322G.6 - INFORMAL DISPUTE SETTLEMENT PROCEDURES -- OPERATIONS AND CERTIFICATION.

        322G.6  INFORMAL DISPUTE SETTLEMENT PROCEDURES --      OPERATIONS AND CERTIFICATION.         1.  At the time of the consumer's purchase or lease of the      vehicle, a manufacturer who has established a program certified      pursuant to this section shall, at a minimum, clearly and      conspicuously disclose to the consumer in written materials      accompanying the vehicle how and where to file a claim with the      program.         2.  A certified program shall be funded and competently staffed at      a level sufficient to ensure fair and expeditious resolution of all      disputes, and shall not charge consumers any fee for use of the      program.  The manufacturer shall take all steps necessary to ensure      that a certified program and its staff and decision makers are      sufficiently insulated from the manufacturer so that the performance      of the staff and the decisions of the decision makers are not      influenced by the manufacturer.  Such steps, at a minimum, shall      ensure that the manufacturer does not make decisions on whether a      consumer's dispute proceeds to the decision maker.  Staff and      decision makers of a certified program shall be trained in the      provisions of this chapter and rules adopted under this chapter.         3.  A certified program shall allow an oral presentation by a      party, or by a party's employee, agent, or representative.         Within five days following the consumer's notification to the      certified program of the dispute, the program shall inform each party      of their right to make an oral presentation.         Meetings of a certified program to hear and decide disputes shall      be open to observers, including either party to the dispute, on      reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms.         4.  A certified program shall render a decision no later than      sixty days from the day of the consumer's notification of the      dispute, provided that a significant number of decisions are rendered      within forty days.  For the purposes of this section, notification is      deemed to have occurred when a certified program has received the      consumer's name and address; the current date and the date of the      original delivery of the motor vehicle to a consumer; the year, make,      model, and identification number of the motor vehicle; and a      description of the nonconformity.  If the consumer has not previously      notified the manufacturer of the nonconformity, the sixty-day period      is extended for an additional seven days.         5.  A certified program shall, in rendering decisions, take into      account the provisions of this chapter and all legal and equitable      factors germane to a fair and just decision.  The decision shall      disclose to the consumer and the manufacturer the reasons for the      decision, and the manufacturer's required actions, if applicable.  If      the decision is in favor of the consumer, the consumer shall have up      to twenty-five days from the date of receipt of the certified      program's decision to indicate acceptance of the decision.  The      decision shall prescribe a reasonable period of time, not to exceed      thirty days from the date the consumer notifies the manufacturer of      acceptance of the decision, within which the manufacturer must      fulfill the terms of the decision.  If the manufacturer has had a      reasonable number of attempts to conform a motor vehicle to the      warranty as set forth in section 322G.4, subsection 3, including a      final attempt by the manufacturer to repair the motor vehicle, if      undertaken as provided for in section 322G.4, subsection 1, and the      consumer is entitled to a replacement vehicle or a refund under      section 322G.4, subsection 2, the decision shall be limited to relief      as allowed under section 322G.4, subsection 2.  In an action brought      by a consumer under this chapter, the decision of a certified program      is admissible in evidence.         6.  A certified program shall establish written procedures which      explain operation of the certified program.  Copies of the written      procedures shall be made available to any person upon request and      shall be sent to the consumer upon notification of the dispute.         7.  A certified program shall retain all records for each dispute      for at least four years after the final disposition of the dispute.      A certified program shall have an independent audit conducted      annually to determine whether the manufacturer and its performance      and the program and its implementation are in compliance with this      chapter.  All records for each dispute shall be available for the      audit.  Such audit, upon completion, shall be forwarded to the      attorney general.         8.  Any manufacturer licensed to sell motor vehicles in this state      may apply to the attorney general for certification of its program.      A manufacturer seeking certification of its program in this state      shall submit to the attorney general an application for certification      on a form prescribed by the attorney general.         9.  A program certified in this state or a program established by      a manufacturer applying for certification in this state shall submit      to the attorney general a copy of each settlement approved by the      program or decision made by the decision maker within thirty days      after the settlement is reached or the decision is rendered.  The      decision or settlement shall contain information prescribed by the      attorney general.         10.  The attorney general shall review the operations of any      certified program at least once annually.  The attorney general shall      prepare annual and periodic reports evaluating the operation of      certified programs serving consumers in this state or programs      established by motor vehicle manufacturers applying for certification      in this state.  The reports shall indicate whether certification      should be granted, renewed, denied, or revoked.         11.  If a manufacturer has established a program which the      attorney general has certified as substantially complying with the      provisions of and the rules adopted under this chapter, and has      informed the consumer how and where to file a claim with the program      pursuant to subsection 1, the provisions of section 322G.4,      subsection 2, do not apply to any consumer who has not first resorted      to the program.  
         Section History: Recent Form
         91 Acts, ch 153, §6         Referred to in § 322G.7, 322G.15