Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in California

If your co-signer is named as a defendant on the court papers, it's probably best if he/she is present. If not present, then a default judgment might be entered against that person.

Often, the judge will request that, before anything happens, the parties step into the hallway to try to settle the debt by working out a payment arrangement. I might note that, even if the vehicle didn't work from the beginning, that's not a good defense for not paying the debt to the bank (which had nothing to do with the defects). You might be able to get the debt reduced with an agreement to keep it off your credit report, if that's important to you.