Motor Vehicles

2025-2026 Bill 5242: Motor Vehicles - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 5242
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Rep. Pedalino
Document Path: LC-0493CM26.docx
Introduced in the House on February 24, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Labor, Commerce and Industry
Summary: Motor Vehicles
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

2/24/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 57
)

2/24/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Labor, Commerce and Industry
(
House Journal-page 57
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
02/24/2026

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING
SECTION
56-28-10
, RELATING TO TERMS AND THEIR DEFINITIONS REGARDING THE
ENFORCEMENT OF VEHICLE EXPRESS WARRANTIES, SO AS TO REDEFINE THE TERM "MOTOR
VEHICLES" AND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TERMS AND THEIR DEFINITIONS; AND BY ADDING
SECTION
56-28-15
SO AS TO PROVIDE MANUFACTURERS OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLES MUST
REPLACE OR REPURCHASE CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT ARE FOUND TO CONTAIN DEFECTS OR
HAVE CONDITIONS THAT IMPAIR THEIR USE, VALUE, OR SAFETY.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
56-28-10
of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

S
ection
56-28-10
.
A
s used in this chapter:

(
1)
"Consumer" means the purchaser or lessor, other than for purposes of resale, of
a motor vehicle normally used for personal, family, or household purposes and
subject to the manufacturer's express warranty, and any other person entitled
by the warranty to enforce the obligations of the warranty.

(
2)
"Manufacturer" means any person, resident, or nonresident, who manufactures or
assembles or imports or distributes new motor vehicles which are to be sold in
the State.

(
3)
"Manufacturer's express warranty" or "warranty" means the written warranty, so
labeled, of the manufacturer of a new motor vehicle, including any terms or
conditions precedent to the enforcement of obligations under that warranty.

(
4)
"Motor vehicle" means
:
a new
motor vehicle that is sold in this State and is primarily used for personal,
family, or household purposes and that is required to be registered and titled
under the laws of this State. The term includes passenger vehicles, pickup
trucks, vans, and recreational vehicles, as defined in this section. The term
does not include motorcycles, off-road vehicles, commercial vehicles with a
gross vehicle weight rating of more than ten thousand pounds, or vehicles used
primarily for business or commercial purposes.

(
a) a private passenger motor vehicle, as classified by Section
56-3-630
, but excluding the living portion of recreational vehicles and
off-road vehicles, which is sold and registered in this State; and

(
b) a motorcycle as defined in Section
56-1-10
(8), including a motorcycle three-wheel vehicle as defined in Section
56-1-10
(18), which is sold and registered in this State.

(
5) A
"new motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle which has been sold to a new motor
vehicle dealer by a manufacturer and which has not been used for other than
demonstration purposes and on which the original title has not been issued from
the new motor vehicle dealer.

(
6)
"Nonconformity" means a defect or condition that substantially impairs the use,
value, or safety of a motor vehicle, but does not include a defect or condition
that results from an accident, modification, or alteration of the motor vehicle
by persons other than the manufacturer or its authorized service agent.

(
7) "Recreational vehicle" means a
vehicle designed or adapted to provide temporary living quarters for
recreational, camping, or travel use and that is required to be titled or
registered in this State. The term includes:

(
1) a travel trailer;

(
2) a fifth-wheel trailer;

(
3) a motor home; and

(
4) a truck camper.

(
8) "Travel trailer" means a vehicular
unit, mounted on wheels, designed to be towed by a motor vehicle and used
primarily for temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel
purposes.

(
9) "Fifth-wheel trailer" means a
recreational vehicle designed to be towed by a pickup truck or similar vehicle
by means of a fifth-wheel coupling device.

(
10) "Truck camper" means a structure
designed to be mounted in or on a pickup truck and used as temporary living
quarters.

S
ECTION 2.
C
hapter 28, Title 56 of the S.C. Code is amended by
adding:

S
ection
56-28-15
.
(
A) For purposes of
recreational vehicles covered under this chapter, a manufacturer shall replace
or repurchase the recreational vehicle if:

(
1)
the recreational vehicle has a defect or condition that substantially impairs
its use, value, or safety; and

(
2)
the manufacturer, its agent, or its authorized dealer has been unable to repair
the defect after a reasonable number of attempts.

(
B) A
reasonable number of attempts is presumed to have been undertaken if, within
the first twelve months following delivery to the consumer or the first twelve
thousand miles of use, if applicable, whichever occurs first:

(
1)
the same nonconformity has been subject to repair three or more times and
continues to exist; or

(
2)
the recreational vehicle is out of service by reason of repair for a cumulative
total of thirty or more calendar days.

(
C)
Coverage under this chapter for recreational vehicles applies to structural
components and permanently installed systems of the unit including, but not
limited to, plumbing, electrical, heating, cooling, and chassis components.

(
D)
This chapter does not apply to:

(
1)
appliances or components that are separately warranted by their individual
manufacturer;

(
2)
normal wear and tear items;

(
3)
defects or damage caused by owner modification, abuse, neglect, or unauthorized
alteration; or

(
4)
recreational vehicles used primarily for business, rental, or commercial
purposes.

(
E) This
section applies to recreational vehicles sold or leased on or after January 1,
2027.

S
ECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on February 24, 2026 at 1:32 PM