Section 9880.1.

The following definitions apply for the purposes of this chapter:

(a) "Automotive repair dealer" means a person who, for compensation, engages in the business of repairing or diagnosing malfunctions of motor vehicles.

(b) "Chief" means the Chief of the Bureau of Automotive Repair.

(c) "Bureau" means the Bureau of Automotive Repair.

(d) "Motor vehicle" means a passenger vehicle required to be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles and all motorcycles whether or not required to be registered by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

(e) "Repair of motor vehicles" means all maintenance of and repairs to motor vehicles performed by an automotive repair dealer including automotive body repair work, but excluding those repairs made pursuant to a commercial business agreement and also excluding repairing tires, changing tires, lubricating vehicles, installing light bulbs, batteries, windshield wiper blades and other minor accessories, cleaning, adjusting, and replacing spark plugs, replacing fan belts, oil, and air filters, and other minor services, which the director, by regulation, determines are customarily performed by gasoline service stations.

No service shall be designated as minor, for purposes of this section, if the director finds that performance of the service requires mechanical expertise, has given rise to a high incidence of fraud or deceptive practices, or involves a part of the vehicle essential to its safe operation.

(f) "Person" includes firm, partnership, association, limited liability company, or corporation.

(g) An "automotive technician" is an employee of an automotive repair dealer or is that dealer, if the employer or dealer repairs motor vehicles and who for salary or wage performs maintenance, diagnostics, repair, removal, or installation of any integral component parts of an engine, driveline, chassis or body of any vehicle, but excluding repairing tires, changing tires, lubricating vehicles, installing light bulbs, batteries, windshield wiper blades, and other minor accessories; cleaning, replacing fan belts, oil and air filters; and other minor services which the director, by regulation, determines are customarily performed by a gasoline service station.

(h) "Director" means the Director of Consumer Affairs.

(i) "Commercial business agreement" means an agreement, whether in writing or oral, entered into between a business or commercial enterprise and an automobile repair dealer, prior to the repair which is requested being made, which agreement contemplates a continuing business arrangement under which the automobile repair dealer is to repair any vehicle covered by the agreement, but does not mean any warranty or extended service agreement normally given by an automobile repair facility to its customers.

(j) "Customer" means the person presenting a motor vehicle for repair and authorizing the repairs to that motor vehicle. "Customer" shall not mean the automotive repair dealer providing the repair services or an insurer involved in a claim that includes the motor vehicle being repaired or an employee or agent or a person acting on behalf of the dealer or insurer.

(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 874, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2005.)