True or False: A dealer can use the "bona fide error defense" in a civil lawsuit for a minor error in APR due to a programming issue.

The statement that a dealer can use the "bona fide error defense" in a civil lawsuit for a minor error in APR due to a programming issue is true. The bona fide error defense allows a dealer to defend against liability in situations where an error occurs, provided that the error was made in good faith and was unintentional. This applies particularly when the dealer can demonstrate that reasonable procedures were in place to prevent such errors, including those stemming from technological malfunctions or programming issues.

In this context, if the error was indeed minor and could be attributed to a programming error—essentially an honest mistake—the dealer may successfully invoke this defense. The focus here is on the intention behind the error and the existing measures taken to avoid such occurrences, which is critical in the legal evaluation of these cases. The concept is designed to protect entities from being held liable for mistakes that are genuinely inadvertent, provided there is clear evidence that they were not negligent in their efforts to prevent those errors.