After a series of issues with his newly leased vehicle, one Ontario man is calling on the government to strengthen consumer protection laws, and at least one non-profit agency is working to pressure the provincial government to enact a lemon law, which they say will better protect people who purchase vehicles.Speakers Corner has been following Mark Mitchell’s saga since last year regarding his 2024 Ford F-150 pickup truck, which he leased brand new from a Scarborough dealership.“I was driving, and the vehicle started shaking aggressively. Warning lights came up on the dash, the engine was shot,” he said soon after he picked up the truck in May 2024. He was told his engine needed to be replaced, and Ford did so at no cost.“On July 31, 2024, my truck finally gets fixed. I leave the dealership, travel five kilometres down the road, and my engine fails again.”The truck went back to the shop for another repair, which was covered under the warranty, and ran fine until June of this year.“The truck suffered another violent mechanical failure, the third major failure in less than a year,” explained Mitchell, who requested at that time that Ford put him in a new vehicle. “I do not want this truck anymore,” he said. “Ford made a verbal promise that they would get me a new vehicle, but that never happened.”Instead, his original truck was repaired and delivered back to his home earlier this month.“However, the minute they parked it in my driveway, there was oil leaking all over my driveway. So immediately, I contacted the dealership, and they had to return the vehicle,” he said. “Let’s put this into perspective, during a 24-month lease, my vehicle has spent a total of nine months at a dealership. It’s unacceptable.”Speakers Corner reached out to Ford Canada for a response. A spokesperson did not answer our questions as to why Mitchell’s truck has had numerous issues, saying only that his truck was repaired once again.“We’ll continue to work with Mr. Mitchell directly to find a resolution.”While his vehicle has been returned, Mitchell says he’s lost confidence in the truck and says he remains frustrated with Ford’s response.“I have been more than patient with Ford,” he said. “The only option available to me in Ontario is going through CAMVAP, which I am doing.”The Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Program looks into consumer complaints and works to resolve disputes through binding arbitration at no cost to those who file complaints. CAMVAP promises fast and quick resolution and remains the only recourse, other than filing a lawsuit, that consumers have in most of the country. Those who go through the process and are approved could be entitled to compensation.According to the latest numbers provided by CAMVAP to CityNews, in 2024, across Canada, there were 50 vehicle buybacks for a total of $2,715,133 or an average of $54,303 per buyback.“The above statistics show that CAMVAP does lead to results,” said Stephen Moody, General Manager of CAMVAP.But according to Shari Prymak with Car Help Canada, a non-profit organization which advocates for car buyers, those numbers pale in comparison to the amount of complaints filed without resolution by CAMVAP. Once a claim is filed through the process, Prymak says the decision is final, and if not successful, consumers can’t take the issue any further legally.“The CAMVAP program is not working for consumers,” Prymak said. “It is a very tedious, stressful, lengthy process and incredibly exhausting to go through, and oftentimes it doesn’t result in any resolution.”Mitchell, who is currently working through the CAMVAP process himself, echoes those statements.“The CAMVAP representative indicated that the burden is on me to prove the vehicle has not been properly repaired. Despite the repeated engine failures, the arbitrator will not rule in my favour unless I can demonstrate that the issue persists,” he explained. “This process is arduous and places an unfair burden on the consumer to prove a vehicle remains defective.”Mitchell is adding his voice to a long list of others, like Car Help Canada, to put pressure on both federal and provincial governments to enact a lemon law, which they argue would give consumers more legal firepower to fight back. In Canada, currently, only Quebec has legislation on the books. In the U.S., every single state has some form of a lemon law.“With these laws, the automaker doesn’t have very many options. If you have an ongoing problem, oftentimes the automaker has to buy back the vehicle and in some cases provide compensation.”But CAMVAP argues Quebec’s law, passed under its Consumer Protection Act in 2023, has so far done little to help consumers, pointing to the latest court filings available to the public.“There are no reported cases that have gone through the Superior Court. That’s right. None since 2023,” Moody said, adding that while CAMVAP is free and does not require legal representation, pursuing action through a lemon law could lead to a costly court battle.“Taking a claim through the Superior Court process would likely cost the applicant at least $2,500 and likely much more in legal and court fees.” Prymak argues Quebec’s law needs more time to be tested and is confident it will lead to better results in the near future. He points to the U.S., where many states have had lemon laws on the books for decades.“In the U.S., over a hundred thousand lemon law claims are done every year, and those laws are working for consumers.”As for Mitchell, he remains skeptical that he’ll have success through CAMVAP.“I have not driven the truck since its return + and frankly, I do not want to – but without evidence of a continuing issue, CAMVAP cannot provide assistance,” he said. “Provincially, there is no law that protects the consumer, and these auto manufacturers know it.”Prymak says work is being done in Ontario to lobby for a lemon law.“We’re currently in the process of conducting research, surveys, and collecting data to pitch to the government so that they can hopefully make a decision on this.”While no legislation has yet been drafted for consideration, Prymak remains hopeful.“I know it’s on the radar, but I think Ontario is waiting to see how Quebec’s lemon law plays out,” he said. “In the next year or so, we’re going to share all the information we are gathering with the government so that they can make a decision on this quickly.”If you have an issue, a story or a question you’d like us to look into, contact us here.