Kars4Kids Says California Court Order to Pull Ads Is 'Deeply Flawed,' Claims Religious Affiliation Was Clear
Judge Gassia Apkarian found the ads misleading and said an injunction would keep charity fundraising based on truth, not deceptive songs.
- On May 8, Superior Court Judge Gassia Apkarian ordered Kars4Kids to pull its commercials from California airwaves, ruling the advertisements deceptive for failing to disclose the charity's religious affiliation to donors.
- A November 2025 class action complaint filed by two San Francisco residents prompted the ruling after they alleged donating an Audi and Mitsubishi without understanding the organization's goals.
- While Kars4Kids urges listeners to "donate your cars today!", the lawsuit argues the website link disclosing the charity's religious mission appears for "less than one second" during advertisements.
- Charity leadership vowed to appeal, calling the legal action a "lawyer-driven attempt to siphon off charitable funds" and arguing its religious mission has been "abundantly clear."
- Founded by Oorah in 1995, Kars4Kids supports Orthodox Jewish youth through programs like TorahMates, though Pew Research notes only about 9% of United States Jews identify as Orthodox.
25 Articles
25 Articles
California judge bans Kars4Kids ads from state airwaves over deceptive charity jingle
The 30-year-old Kars4Kids jingle, an earworm so persistent it has tormented drivers, waiting rooms, and daytime television viewers for a generation, will no longer air in California. An Orange County Superior Court judge ruled on May 8 that the charity’s advertisements violated the state’s false advertising laws, ordering the organization to pull its commercials from...
Judge bans Kars4Kids jingle in California, citing ‘misleading’ advertising
Kars4Kids must stop broadcasting its widely known catchy jingle in advertisements across California after a judge found that the nonprofit group violated the state’s false advertising and unfair competition laws
Krem2 News
Kars4Kids says California court order to pull ads is 'deeply flawed,' claims religious mission was clear
After Kars4Kids was ordered to take its ads off the air in California, the organization is arguing that its religious connection has been "abundantly clear."
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