ACCC’s tough stance on lemon laws

The ACCC today released its report into the motor vehicle industry and called for a tougher stance on a range of issues including lemon laws, right to repair and fuel emissions reporting.

RACQ’s Paul Turner said for too long there had been an unequal relationship of power between dealers and manufacturers, and car owners.

“While the Australian Consumer Law requires manufacturers to resolve issues relating to performance or quality of a vehicle, many consumers find it difficult to reach a satisfactory resolution,” Mr Turner said.

“RACQ has campaigned for greater consumer protection for many years. We have individually dealt with many cases from members who have not received an appropriate response to their issues.

“We support the ACCC’s recommendations for a full refund or replacement of a faulty car within a set period of time.”

Mr Turner said RACQ and other Australian motoring clubs had campaigned against deceptive fuel and emission claims by manufacturers.

“We’ve seen many very public debates in this space and we’re encouraged the ACCC has captured this issue and put it forward for action on a national level,” he said.

Mr Turner said RACQ had also fought to force manufacturers to provide better access to technical data.

“This is a very important issue moving forward. Some manufacturers have been restricting access to vehicle data by independent workshops and mechanics. They were forcing motorists to go back to the dealership for often basic repairs, due to their unwillingness to share information.

“Car owners should be able to choose where they want to service or repair their car – they shouldn’t be held to ransom.”