Lawmaker proposes 'lemon law'

MANILA, Philippines - Las Piñas City Rep. Mark Villar has proposed the enactment of a ‘lemon law’ to protect buyers of defective motor vehicles.

He said his Bill 1966 would strengthen consumer protection in the purchase of brand new vehicles and provide for legal remedies to buyers of substandard units.

He said his proposal is patterned after American state laws that provide a remedy for purchasers of cars that repeatedly fail to meet standards of quality and performance.

“If the car is repaired four or more times for the same defect within the warranty period and the defect has not been fixed, it should be classified as a lemon,” he said.

“I believe it is appropriate to recommend the passage of a law that would give ample protection to buyers who continue to be burdened retaining the lemon vehicle and paying the expensive repair cost without equitable redress for their unlucky fate,” he stressed.

The Villar bill would cover brand new motor vehicles with defect reported by the consumer within twelve months from the date of delivery or P20,000 kilometers of operation after such delivery, whichever comes first.

It would be the obligation of the manufacturer, distributor, authorized dealer or retailer to attend to the complaints of the consumer upon receipt of the motor vehicle and the notice of defect.

To compensate for the non-usage of the vehicle while it is under repair, the manufacturer would provide the consumer with a reasonable amount of daily transportation allowance or a service vehicle.

If the consumer remains unsatisfied with the dealer-manufacturer’s efforts to repair the vehicle, the consumer may file a complaint with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).