for private conversations are coming to a close.

But the Ford Global Technologies patent is particularly invasive, demonstrating insidious “systems and methods” to bombard you with personalized ads.

Not only would the new technology be able to listen to conversations, it would also capture and analyze data such as vehicle location, speed, and traffic conditions.

The system would also use information on the driver’s destination and location history to predict what kind and what length ads to show them.

Listening to passengers' conversations would also help the company learn how they react to the ads and the best times to run them through audio and human-machine interface systems installed in the car.

The application also mentions using historical user data and third-party app information to refine ad targeting.

Ford has shrugged off any privacy concerns.

"Submitting patent applications is a normal part of any strong business as the process protects new ideas and helps us build a robust portfolio of intellectual property," a Ford spokesperson told the Record. "The ideas described within a patent application should not be viewed as an indication of our business or product plans."

In other words: We're not really doing it ... and it's good that we're doing it.

In a follow-up statement, Ford said it "will always put the customer first in the decision-making behind the development and marketing of new products and services."

The patent application does not offer specifics regarding data-protection measures, likely adding to the unease expressed by privacy advocates.

While such a system would rely heavily on data, the patent doesn’t show the collected data would be protected. Nevertheless, as with many issued patents, the released document doesn’t guarantee that the invention will be implemented in the future.

It also should be noted that auto manufacturers have been found to sell data about drivers' habits behind the wheel to auto insurance companies, which is then used to set insurance rates. This suggests that they view user data as another revenue stream to market to interested parties other than advertisers.

If this doesn’t anger you, wait till you're bombarded with texts, messages on your center screen, and more garbage emails.

Ford has filed other patent applications that have raised privacy concerns. One recent example is a patent for "Systems and Methods for Detecting Speeding Violations." We have covered this on our channel.

And another controversial patent, which Ford later abandoned after widespread criticism, proposed a system for repossessing vehicles from owners who had missed payments. The system would either direct self-driving cars to repossession lots or disable standard vehicles by locking their steering wheels, brakes, and air conditioning.

For more on this, see the video below:

Why state mileage taxes violate your constitutional rights

Does your state charge you for every mile you drive?

Oregon's been doing it since 2015. Utah since 2020. And more states are planning to follow suit.

There's just one problem: So-called mileage taxes are blatantly unconstitutional.

The right to travel freely is a fundamental right; as such, it is protected under the Privileges and Immunities Clause of Article IV and the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment.

The $1.2 trillion "Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal" Sec. 13002 contains provisions that implement a federal per-mile user fee on drivers of passenger vehicles and requires carmakers to build driver monitoring technology.

How will the government check your mileage? Look no farther than your smartphone, which knows where you are and how fast you're going. Oh, and it listens to what you're saying, too.

Leave it to California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) to take such an Orwellian idea and run with it. He wants to install special GPS odometers in both gas and electric cars (as well as motorcycles) in order to charge Californians three cents for each mile driven.

Don't worry, these new tracking devices will stop charging you the minute you leave the state — honest!

Newsom claims the new by-the-mile system will let the state get rid of its gasoline tax — but don't hold your breath. At any rate, this mileage tax shouldn't be on the table at all — in any state.

In its 1868 decision Crandall v. State of Nevada, the Supreme Court ruled that states cannot impose taxes or regulations that burden the right of individuals to travel freely, including the modes of travel they use. The case specifically addressed Nevada's attempt to tax individuals leaving the state by various means of conveyance, such as stagecoaches or steamboats.

The right to travel freely is a fundamental right; as such, it is protected under the Privileges and Immunities Clause of Article IV and the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment.

The Court's reasoning was grounded in the principle that such taxes would infringe upon a fundamental right and exceed the permissible scope of state taxation powers.

Since all citizens have the right to move around freely, a state cannot impose taxes that interfere with their ability to leave.

The bottom line is the government does not have the right to charge you by the mile, no matter what these legislators may think. But legal niceties are of little interest to budding authoritarians looking for more cash from their subjects.

Now is the time to fight back against these laws before our rights as drivers — and as citizens — are eroded any further.

