Sacramento

Squeezing the Lemon: The Judiciary Committee of the state Senate on Tuesday will take up a bill revising the state’s lemon law. The measure has already cleared the Assembly. It would require auto manufacturers to provide greater disclosure to consumers buying “lemons”--cars offered for sale by dealers or at auction after being repurchased from their original owners to settle warranty disputes. The bill would require manufacturers to stamp “factory buyback” on title documents and on a sticker located on the left door jam. Manufacturers would also be required to disclose what was wrong with the car and whether it was fixed. Currently, manufacturers are required to indicate on the title documents whether a car has been repurchased under the lemon law. The state Department of Motor Vehicles has been investigating the improper resale of lemons. General Motors Corp. has settled charges and a case against Chrysler Corp. is pending. Some consumer groups think the bill does not go far enough.