William Grice, of Cobourg, Ont., wanted to buy a heavy-duty pickup truck to one day pull a travel trailer across Canada. In July, he purchased a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado with a diesel engine at a cost of $83,000 but he said problems with the new vehicle started almost right away. “The engine started making a lot of noise and when I shut the truck off and turned it back on, it started up funny and none of the dash lights would work,” said Grice, who took the truck back to the dealership where he purchased it but was told the crankshaft was defective and the engine needed to be replaced. “I was shocked (to be told the truck needed a new engine). I didn’t really know what to say.” He said the truck only had about 2,000 on the odometer, and he thought the dealer would take it back and he’d get another new one as a replacement. “At that point, I reached out to (General Motors) customer care and asked for a replacement truck which they told me they didn’t do,” Grice said. “This is a brand-new truck. They had to take the whole front end off the truck, take the engine out, then put in a new engine and then put the front end back on. It’s not going to be the same. It’s not going to be like a new vehicle anymore. They owe me a new vehicle.” No lemon laws in Canada, except in Quebec CTV News and W5 did a story on the fact there are no lemon laws in Canada except for the province of Quebec. If you buy a new vehicle that has major issues consumers don’t have the right to seek a refund or different vehicle. Grice said he feels if you buy a new vehicle that has significant problems you should have the option to get a refund or another one. “I absolutely do think we should have a lemon law in Ontario,” he said. ‘A positive resolution’ When CTV News reached out to General Motors a spokesperson said they “work with our customers to address their concerns in partnership with our authorized dealers.” “In this case, we are pleased to confirm that we have worked with both the customer and our dealer to reach a positive resolution,” the automotive company said. Now GM is taking back Grice’s Chevrolet Silverado and giving him a brand new replacement truck, which was great news for Grice. “I was actually shocked when I received the call yesterday,” he said. Consumers should note that there is no “cooling off” period in Ontario when they buy a new or used vehicle, so when you buy a car it’s yours. If there are problems that can’t be repaired a manufacturer may agreed to do a “buy back” of a vehicle but that decision is ultimately up to them.