Trump takes the wheel: Can he put the US auto industry back in the fast lane?

What's in store for the auto industry once Trump's in the driver's seat?

A lot of automakers are hoping the country can switch lanes. Under Biden, it's been a bit of a road to nowhere, with current regulations mandating strict fuel efficiency and emissions standards by 2030.

This year’s election promises to be more consequential to the automotive industry than any previous election.

These standards, of course, are meant to steer the industry toward electric vehicles. One problem: The consumer demand just isn't there, at least in the near term. Factor in the substantially higher production cost of EVs compared to traditional gasoline and hybrid models, and the government is asking these companies to take a huge financial risk.

Volkswagen Group and Stellantis are two automotive giants already feeling the pain of too much investment in EVs, as their recent cost-cutting measures demonstrate.

Shifting gears

Expect the Trump-Vance administration to shift away from the electric vehicle mandates, though the degree of pullback is unknown. Given the level of resources both domestic and foreign automakers have already invested in EV production and the multi-year timeline required to change product plans, a substantial reduction in EV incentives and sales will still prove costly for the industry.

The uncertainty surrounding political shifts has long been one of the most challenging aspects of running a successful car company. This year’s election promises to be more consequential to the automotive industry than any previous election.

An impossible path

The disconnect between current electric vehicle regulations and real-world consumer demand has put traditional automakers on an impossible path. They've invested billions in rapid EV development even as sales have lagged and cars have piled up on dealer lots.

We expect the Trump administration to carefully assess and ultimately replace the existing MPG mandates (a de facto EV mandate) with a policy that better recognizes market reality.

While this will be a net positive for traditional automakers, it could mean even slower growth in EV sales and a tougher road ahead for electric vehicle brands like Lucid, Rivian, and Tesla.

We wonder if Trump's new BFF, Elon Musk, will have anything to say about that. Perhaps Tesla's market dominance — as well as its exemption from tariffs as an American-made car — will let it continue to thrive. Musk is nothing if not resourceful.

CARB cutting

Once Trump takes office in January, he could quickly roll back these onerous emissions standards by executive order.

Some questions remain: How soon until the automaker CEOs make formal requests to Trump to abolish the EV mandate? Can we finally abolish the California Air Resources Board?

California has long had outsized power to drive the national EV agenda. The state not only leads the country in EV adoption, it is also responsible for creating the Zero-Emission Vehicle program, which requires new vehicles to reach 100% zero-emission and clean plug-in hybrid-electric status in California by the 2035 model year.

So far, 16 other states have adopted the ZEV program; the average number of EVs per 10,000 residents in those states is more than double what it is in non-ZEV states.

But with Trump’s advisers already planning to revisit the Clean Air Act waivers that allow California to enforce its own, stricter pollution standards, the Golden State's grip on the kind of cars Americans get to drive could be weakening.

We will be watching all the new rules and regulations and will keep you posted.

Don't throw away money on your car lease — read this first

Leasing's a great way to save on costs, but sometimes even the most unsentimental motorists find themselves catching feelings — and wanting to settle down.

If this is you, you may want to consider buying out your lease — especially if you have low miles and want a new(ish) car without committing to a huge monthly payment

But imagine you can get a good deal on your lease and the residual value is lower than expected. Leasing could let you avoid getting locked into a car until you know it fits your lifestyle.

Here's how to determine whether a lease buyout is the right financial move for you.

When should you lease before buying?

A lease buyout is a good idea if you are ready to drive a vehicle long-term rather than going ahead with a new lease. If you want lower initial payments before committing to a car loan, leasing with the intent to purchase could be a good option.

It is not the right choice if you are the type of driver who always wants the latest model.

To decide whether to lease or buy, add the total cost of leasing a car, including upfront fees, to the car’s projected residual value at the end of the lease.

Then compare that number to the car’s sale price plus all fees and factor that over the life of the car loan. See which number is lower.

Sometimes, leasing and then buying is more expensive than buying outright. This is especially true if you exceed the dealer’s mileage limits or the residual value at the end of the lease is much higher than anticipated.

