According to a report by FMT, the government is reviewing and researching the possibility of introducing a lemon law. This was revealed by domestic trade and cost of living minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, who added that an analysis of such a law in other countries was needed before it can be adapted for Malaysia.
Armizan said the government is looking into the idea of a lemon law following calls from the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) to introduce a legal remedy for consumers. This isn’t the first time the CAP has urged the government to do so, as it did the same back in 2019.
This topic was also brought up by then minister of domestic trade and consumer affairs Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi in 2022, whereby he said more than 1,000 cases involving new as well as used cars were taken to the Tribunal for Consumer Claims Malaysia from January to August two years ago.
Long before that, in 2014, the Malaysian Association of Standards Users (Standards Users) and the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) called on the government to implement a lemon law.
Lemon laws are a form of consumer protection. In essence, it requires cars under warranty that are found to be defective or unsafe to be fully repaired by the manufacturer. In the event the car is deemed to be irreparable after a reasonable number of repair attempts, the buyer can be offered a refund or replacement.
The scope of what’s covered by lemon laws vary depending on how they are implemented, but it generally covers defects that can significantly impact the functionality or safety of the car. Countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, Singapore and the Philippines have already adopted some form of lemon law.
Armizan noted that Malaysia’s Consumer Protection Act 1999 did protect consumers from defective automobiles. “The act protects consumers regarding defective vehicles in several ways, although it is not explicitly a lemon law and does not offer specific remedies such as car buybacks for unrepairable defects. It provides various provisions that can be applied to address problems with faulty vehicles,” he explained.
Calls for a lemon law in Malaysia are nothing new, but a recent that caught the public’s attention via a viral social media post have reignited the push for such a law. Earlier this month, a buyer of a new Perodua Bezza shared her ordeal of being unable to use her vehicle for a considerable amount of time after it broke down eight hours after collecting her purchase.
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Yes we must hv such law. It’s a long due to upgrade and improve consumerism and our rights in this country!
Kami akan memantau.
Kami sedang memantau.
Kami telah memantau.
Tapi…sabar lah.
Tunggulah…mungkin boleh bagi lemon law GE 16.
You forgot this.
Kami Masih menjalankan kajian
Kami masih mengkaji
Just DNAA It!
If we have lemon law for cars can we also have lemon law to return this hopeless & useless Gomen?
Didn’t hear you bising when the previous govts did nothing about this law.
Message to this govt – no need to waste time. Implement only. Car manufacturers have been getting a free ride in this country for a long time. Vehicles cost more here than most other places and we get below acceptable standard cars. Cukup lah
Back in the days cars don’t breakdown so easily. Nowadays you hear few months old cars stranded at roadside
you alwiyz told us to vote for BN. BN friend friend with PH now. it’z your fault lolz!
Well, it seems that the govt has other priority things to do. Why wait for something to be viral when this has been an issue for years? Ab-used car dealers has been buying broken down cars, repair to a bare minimum, maximize profit. I’m not against used car dealers, but they’re not being responsible for their actions.
Ahlokekor…pls have a standard “admin fee’ for used cars.
The admin fee can swing from RM800 to RM4500,eventho a standard used Myvi 2007 can be advertised at RM13000.
90 percent of the odometers have been RESET to half the original mileage.
It is getting out of hand.
Go undercover,if u have to.
good!!looking forward for this.
but need to clearly explain the lemon law condition vs warranty claim condition or else not even consumer but manufacturer also can pusing cerita. macam gasing daa!
Need of lemon law?
Ask the VW owners
The same can be said that should ask for Merc owners who faced many problems till today.
there were calls to intro this back in 2014 and Paultan.org wrote about this also. Fast fwd 2024, and gormen still “mulling”?
Even Singapore has it.
Slow lah Gormen
Haha are you sure better ask that Investment guy can be implemented or not since he told us that we need APs to guarantee EVs safety of the car > or is it the safety of the cronies?
the most welcome law…
should introduce.
Better late than never, make it happen ASAP!!
Well, it’s about time this law gets implemented over here.
Yes, about time to protect consumer!
We should adopt lemon law to our elected politikus oso. We are getting defective ‘product’.
If not implemented here means govt agenda to protect its investors (direct /indirect, dnt Wan at all to accept their manufacturing mistakes) and dnt take back defective car bez of costs factor, they Kira Satu cent as their profit, we (consumer) always suffer (if there is defects product) and they make it round round policy,
Too bad not in time to help that brand new Vios owner car which lost all power during high speed driving.
PH BN is the best….especially DAP and UMNO together….best of the best parties.. best government in history…..those ungrateful lot should leave this country..
As above
while PN PAS in power, why myvi hijau tak turun harga?
Masa tuu MCO, manade sbb nak beli keta?
Be careful what you wish.
With this, it’s not impossible for car companies to increase car prices in anticipation for the losses that might incur from the new law.
