Lemon Law: Complex systems, costly repairs fuel consumer protection plea – Expert

SHAH ALAM - Car expert Hezeri Samsuri highlights frequent consumer woes like sudden engine breakdowns, faulty gearboxes and malfunctioning electronics in Malaysia's vehicle market.

While such issues occur even in high-volume manufacturing, he stressed the unique pain points.

"The type of damage, according to the Lemon Law, is different from regular vehicle damage; it is recurring damage without knowing its root cause.

"This is normal in large-scale production, even if the number is minimal.

"However, the high prices of vehicles lead to significant losses for consumers.

"The extent of the loss depends on each vehicle user; if the car is still under warranty, it will be repaired for free.

"But if problems occur frequently, users lose time and the percentage of usage, and the car may be unusable for months," he said.

With the emergence of the electric vehicle (EV) sector, Hezeri said products controlled by electronic technology might experience unique precision-related damages and be more expensive to replace with advanced battery systems.

He said it is time for the government to consider implementing the law that originated from the United States.

"The voices and rights of consumers in developed countries are quite loud.

"They agree that if a newly purchased vehicle is irreparable, it must be replaced with a new unit.

"Since Malaysia does not have this Lemon Law, vehicle companies find it difficult to replace such units, even if the vehicle is still under a hire-purchase agreement," he told Sinar.

Hezeri added that the law has been in place for a long time in many countries, including South Korea, Japan, China, the Philippines, and our neighbour, Singapore.