But imagine you can get a good deal on your lease and the residual value is lower than expected. Leasing could let you avoid getting locked into a car until you know it fits your lifestyle.

Before choosing the make and model of your potential lease, weigh your typical driving habits.

How long do you want to drive the car?

If you hope to buy or lease the newest model in fewer than two years, it doesn’t make sense to lease and then purchase the vehicle. It's difficult to know whether your car’s residual value will increase or decrease over the lease term.

But if it decreases and you decide to keep the car for a short period, you’ll likely owe more than the car is worth, and the money will have to come out-of-pocket to swap it out.

How many miles do you typically drive a year?

Leases come with annual mileage limits. Typically 10,000, 12,000, or 15,000 miles. If you exceed those limits, purchasing your vehicle after the lease might save you from excess mileage fees. But be sure that those fees outweigh the price you’ll pay to purchase the vehicle.

Will you truly save money?

Compare a new monthly vehicle payment to a lease payment. Also, factor in:

The purchase price
The security deposit
The acquisition fee
Documentation fees

If you would pay more while leasing to buy, it might be smarter to buy the vehicle outright rather than leasing it first.

How to buy out a car lease

1. Weigh your financing options

Get at least three different auto loan rates for a car purchase or a lease before signing off. The more offers you have in front of you, the better your chance of receiving a good deal.

It can also help you determine whether leasing a different vehicle or buying the car you’ve been driving will be more affordable over time. Shopping for a lease buyout loan should be approached with securing a traditional loan.

Consider getting the vehicle checked before deciding to go through with a buyout. Depending on how long you have had the lease, you may be under the factory warranty and get necessary repairs cheaply. You shouldn’t purchase the vehicle if it is in poor condition, but be prepared to cover excessive wear and tear with fees charged by the dealer.

2. Negotiate the price

Often, companies have a no-negotiations rule for the purchase price of a lease buyout, leaving little opportunity for haggling. Still, it can’t hurt to raise the subject. Ask the seller to consider a few concessions, like:

Waiving the purchase-option fee
Offering purchase incentives
Discounted financing

Experts point to the purchase-option fee as a sticking point many sellers are willing to take off the table.

3. Weigh the costs

Only go ahead if you are getting a great deal on both the lease and the payoff amount. If it would be cheaper to buy your car upfront or if you think you’ll want the car for a long time, skip the lease. Just buy a car directly instead.

Is the auto industry headed for a crash?

Plant closures in Europe. Layoffs in America. Plunging sales everywhere.

The auto industry is in trouble — and we could all end up suffering the consequences.

EV woes have hit Ford as well. Later this month, the carmaker will suspend operations at its F-150 Lightning EV plant for the rest of year.

Let's start with Volkswagen. The company stands proud as the biggest carmaker in Europe, and it has never closed a factory in its home country of Germany.

Until now.

Punch buggy blues

At the end of October, the company asked workers to take a 10% pay cut as part of an ongoing campaign to cut costs across the VW Group. Industry insiders fear that domestic plant closures — the first in the company's 87-year history — could be next, with up to three German factories shutting down, costing more than 100,000 jobs.

“Management is absolutely serious about all this. This is not saber-rattling in the collective bargaining round,” warned Volkswagen works council head Daniela Cavallo in a speech to employees.

These cuts would reduce the number of domestic plants to seven and cut the workforce by a third.

The plants that do stay open would also endure cost-cutting measures, according to a separate report, with downsizing and wage freezes on the table.

VW aims to save about €10 billion (roughly $10.8 billion USD) by 2026.

Thomas Schaefer, the head of the Volkswagen brand, has previously noted that German factories are operating at between 25% and 50% above targeted costs. This is largely due to Europe’s high energy costs, which German carmakers say are four times higher than in China and the United States.

Compounding this problem are increased competition from Chinese brands and a lack of demand for electric cars.

Volkswagen hasn’t commented on the report, and it hasn’t announced plant closures or layoffs yet.

Previously, Volkswagen had considered buying Audi's struggling EV plant in Brussels. Those plans changed, and with no other suitable buyers on the horizon, the plant may close its doors for good.

