Posted at 11:00 a.m.
As of 2016, work was underway on an anti-lemon provision. I would like to know at what stage are these works?
Guillaume Eckerl
More than ever, motorists need an anti-lemon law. Due to the transition to electric vehicles, technical problems are more numerous, more expensive and take longer to repair.
It is insane that drivers find themselves having to pay a bill of $6,800 to replace a corroded cable on an almost new vehicle, as evidenced by Marie-Eve Fournier’s column last week.
It is unacceptable that motorists are deprived of their vehicle for six months because the dealer is unable to obtain the part to repair it, as noted by George Iny, president of the Association for the protection of motorists.
And since some manufacturers refuse to provide a replacement vehicle, the owner is then forced to pay for the rental of a replacement vehicle himself, while he must continue to make payments on his vehicle which does not work.
Doubly insulting!
Why not take inspiration from the United States, where motorists are protected by an anti-lemon law? This forces the manufacturer to buy back the vehicle if it breaks down after three or four years and the dealer fails to fix it after four attempts or the customer cannot use their vehicle for more than 30 days.
This mechanism was put in place when the automotive industry was going through a dark decade – from 1975 to 1984 – because technology was in transition in order to eliminate certain harmful exhaust gases.
Lemons, there were at that time. And there are likely to be many in the coming years with the shift to electric technology.
After years of dithering, the Quebec government should therefore take on the role of Canadian leader and include in the Consumer Protection Act articles to better protect buyers of new vehicles who end up with a lemon.
To avoid being tightened the screw, the automotive industry has set up the Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Program (CAMVAP).
But the use of this service remains low. It must be said that the process is neither easy nor free. To win against the well-equipped manufacturer, the consumer must arrive with a solid expert.
About a quarter of plaintiffs get reparations… but when it comes down to it, that’s certainly not what they want. And another quarter are entitled to a buy-back… but if the sum obtained in exchange is lower than the value of the vehicle on the market, the customer will be very bitter.
For consumers to have real confidence in CAMVAP, its board of directors should be completely independent of the automotive industry.
Quebec is ripe for another path. The government has been considering an anti-lemon law for years. And nothing ever works…
But there is hope, because the anti-lemon provisions are “the subject of work at the Office for a possible proposal for legislative modification”, indicates the spokesperson for the Consumer Protection Office, Charles Tanguay.
If the Coalition avenir Québec really wants to please motorists, it’s time to step on the accelerator.