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<\/p>\n\n A 16-month repair saga with a new Equinox EV exposed how hard Canada’s first anti-lemon law really is to use in practice <\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/author\/sam-d-smith\/
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by Sam D. Smith<\/a><\/p>\n 5 hours ago<\/p>\n A new car buyer endured 16 months of issues with her Chevrolet Equinox EV.<\/p>\n Quebec\u2019s lemon law is relatively new to Canada, but it still has its limitations. <\/p>\n Experts say court proceedings can cost $15K\u2013$50K in legal fees for consumers.<\/p>\n A Quebec woman\u2019s experience with her newly purchased electric car has cast doubt over the usefulness of Canada\u2019s first anti-lemon legislation and has supposedly revealed its flaws. In December 2024, Natalina Recine bought a new electric Chevrolet Equinox<\/a> EV, but since then, her car has been at the dealer almost as much as it\u2019s been on the road.<\/p>\n The problems started when the battery failed to charge a few days after the purchase, and it took weeks for the dealer to identify the issue and replace the car\u2019s computer module. For 16 months after she bought the car, Recine has been frustrated, tired, and driving to the dealership.<\/p>\n The Problems And The Law<\/p>\n Speaking to CTV News<\/a>, Recine relates that the issues started when, just three days in, the battery wouldn\u2019t charge. A few months later, sensors were reportedly playing up, to which she was given no solution. Then the big one: the car decided to stop on its own <\/a>while going 100 km\/h on a highway. Despite getting away with that, Recine was then involved in a collision the day after, which she attributes to sensors failing to detect another vehicle.<\/p>\n
More problems include a month-long wait for parts after the collision, two more unresolved claims to GM<\/a>, a loss of the car\u2019s internet connection, windshield wiper problems, and an error message saying the charge port door was open when it was closed. <\/p>\n Recine would have preferred to have canceled the sale early in the process, but she says it\u2019s difficult to do even with the new Quebec Consumer Protection Act, and she was told if she did so, she\u2019d lose her rebate. This is the first act of its kind in Canada<\/a> and was passed at the end of 2023 to provide customers with recourse if their vehicle is \u201cdefective\u201d \u2013 whether it\u2019s a combustion, hybrid, or electric car. It covers new vehicles that are bought or leased with less than three years or 60,000 kilometers on them.<\/p>\n Read: California Court Strips Lemon Law Protections For Used Cars Under Warranty<\/a><\/p>\n The act considers a car to be a \u201clemon\u201d if a defect hasn\u2019t been fixed after three attempts, or if the car has had 12 attempts to fix unrelated problems, or if the car is in for repairs for 30 days or more, excluding periods where parts were unavailable or on backorder. <\/p>\n Recine\u2019s car was covered under the unrelated issues test, but that didn\u2019t mean she won. According to George Iny, president of the Automobile Protection Association, car manufacturers and dealers have lawyers to defend them in court, but owners don\u2019t. \u201cThe customer really is on their own,\u201d said Iny, and this can undermine the law. Iny added that going to court can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000, depending on the lawyer and the complexity of the case.<\/p>\n A Resolution, But Not For All<\/p>\n The law\u2019s mileage and time limits aren\u2019t always enough to help owners. With more EVs on the road and more common repairs, some say the restrictions are too restrictive. A 2024 Consumer Reports survey also found that electric vehicles have 42 percent more problems on average than gas vehicles, based on reliability data from the 2022, 2023, and 2024 model years, further calling for better protection.<\/p>\n In Recine\u2019s case, GM ultimately offered to buy back her car, and she used the $51,000 to purchase a new Cadillac Lyriq<\/a>, but only after she approached a media outlet. \u201cI honestly think that I would still probably be going through it,\u201d she said, \u201cbecause they only decided to wake up once they understood that I was serious.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026-chevrolet-equinox-ev-rs-355-copy-1024x576.jpg\")
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