It doesn’t matter. For the rich, they can pay whatever they want, and still be protected. For the poors, the disadvantages is on dealers, since the poors are the largest portion of income-group, and are price-sensitive. Too expensive, no one gonna buy like the DNGA Axia, Bezza take the crown instead. If they’re given lemon, they’re protected by the law. QC surely will be improved to reduce costly mistake as much as possible. It’s win on consumers most of the part.
You think QC can be improved without further cost increase? Some car brands are practicing continuous cost down half or yearly on their vendors. This is how budget car brands survive and at the same time this is how they got lemon parts over time. You squeeze the vendors, you get lemon quality.
Sugar-Bezza lemon proved to be more costly to their brand reputation than offering quality product in the first place, or just replace the lemon instead. They can’t really reduce costs when people don’t have trust to buy their products later on, that’s the economic of scale. Lemon law could’ve save them from that ordeal. Alas, it wasn’t there to help them in time.
Also there’s plenty other costs in business than just production cost. They can think other way to satisfy the lemon law, and the price hike. If solely production, they can offer Tesla interior and only basic active & passive safety features. No need full adas for basic car.
No matter how you put it, you have just confirmed what I have said. Price will increase.
That’s quite delusional. How suggesting other ways to save cost in order to keep price in check, is the same as confirming the car price will increase? In fact, QC only contribute very little to cost since the same QC tools and personnel responsible for thousands cars and models.
Even not squeezed they still give lemon, and price hike. Better squeeze them with lemon law, justify for price hike
Of course there is the possibility that somebody who did not like the buyer, sabotage the car the moment it was brought back home. Like neighbour, or office collegue.
There’s also other case of a Malay lady who bought the HR-V 1.5 turbo, have problems with not being able to adjust the headlights and all sorts of emergency warning lights blinking on the meter cluster even after starting the engine, Honda service centre still say they can’t find what’s causing the problem lol. Some more she’s currently pregnant yet still have to run back and forth multiple times to the SC, haih.
Another one is a Chinese guy that bought the new Vios, he was driving on the highway then suddenly engine lost power and came to a standstill on the emergency lane, car got towed to a Toyota service centre and after a few weeks at the SC turns out the throttle body is faulty, so replace it with a new throttle body and the car seems back to normal. But the owner of this Vios say he has lost trust in this car and brand, and basically wants Toyota to buy back his car.
Meanwhile my friend got an X50, also driving on the highway suddenly the gearbox jump into and got stuck in Neutral, had to change the whole dual clutch gearbox to fix this issue.
This law will only be tabled if there’s sustained pressure from media, NGOs and petitions. If not, guarantee will die down, because as we speak all the cronies at Sime, UMW, DRB, etc are preparing to quietly make “donations” to politicians in order to kill this.
Now i know the best brand was Honda. At least they berani to admit problem, recall for fix before something bad happens.
Nahh “you’re the first customer to have reported this problem” every single d*mn time. Even after I come for 2nd set of steering rack, and have to tell them it wasn’t my first rodeo, and their reactions were “reaaallly??” That was very lame & cringe acting that I felt the ‘2nd hand embarrassment’.
End of Peugeot and Stellantis hahaah
The lemon law should enhance quality control on the production line.
Thing is the official service center always finds an excuse to not change anything on our cars that is under warranty. Unless you are really good at diagnostics (OBD2 doesn’t tell everything), you’ll need to jack up your car, remove tires, have an extra hand to help you diagnose your car, you’re going to get stuck with some off beat excuse for them to delay your warranty.
Only way I can see this being effective is if there’s some form of mandate that says all vehicles needs to get Puspakom to check and certify their car before they can renew roadtax. And whatever is on the list the car company must fix them if it’s still under warranty.
massive loophole here. the owner of puspakom also owns car distributors. how can we expect them to be on consumer side
Conflict of interest mana ada meaning in this country?
Just DNAA it!
ALL faulty parts will be replaced FREE of charge
Tanah Bunga Layu Education standard
A computer user complains to IT support Executive that New PC spolit cannot boot want another new PC. This IT Executive with Degree in Computer Science attended to the problem look see look see and finally call vendor for new PC replacement. The PC vendor come to company Biu Gui Diu the IT executive, the new PC cannot boot because A Floppy disk is still inside the drive, after remove the floppy disk, the New PC work perfectly ever after.
severe fines and a license suspension ranging from three to six months. Reimburse the customer. Every used car dealer is required to have the vehicles certified by a third party. However, the corruption must cease for everyone. The culture of “donations/kopie money” needs to end.
it takes brave gov to propose and execute this law. previous gov, all takdak telor. semuanya berpuas hati.
Yes, long overdue. He and she will get my vote next election if this law is passed in Malaysia. We really needs that as I just bought a brand new lemon Mercedes, meantime who can help on how to file a claim?