Senator Glenn Lazarus will push for the introduction of "lemon laws" to provide better consumer protection for new car buyers and dealers, if he is re-elected.
The proposal includes the appointment of a national vehicle ombudsman and puts the responsibility of a defective car back on the manufacturer.
Senator Lazarus says manufacturers will have to address and resolve issues with new vehicles quickly and effectively, through either replacements, repairs or refunds.
The Queensland senator said more than 1.1 million new cars were sold each year in Australia and referred to figures supplied by consumer group Choice about the number of complaints registered by new car owners.
"According to Choice, 75 per cent of new car buyers in Australia experience problems in the first five years and 15 per cent of buyers are never able to resolve these," Lazarus said.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"Despite consumer protection laws and Offices of Fair Trading, there are no real consumer protections in place to force car dealerships and vehicle manufacturers to resolve vehicle issues."
