PETALING JAYA: A consumer complaints body has urged the government to implement the “lemon law” to protect buyers who purchased defective vehicles.

The National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) said it has received a “multitude of complaints” pertaining to both domestically produced and international cars with reports of vehicles developing faults within three months of purchase.

“These issues remain unresolved, as the cars are continually held for further testing, leaving the complainants without transportation while still incurring costs for an unused vehicle,” it said in a statement.

The “lemon law” is a term used to refer to a legal remedy for consumers who buy defective products, especially motor vehicles, that fail to meet the standards of quality and performance within a certain period of time.

“The law should be implemented across Malaysia to allow consumers to demand a refund, a replacement, or compensation from the manufacturer or dealer if the product cannot be repaired after a reasonable number of attempts,” said NCCC, citing the Malaysian Association of Standards Users.

The “lemon law” would also address the issue of manufacturers or dealers not honouring a car’s warranty, such as ignoring or prolonging repairs until the warranty period ends.

“Consumers are billed for a defect that had been identified a year ago but diagnosed only after the warranty has expired.

“As a result, consumers find themselves responsible for the repair costs associated with the particular defect (when it should have been eligible for warranty),” said NCCC.

NCCC said Malaysia’s Consumer Protection Act only provides basic rights and remedies to those who buy defective products but does not deal with specific issues and challenges faced by defective car purchasers.

In August 2022, the domestic trade and consumer affairs minister said it was looking to improve laws on the sale and purchase of used vehicles, including a proposal to introduce a “lemon law”.

Then domestic trade and consumer affairs minister, Alexander Nanta Linggi, said that the law was important as it would protect consumers from becoming victims of fraud or having to bear losses when buying used vehicles.