My girlfriend co-signed a car loan for her ex. He stopped paying. What legal options does she have? (CA)

Hi r/legaladvice.
Location: California
My girlfriend co-signed a car loan for her now ex-boyfriend while they were together. At the time, he promised to make all payments and told her he planned to marry her. She does not have possession of the car and has never used it.

After they broke up, she repeatedly asked him to refinance the loan into his own name so she would no longer be responsible. He agreed but never did so.

In November 2024, he was over 30 days late on a payment and submitted a payment he knew would not clear, which bounced. His family eventually paid it, but her credit score dropped by about 40 points. She again asked him to refinance, and he did not.

He then missed the December 2025 and January 2026 payments, both due on the 12th of the month. The December payment is now over 30 days late and has already appeared on her credit report. In about 12 days, it will show as a 60-day late payment, along with a separate 30-day late mark for January.

Currently, $802 is past due. The next payment is due February 12th, which would bring the total past-due amount to approximately $1,184 if unpaid.

She is concerned about continued damage to her credit for a car she does not own or control.

Specific legal questions:

1. Can she sue him (for example, in small claims court) to recover missed payments she makes to protect her credit?
2. Is there any legal way to force him to refinance or sell the vehicle?
3. If she pays the overdue balance to prevent further credit damage, does that strengthen her ability to recover that money from him later?
4. Are there steps she should take now to limit further harm to her credit or legal exposure?
5. Should we try to tow the car and sell it because her name is also on the

Thank you for any guidance.

TL;DR: My girlfriend co-signed a car loan for her ex. He stopped paying, missed multiple payments, and her credit keeps getting hit. She doesn’t have the car. What legal options does she have to recover money, force a refinance or sale, or protect herself going forward?