Remember a time when cars ran and ran and ran without a hitch as long as you maintained them properly and did not abuse them
Please note. You need to be at least 50 years old and above right now to understand exactly what we are talking about in this article.
Remember the Toyota Corolla SEG 1.6, the Mazda 323 Familia, the Ford Laser (which was a rebadged Mazda 323) the Nissan Sentra and the Kah Motors sold Honda Civic (yes, before Honda Malaysia set up production)?
All more than 30 years old and cars that the lower and middle class Malaysians used to buy and drive happily. They were all well built, with good quality cabins and had good drive dynamics.
Best of all ….. maintaining them was easy and priced to be pocket friendly.
However, they did not have fancy features which were yet to be invented or reserved for luxury cars, like a touch screen infotainment system with Smartphone connectivity, digital meter cluster, electric seats, multiple air-bags and digital climate control systems.
These cars were very reliable and without any recalls during their lifetime. They stood the test of time and handled our potholed roads very well and till today you can see some units running around with happy owners, 20 to 30 years later.
Fast forward to the year 2000 onwards and the situation became very different. Recalls started coming in for various brands (nearly all) and after Covid19 we have seen vehicle failures while being driven rising high.
So, cars that keep failing are called ‘Lemons’ and there is a global law called ‘Lemon Law’ and Malaysia does not have Lemon Law to protect car buyers.
There is Lemon Law in Singapore and most developed countries and so why is it missing from Malaysia?
Incidentally, over the past decade many manufacturers, some even very recently, have been ‘buying back’ defective cars and or replacing defective cars.
This question came up at a recent motorheads gathering. ‘What happens to these defective buy back vehicle’?
Well, when a car is bought back due to defects, the car manufacturer refunds most part of the original purchase price (this is negotiated), registration fees, and other associated costs. They may also reimburse incidental expenses like towing, rental cars, or legal fees if applicable.
However, the manufacturer can deduct a usage fee or mileage already done for the time the defective car owner drove the car before the defect was discovered.
After the buyback, the car is often returned to the manufacturer, repaired, and then either sold to the public or put up for auction.
So, is it right to put a defective car back on the road with another owner?
Should the defective car be scrapped for parts?
What happens to the defective car when it breaks down with the next owner?
Should the car manufacturer declare that this is a defective car when it is re-sold?
We wait patiently for remarks and responses from our followers to update this article.
