Government considering ‘lemon law’ to protect car buyers
The government is now in the early stages of reviewing and investigating the possibility of establishing a “lemon law,” said Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, Armizan Mohd Ali.
Speaking to FMT, Armizan stated that Malaysia is actively addressing consumer protection issues related to damaged vehicles and analyzing international practices before adapting them for local use.
He commented on the demand by the Penang Consumers Association (CAP) for the introduction of a “lemon law,” which is a legal remedy for consumers who purchase faulty vehicles, whether new or old, that fail to meet specific quality and performance criteria within a specific period.
The United States, Singapore, South Korea, China, and the Philippines are among the countries that implement such laws.
However, Armizan mentioned that the Consumer Protection Act 1999, which is enforced in Malaysia, also protects consumers from faulty vehicles.
“The Act protects consumers in several ways related to faulty vehicles, even though it is not specifically a ‘lemon law’ and does not offer specific remedies such as repurchasing a car that cannot be repaired. It provides various provisions that can be used to address faulty vehicle issues.”
Recently, there have been two reports of newly purchased vehicles breaking down, which have been widely shared on social media.
A clerk, S Nagakanni, reported that her new Perodua Bezza broke down eight hours after purchase, and she had to continue paying the monthly loan of RM537, even though the car was stranded at the service center.
Noriya Mamat from Terengganu also stated that her newly purchased Honda HR-V was stranded at the service center for months after sending it for servicing one month after the purchase upon reaching a mileage of 1,000km. She mentioned that she had to make monthly payments of RM1,500 for a car that she couldn’t drive at all.
