• The court identified Mazda made 49 distinct fraudulent or misleading representations to nine consumers who sought a refund or replacement of their cars.
• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) initially filed the case against Mazda, in October 2019.

An Australian federal court has recently ruled that the local business of Japanese automaker Mazda Motor Corp has been deceiving its customers about their rights.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) began its legal proceedings against Mazda, in October 2019 in a case involving ten customers and around seven different Mazda automobiles.

The court found that Mazda guilty of 49 individual fraudulent or misleading representations to nine consumers who sought a refund or replacement after their vehicles developed major and recurring issues within a year or two of purchase.

The ACCC stated that the automaker either ignored or dismissed the consumers' accusations by advising them that the only option available was another repair despite the Australian consumer rights including a refund or replacement mandate in case of major failures.

It further said that even after repeated attempted repairs over the course of months and several years, in some cases Mazda opened up refunding only a portion of the vehicle’s purchase price or replacing the vehicle only if the consumer made a significant payment.

ACCC Chairman Rod Sims condemned Mazda's treatment, calling it not only awful customer service as noted by the judge but also a severe breach of the law.

Mazda Australia declined to comment on the matter but stated that it was closely examining the federal court's decision.

The court, on the other hand, rejected the regulator's assertions that Mazda engaged in unconscionable conduct with these customers. It will come to a decision concerning penalties and other orders demanded by the ACCC at a later date.

Source credits: https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2021-11-30/court-finds-mazda-australia-misled-customers-on-refunds-for-faulty-vehicles