AN ACT to require manufacturers to honor fix or replace warranties within 45 days.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  The title of Article 43 of Chapter 66 of the General Statutes reads as rewritten:

Article 43.

Service Agreements.Agreements and Warranties.

SECTION 2.  Article 43 of Chapter 66 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

§ 66‑375.  Home appliance manufacturer warranties.

If a manufacturer of a home appliance, as defined by G.S. 66‑371(b)(1), gives an express or implied warranty that the manufacturer will fix or replace a defective appliance, and the appliance is defective to the extent that it cannot serve the purpose for which it was purchased, the manufacturer must honor the warranty by tendering, within no more than 45 days, one of the following to the appliance purchaser:

(1)        The purchaser's repaired appliance.

(2)        A replacement appliance.

(3)        A detailed explanation as to why the damage to the appliance is not covered by warranty.

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to purchases of home appliances made on or after that date.