A few months after I leased a new 2025 Volvo EC40 from Carling Motors in Ottawa, it suddenly suffered a serious propulsion-system failure and left me stranded.
The dealership kept it for 43 days, returned it, and another fault appeared five days later. That became a long series of recurring issues, charging failures, mechanical noises, unsuccessful repairs, and unresolved safety concerns. My vehicle has now spent more than 300 days at the dealership.
But the lease payments never stopped. Neither did the insurance, fuel costs for the gas-powered loaner, or disruption to my family. My documented losses and costs tied to this ordeal now exceed $31,000.
I tried to resolve it through the dealership, Volvo Car Canada, its financing company, regulators, and elected representatives. Eventually, I had to file a lawsuit to seek a resolution that would not force me to absorb the loss. Carling Motors responded with a counterclaim for use of their loaner, despite acknowledging in writing that issues with my vehicle remain undiagnosed and unrepaired.
Here's why every Ontario driver should care: our province has no automatic remedy when a new vehicle repeatedly fails or spends months in warranty service. There is no point at which the manufacturer must finally provide a refund, replacement, or financially complete lease termination. The consumer can be forced to keep paying, risk their credit, or else have to finance their own lawsuit against a multinational automaker.
The proposed Bill 91, Right to Repair Act, 2025, recognizes the problem, but its current version still leaves consumers going to court and does not clearly reimburse lessees for all their losses.
I created the 30 Days Is Enough petition asking Ontario to guarantee:
- Automatic eligibility when a vehicle undergoes three unsuccessful repairs for the same defect or remains out of service for 30 cumulative days during the warranty period.
- The consumer’s choice of a comparable replacement vehicle, full repurchase, or penalty-free lease termination.
- Reimbursement of down payments, lease or finance payments attributable to the loss-of-use period, and other reasonable expenses.
- Automatic suspension of lease or finance payments and protection from adverse credit reporting when a vehicle remains in warranty service beyond a defined period.
- Prompt access to complete repair records and other information needed to understand the vehicle’s condition.
- A fast, affordable, and binding enforcement process backed by meaningful penalties.
Dealerships and manufacturers should not be able to drag out repairs indefinitely while consumers are forced to pay.
If you agree, please take a minute to sign and share my petition:
https://www.change.org/30DaysIsEnough
Three hundred days is absurd. Thirty days is enough.
