Section 10-1-782. Definitions

   Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, as used in this article, the term:

   (1) "Adjusted capitalized cost" means the amount shown as the adjusted capitalized cost in the lease agreement.

   (2) "Administrator" means the administrator appointed pursuant to Code Section 10-1-395 or his or her designee.

   (3) "Authorized agent" means any person, including a franchised motor vehicle dealer, who is authorized by the manufacturer to service motor vehicles.

   (4) "Collateral charges" means charges incurred by a consumer as a result of the purchase of a new motor vehicle including, but not limited to, charges attributable to factory or dealer installed options, sales tax and title charges, and earned finance charges.

   (5) "Consumer" means each of the following:

      (A) A person who purchases or leases a new motor vehicle for personal, family, or household use and not for the purpose of selling or leasing the new motor vehicle to another person; and

      (B) A person who purchases or leases ten or fewer new motor vehicles a year for business purposes other than limousine rental services.

   (6) "Days" means calendar days.

   (7) "Express warranty" means a warranty which is given by the manufacturer in writing.

   (8) "Incidental costs" means any reasonable expenses incurred by a consumer in connection with the repair of a new motor vehicle, including, but not limited to, payments to new motor vehicle dealers for the attempted repair of nonconformities, towing charges, and the costs of obtaining alternative transportation.

   (9) "Informal dispute settlement mechanism" means any procedure established, employed, utilized, or sponsored by a manufacturer for the purpose of resolving disputes with consumers under this article.

   (10) "Lemon law rights period" means the period ending two years after the date of the original delivery of a new motor vehicle to a consumer or the first 24,000 miles of operation after delivery of a new motor vehicle to the original consumer, whichever occurs first. The lemon law rights period shall be extended by one day for each day that repair services are not available to the consumer as a direct result of a strike, war, invasion, terrorist act, blackout, fire, flood, other disaster, or declared state of emergency.

   (11) "Lessee" means any consumer who enters into a written lease agreement or contract to lease a new motor vehicle for a period of at least one year and is responsible for repairs to such vehicle.

   (12) "Lessee cost" means the aggregate payment made by the lessee at the inception of the lease agreement or contract, inclusive of any allowance for a trade-in vehicle, and all other lease payments made by or on behalf of the lessee to the lessor.

   (13) "Lessor" means a person who holds title to a new motor vehicle that is leased to a consumer under a written lease agreement or contract or who holds the lessor's rights under such agreement.

   (14) "Manufacturer" means any person engaged in the business of constructing or assembling new motor vehicles or engaged in the business of importing or receiving imports of new motor vehicles into the United States for the purpose of selling or distributing them to new motor vehicle dealers.

   (15) "New motor vehicle" means any self-propelled vehicle primarily designed for the transportation of persons or property over the public highways that was leased, purchased, or registered in this state by the consumer or lessor to whom the original motor vehicle title was issued without previously having been issued to any person other than a new motor vehicle dealer. The term "new motor vehicle" does not include any vehicle on which the title and other transfer documents show a used, rather than new, vehicle. The term "new motor vehicle" also does not include trucks with more than 12,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, motorcycles, or golf carts. If a new motor vehicle is a motor home, this article shall apply to the self-propelled vehicle and chassis, but does not include those portions of the vehicle designated, used, or maintained primarily as living quarters, office, or commercial space.

   (16) "New motor vehicle dealer" means a person who holds a dealer agreement with a manufacturer for the sale of new motor vehicles, who is engaged in the business of purchasing, selling, servicing, exchanging, leasing, or dealing in new motor vehicles, or who is licensed or otherwise authorized to utilize trademarks or service marks associated with one or more makes of motor vehicles in connection with such sales.

   (17) "Nonconformity" means a defect, a serious safety defect, or a condition, any of which substantially impairs the use, value, or safety of a new motor vehicle to the consumer or renders the new motor vehicle nonconforming to a warranty. A nonconformity does not include a defect, a serious safety defect, or a condition that is the result of abuse, neglect, or unauthorized modification or alteration of the new motor vehicle.

   (18) "Panel" means the new motor vehicle arbitration panel as designated in this article.

   (19) "Person" shall have the same meaning as provided in Code Section 10-1-392.

   (20) "Purchase price" means, in the case of a sale of a new motor vehicle to a consumer, the cash price of the new motor vehicle appearing in the sales agreement or contract, inclusive of any reasonable allowance for a trade-in vehicle. In the case of a lease executed by a consumer, "purchase price" refers to the agreed upon value of the vehicle as shown in the lease agreement or contract.

   (21) "Reacquired vehicle" means a new motor vehicle with an alleged nonconformity that has been replaced or repurchased by the manufacturer as the result of any court order or judgment, arbitration decision, voluntary settlement entered into between a manufacturer and the consumer, or voluntary settlement between a new motor vehicle dealer and a consumer in which the manufacturer directly or indirectly participated.

   (22) "Reasonable number of attempts" under the lemon law rights period shall be as set forth in subsection (a) of Code Section 10-1-784.

   (23) "Reasonable offset for use" means an amount calculated by multiplying the purchase price of a vehicle by the number of miles directly attributable to consumer use as of the date on which the consumer first delivered the vehicle to the manufacturer, its authorized agent, or the new motor vehicle dealer for repair of a nonconformity and dividing the product by 120,000, or in the case of a motor home 90,000.

   (24) "Replacement motor vehicle" means a new motor vehicle that is identical or at least equivalent to the motor vehicle to be replaced as the motor vehicle to be replaced existed at the time of purchase or execution of the lease.

   (25) "Serious safety defect" means a life-threatening defect or a malfunction that impedes the consumer's ability to control or operate the motor vehicle for ordinary use or reasonable intended purposes or creates a risk of fire or explosion.

   (26) "Superior court" means the superior court in the county where the consumer resides, except if the consumer does not reside in this state, then the superior court in the county where an arbitration hearing was conducted pursuant to this article.

   (27) "Warranty" means any manufacturer's express warranty or any affirmation of fact or promise made by the manufacturer in connection with the sale of a new motor vehicle to a consumer concerning the vehicle's materials, workmanship, operation, or performance which becomes part of the basis of the bargain. The term shall not include any extended coverage purchased by the consumer as a separate item or any statements made by the dealer in connection with the sale of a motor vehicle to a consumer which relate to the nature of the material or workmanship and affirm or promise that such material or workmanship is free of defects or will meet a specified level of performance.

Code 1981, § 10-1-782, enacted by Ga. L. 2008, p. 746, § 1/HB 470.