The outlook isn't much sunnier stateside, either.

GM feels the heat

General Motors is laying off some 1,000 software workers globally, 600 of whom are employed at its tech center in Warren, Michigan.

In a memo to workers obtained by Automotive News, GM said the cuts were to enable it to “move faster, pivot when needed, and prioritize investing in what will have the greatest impact.”

This is certainly a pivot from the last several years, in which GM has been expanding its software team to help with its electrification and autonomous efforts. The company had predicted that those services could generate $25 billion in revenue by 2030.

While General Motors has claimed that these cuts target "software and service" employees, that's not exactly true. The layoffs come from GM's Ultium division, which is the sub-EV company GM created to differentiate it from its gasoline engine department.

I can confirm that Ultium has let go a number of thermal engineers without warning. Thermal engineers, as you might guess, are crucial to thermal management: keeping EV batteries, power electronic systems, and motors from overheating.

Is this a sign that GM is no longer all-in on electric and is drastically reducing R&D on future EVs?

Sure looks like it.

Ford's loser Lightning

EV woes have hit Ford as well. Later this month, the carmaker will suspend operations at its F-150 Lightning EV plant for the rest of year.

The highly touted electric pickup loses the company $40,000 on each vehicle sold. Hardly sustainable, especially given that Ford's Q3 net income is down 26%, and cost issues have caused it to drop its full-year adjusted earnings projection to around $10 billion.

Mercedes: Bust in class

The luxury car market isn't what it used to be, either.

Mercedes Benz has cut production on its S-Class line in response to declining sales: down 13% in China, 19% in the U.S., and 27% in Europe. The high-end vehicles have been rolling off the company's cutting-edge Factory 56 assembly line in Germany since 2020 — always in at least two shifts.

Now, for the first time since Mercedes opened what it touts as the most modern car factory in the world, one shift will suffice.

The plant also builds the electric EQS as well as Maybach and AMG models. Mercedes will refresh the S-Class next year, so demand could pick back up with a new model.

Ram tough

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has been heaping scorn on his previous U.S. management team and no wonder: Third-quarter sales in North America were a disaster, falling 20%, and down 17% for the year.

That's bad news for iconic American brands Jeep, RAM, Dodge, and Chrysler — and it has investors heading for the exits.

But times are tough all over for the car conglomerate. Sales in Europe fell 17%, with even Maserati relegated to the slow lane with a stunning 60% drop.

Business isn't much better in China, India, and Asia Pacific, where sales fell 30%.

Border run

And in a move that is sure to infuriate the UAW, Tavares plans to move production of Ram's full-size 1500 pickup truck from the U.S. to its Saltillo, Mexico, plant, which already produces Ram heavy-duty pickups and vans.

While Mexico offers lower labor costs, no doubt the move is also to prevent the UAW from choking off production during any future strike. We think that’s the same reason Ford moved part of its heavy-duty truck production to Canada. It’s a game of chess, and both Ford and Stellantis are working to escape checkmate.

For more on the ongoing car industry crisis, check out my video below:

7 tips for getting the best car loan possible

If you’re considering buying a car, odds are you’re thinking about getting an auto loan as well.

Below are seven crucial tips about auto loans that will help you find a financing solution that’s a good fit for your needs so that when the time actually comes to buy a car, you’ll be ready to roll.

1. Aim for shorter terms

If your financial situation allows for it, choosing a shorter loan term offers certain advantages.

Not only will the interest rates be lower the shorter the term, but you’ll save by paying less overall for your vehicle. Plus, you’ll be on the path to paying it off sooner.

If you can’t afford the monthly loan payment on the car you want with a shorter-term loan, then you might consider waiting until you can make a slightly larger down payment.

2. Pay it down

Whatever your dream car may be, the bigger your down payment on it, the lower your interest rate will be. At a minimum, you should try to put down at least 20%. The general rule of thumb is that for every $1,000 you put down, your monthly payment will decrease roughly $18.

