The RACQ has blasted the Queensland Government for scrapping the requirement for car dealers to provide a one-month statutory warranty on cars older than 10 years.

Queensland has fallen in line with the rest of Australia with the Queensland Government scrapping the requirement for licensed car dealers to provide a one-month statutory warranty on cars older than 10 years. And the RACQ isn’t happy.

The motoring club issued a statement suggesting the Government’s decision reduced the protection from buying a lemon for motorists who most needed the protection. RACQ Executive Manager Technical and Safety Policy Steve Spalding said, “People who purchase older vehicles or those with higher mileages are typically young drivers and those with limited budgets,” Mr Spalding said.

“The people buying those sorts of cars can least afford to have something go wrong.

“Previously, they were protected against costly mechanical defects by a one-month warranty. Now this protection has been wiped away,” he said.

While the Queensland Government has said the decision to remove the warranty on older cars is part of its red-tape reduction, the RACQ says the removal of the warranty on cars older than 10 years will only help car dealers who no longer have to pay out on repairs in the first month of ownership.

“This protection had been in place for more than a decade and had served car buyers well,” he said.

“The only people who benefit from the removal of the statutory warranty are the car dealers as they will no longer have to pay for repairs to cars they have just sold.”

“The message is simple. If you are looking at a secondhand car, make sure you are satisfied with its condition before agreeing to buy it.”