Earworm Kars4Kids jingle yanked from California airwaves for false advertising [View all]
The twangy jingle produced by Kars4Kids will no longer be broadcast in California, at least in its current form, after a state judge determined last week the charity’s ads amounted to false advertising.
The infamously catchy tune – “1-877-Kars4Kids/K-A-R-S Kars for Kids/1-877-Kars4Kids/Donate your car today” – has been on airwaves for nearly two decades. During that time, Kars4Kids has faced litigation and state government investigations for its misleading fundraising practices.
Bruce Puterbaugh brought suit against the charity in 2021, after he parted ways with a nonfunctional 2001 Volvo XC valued at $250.
He donated to the charity, believing it worked in service of “underprivileged kids from all over the US”, according to documents from the Orange county superior court.
Puterbaugh would later learn Kars4Kids is used to fund Oorah, a Jewish non-profit. That organization runs summer camps in the tri-state area and organizes gap year trips to Israel for 17- and 18-year-olds. Oorah also used $16.5m funneled from Kars4Kids to buy a building in Israel as it expands its presence there.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/14/kars4kids-jingle-california-false-advertising
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