Ontario man calling for provincial lemon law, after new car starts having issues after 4 days

For Carl Cameron, a new Nissan Altima seemed like a safe, reliable purchase — he'd owned one in the past, had a good experience and decided to buy a 2024 model that July.

But four days later, he was proven wrong.

He said he couldn't pair his new cell phone wirelessly, lights indicating his tire pressure was high or low began appearing and the radio began turning on and off.

"I knew something was seriously wrong," Cameron told CBC Toronto.

The 78-year-old contacted the Orillia, Ont., dealership where he purchased the car after the issues began, but because he was in and out of hospital for serious health issues, he wasn't able to immediately bring back the car.

When he was able to bring it back in October, the team acknowledged problems but couldn't initially figure out what was causing the issue. Ultimately, he was given a loaner vehicle and told a replacement part had been ordered. That was just the beginning of a months-long wait.

"Nothing's been replaced, nothing's been resolved. I keep paying for a vehicle that I don't have," said Cameron, who wants the dealership to take the car back and refund him.

Cameron is speaking about his experience to call for better protections for car buyers in his position.

So-called "lemon laws" — that is, laws that offer recourse for consumers who purchase "lemons" or defective vehicles — exist in many U.S. states, but advocates say Quebec is the only province in Canada to have introduced something similar that protects consumers in a robust way.

For Cameron, much of the frustration lies in having to advocate for himself. He said he was initially told he didn't qualify for a rental because he hadn't purchased an extended warranty, though he did eventually get a loaner vehicle.

As he continued to wait, he said the dealership asked for his loaner car back because it was a demo and gave him his own vehicle back in the interim. When his wife tried to drive the it again, he said the electronic issues persisted, causing him concern for their safety.

"There's all this stuff coming up on the dash — this failing, that's failing. So to my estimation, the car is unsafe and it shouldn't be driven," Cameron said.

Cameron was then given a rental vehicle — paid for by Nissan — which is what he is still driving today. But he said there's been little to no follow-up on what's happening with the vehicle he purchased.

CBC Toronto reached out to Nissan Canada and the Orillia dealership where Cameron purchased the vehicle. In a joint statement, they said the dealership team determined the vehicle's navigation unit was causing the problems, however Nissan Altima navigation units are on backorder. It said the replacement unit is "expected to resolve all the reported issues."