3. Time it right

Timing is everything, especially when it comes to buying a car. If you can, wait until the later months like October, November, or December to shop.

Also, try to look later in the month and earlier in the week, as these are the times when salespeople are trying to meet their quotas and therefore are more likely to negotiate down to lower prices.

4. Cover those taxes & fees

Among the things that are often overlooked until the end of the car-buying process are the taxes and fees. If you can, try to account for these in the beginning of the process and pay them off in cash. It may sound like a small detail, but it can save you hundreds of dollars over the course of your loan.

5. Refinance & save

There are many situations where refinancing your existing car loan can save you money. Your credit may have improved or maybe you just want to lower your monthly payments.

Whatever your situation may be, refinancing may be the quickest way to a better interest rate. Try this calculator to see if refinancing might be right for you.

6. Consider going through a credit union

While credit unions can help you consolidate an existing auto loan, they're also a good first choice to finance a loan.

Walking into a dealership with an already-approved auto loan from a credit union gives you a stronger bargaining position. See if the dealership can beat the rate you have.

7. Use conquest and loyalty discounts

If you are buying a new car, never leave this discount behind. The amount can be $500-$2500 to keep your loyalty or to get you to buy into a competing brand.

Get your car ready for winter now before prices rise

We're midway through fall, and that means it's time — if you haven't gotten around to it yet — to do the automotive version of spring cleaning: a winter tune-up.

Everyone else is doing this too, so prices for services tend to increase this time of year — but you still may be able to save some money if you act sooner rather than later.

Getting your car maintenance done when the mileage points are met per the service schedule can save you up to $1,200 per year. You can do some repairs yourself, but if you have no clue what you are doing, find an ASE-certified mechanic or technician to do the work for you.

Scheduling maintenance early not only guarantees better service availability but also helps drivers budget more effectively.

Tire inspection and rotation

Average cost: Typically ranges from $20 to $50 for rotation.
Fall price difference: Prices can increase by 10%-20% due to higher demand as drivers prepare for winter conditions.

When it comes to your car, tires are one of the most important maintenance items to keep up on. With winter on the way, you’ll want to inspect each tire for any damage as well as check its tread depth. You'll also want to rotate all four tires to ensure even wear.

Brake inspection

Average cost: Inspection is usually free, but replacing brake pads costs around $150-$300 per axle.
Fall price difference: Prices can increase by 5%-15% as more drivers service their brakes in anticipation of harsher driving conditions.

Brakes, of course, should also be kept in tip-top running order. It’s not just the actual brakes themselves but the rotors, pads, and fluid levels that keep the whole system running smoothly.

Battery check

Average cost: Battery testing is often free, but replacement costs between $75 and $200.
Fall price difference: Prices may rise by 5%-10% due to higher demand and potential supply chain issues.

An easy check you can most likely do yourself or have done for very little money at the end of summer: test your battery. Does it have a charge? Does the terminal need cleaning? Is it on its last legs, ready to be replaced?

Do it while the weather is still relatively warm. The cold puts a strain on batteries, draining them even faster than normal. You do not want to be out in freezing temperatures on the side of the road because your battery died.

Fluid top-up and replacement

Average cost: Oil changes usually cost $30-$70; coolant flushes around $100-$150.
Fall price difference: Service prices may increase by 5%-10%.

Fluid checks, flushes, and replacements are another simple and fairly cheap set of fix-it jobs ... that is, if you do it now.

All you have to do is make sure your essential fluids — brake fluid, windshield washer fluid, coolant, and oil — are full and clean. Should they happen to be dirty or low, you can have a mechanic flush the old fluids and replace them with new fluid or top off the levels if they are a little low.

These fluids are like the life-blood of your car, crucial to the performance of the engine and stopping cold weather-related problems before they start. Waiting until it’s chilly will only add to the amount you’ll have to pay for fluid maintenance, so take care of it while the weather is still mild.

HVAC system check

Average cost: Basic inspection costs around $50-$100.
Fall price difference: Prices can rise by 10%-15% due to higher service demand.

You’ve probably been using your car’s air conditioning a lot this summer, but have you checked whether the heat is also working? What about whether the ventilation is allowing the right flow of air?

