AFTER ITS FAILURE TO PASS DURING THE 13TH CONGRESS
Villar refiles Lemon bill, stresses need to protect car buyers

SENATE President Manny Villar refiled the bill which seeks to grant protection to buyers of motor vehicles turning out to be "lemon" or defective.

The Senate ratified the conference committee report on the measure shortly before the 13th Congress adjourned, with the House failing to follow suit.

Then consolidated Senate Bill (SB) 2464 was principally authored by Villar (SB 775) along with Sens. Aquilino Pimentel (SB 1812) and Miriam Defensor-Santiago (SB 2445).

Stressing that a motor vehicle is a major economic investment, Villar filed Senate Bill 89 or the Lemon Law entitled, "An Act providing protection and remedies to buyers of new and used motor vehicles."

"If a car turns out to be defective, the buyer will be able to get a full refund or replacement under the measure," Villar explained.

A motor vehicle is considered to be a "lemon" if it is unfit, unreliable or unsafe for ordinary use.

Under the lemon law, a car is a "lemon" if during the lemon law rights period, the said car: (1) has been subjected to repair three or more times yet the same non-conformity continues to exist; (2) the non-conformity is a serious safety defect; (3) is out of service due to repair for a cumulative total of 30 calendar days.

The lemon law rights period prescribes the time within which a consumer can report defects that significantly impair the use, market value or safety of a motor vehicle.

"Unsuspecting buyers have been victimized by false warranties, leaving them at the losing end due to the absence of a law protecting lemon car buyers," Villar said.

"We hope this bill finally makes it in the 14th Congress to ensure the protection of all car buyers in the country in the interest of fair trade," he said.