Better to do it now than wait until winter sets in and you are frozen in the driver’s seat. Those who do not will find long lines at their local mechanics and high prices as a cold comfort toward the end of the year.

Wiper blade replacement

Average cost: New wiper blades cost around $20-$50.
Fall price difference: Prices typically remain stable but may see slight increases.

It's easy to tell when your wiper blades have kicked the bucket. However, this problem can seem less urgent during an Indian summer. But by the time leaves, rain, and snow start falling, it will be too late.

Ask your local mechanic to take care of it today or do it yourself to save a few extra bucks.

Neglecting any one of these repairs can leave you on the side of the road. Also, being proactive will save you money. Waiting almost always means much higher costs down the line in the form of more extensive repairs or lost resale value if you blow it off.

Is your car a lemon? How to tell — and what to do about it

Does your car spend more time in the shop than in your driveway? And for the same repairs, over and over again?

Congratulations — you might just have a lemon.

The term 'lemon' is often tossed around to refer to any beat-up car, but it’s actually a legal distinction, indicating a defective product that is therefore covered under applicable statutes and special lemon laws in your state.

Ok, it's not exactly something to celebrate, but the good news is you do have the leverage to seek a refund or replacement and maybe reimbursement for repairs.

All thanks to lemon laws.

What are lemon laws?

Before I talk about what lemon laws cover, let me be clear about what they don't: any complaints about a vehicle’s fundamental design or other non-critical issues such as squeaks and rattles, minor vibrations, or fading paint.

Lemon laws only apply to problems that either impair the normal operation of the vehicle or affect its value, intended use, or safety — problems that the manufacturer has failed to fix satisfactorily after ample opportunities to do so.

If you have a vehicle that breaks down or fails in some way, even frequently, but in different ways each time, then you're probably NOT going to be covered. The awful truth in that case is probably that you don't have legal grounds to be reimbursed; you simply have an unreliable, trouble-prone, or poorly designed car.

The term “lemon” is often tossed around to refer to any beat-up car, but it’s actually a legal distinction, indicating a defective product that is therefore covered under applicable statutes and special lemon laws in your state.

Lemon laws vary from state to state. In some states, used vehicles are covered, and in others, the law applies only to new vehicles. Some states may also include motorcycles and RVs in lemon laws.

How do I find my state's specific lemon law?

Check the Center for Automotive Safety for state-by-state lists, including details about what’s covered under lemon laws and contact numbers for more information on each state.

How do I know if my car is covered?

Here are three basic conditions you need for your car to qualify for lemon law coverage:

1. They’re doing the same repair over and over again.

The vehicle has an issue that's ongoing or has occurred repeatedly that you've first given the manufacturer (through a dealership service department) several chances to repair. Lemon law usually applies only after the manufacturer has tried to fix a particular problem three or four different times (depending on the state) and has failed to provide a lasting solution.

Again, if your car has had many different but unrelated repairs during the warranty period, then it is not covered by lemon law. Your best solution in that case would be to contact the manufacturer and inquire about the possibility of a warranty extension.

2. It’s a nearly new vehicle (to you).

Lemon law only applies during the first year or two and first 12,000 or 24,000 miles of vehicle ownership, depending on the state. Identification of the problem and all of the repair attempts must be made during this period. If the problem first occurred in the first year of ownership but subsequent repairs were not made until later years, then the vehicle will likely not be covered under lemon law.

3. You own rather than lease.

Lemon law does not usually apply to leased cars. That’s because the manufacturer or a bank is the actual owner of a leased car, and lemon law often only applies to the original buyer even if the car was bought used when less than a year old.

How do I strengthen my case?

1. Keep all your repair documentation.

Document each repair done during the warranty period. Keep all of your receipts. Consumer laws won’t apply unless you keep your own records as proof of all repairs done. Keep copies of the original repair order for each repair and make sure that the dealership correctly documents your problem and how long your car was in for the repair (In some states, 30 days in repair in the course of a year defines a lemon car). Also, make sure you get a repair invoice for repairs covered by technical service bulletins.

2. Create and keep your own documentation.

If a component of your car that has already been repaired fails in a situation where it puts your safety in jeopardy or causes an accident, document it with pictures, witnesses, and a police report, if applicable.

How do I file under lemon law?

Filing a complaint and getting the lemon law process underway again depends on what state you reside in and where you purchased the car.

In some states, filing a lemon law complaint involves no more than filling out a formal complaint form, but in many other states, it is a more complicated legal process and involves the hiring of an attorney.

In either case, the advice of an attorney who is familiar with your state’s lemon laws will increase your chance of getting the refund.

If satisfactory action still isn't taken, be sure to lodge a consumer complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Consumer complaints are the primary signal for the NHTSA to launch an investigation on a particular problem. This often leads to recalls (if it relates to safety in some way) or technical service bulletins regarding the problems.

NOTE: The 30-day lemon law for used cars means that if a car is being repaired for 30 days out of a year, it is a lemon. However, the nuances of the law vary by state. Whether or not the lemon law can be applied to a used car with no warranty depends on the issue with the car and the specifics of the state’s laws.

So never buy a car that says “no warranty expressed or implied” as you will have no protections. Buyer beware.

What if my car isn't covered?

In the case that the lemon law doesn’t apply to you or if lemon law doesn’t give you the retribution you desire, there are often other laws that may apply.

If your car is highly troublesome but not covered under lemon law, first try contacting the regional service representative of the manufacturer. Document and request return receipts for all communications. Manufacturers will often take generous actions to maintain their reputations.

I hope you don't need the above information. But if you do, I hope you find it useful — and don't get too frustrated with the process. We all know what they say about life giving you lemons.

Could a hacker blow up your EV remotely?

Pagers and walkie-talkies can be turned into remotely triggered bombs — so why not electric vehicles?

That was my first thought when I read about last month's coordinated attacks on Hezbollah — believed to have been orchestrated by Israel — in which pagers and walkie-talkies exploded across Lebanon, killing dozens and wounding thousands.

A thermal runaway event could be induced deliberately, even when the EV's 'ignition' is off — especially if a hacker gained access to the vehicle's battery management system.

While those devices appear to have been modified at some point during the supply chain, the principle behind turning them into deadly weapons is relatively simple: Heat the battery until it catches fire or explodes.

It could just as easily apply to EVs — as well as hybrids, plug-ins, or 48v cars, all of which use batteries much larger than in any handheld device.

Of course, these vehicles have a number of safety systems to prevent the battery from catching fire and overheating. But those safety systems run on software that can be hacked, especially since they are already years old by the time the vehicles are built and sold.

Roy Fridman, CEO and chief revenue officer for C2A Security, an Israel-based cybersecurity company focused on the automotive industry, recently said that one automaker told him that the software that controls a motor has two million lines of code. And that’s just the motor.

He stated, “You have hundreds of millions of lines of code inside a vehicle. If you were talking about autonomous vehicles, it's even more. But the number of lines of code in a vehicle is continuously growing.”

This code is vulnerable to exploitation thanks to wireless connections to the internet (for software updates) and to charging infrastructure. Vehicle-to-grid technology, which allows EV owners to sell their energy storage capacity to grid operators, requires connection to the electricity grid.

“The more communication protocols you have, the more lines of code you have, the more you are susceptible to [hacking],” Fridman said.

We already know the technology exists to disable cars remotely. Cybersecurity experts are also worried that EVs could be hacked to steal drivers' personal data.

As Fridman says, its plausible that someone could "create a battery overload and disable some of the protective mechanisms" within your car.

Lithium-ion batteries catch fire when they enter an uncontrolled, self-heating event called thermal runaway. Most often, it occurs due to damage or a defect in the battery. But such an event could be induced deliberately, even when the EV's "ignition" is off — especially if a hacker gained access to the vehicle's battery management system.

An overheated battery gives off toxic and flammable gases, which can cause an explosion. At the very least, it produces a smoldering, difficult-to-extinguish fire.

For more on this, see my video below: