War veteran's battle after being sold 'lemon' car

A Brisbane war veteran said he's now able to sleep at night after his 'lemon' car was replaced following a series of issues that forced his family to ask A Current Affair for help.

Brian Czislowski, 83, bought a brand new Volkswagen Polo last month and said he had issues with the vehicle from day one.

"When I went there in the morning to pick up the car, he said 'we haven't got the car here', I said 'well where is it?', he said 'well look it wouldn't start this morning it's over in the workshop'," Mr Czislowski told A Current Affair reporter Pippa Bradshaw.

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"I said 'you better keep that car and get me another one', and he said 'no this one will be right'."

Mr Czislowski said he was assured by staff at Westpoint Volkswagen at Indooroopilly it was a minor issue that was fixed, but unfortunately this was just the start of a series of problems the grandfather faced with the vehicle.

"About a week and a half later, or two weeks later, something like that I went into the garage to start the car and it wouldn't start, didn't even kick over," Mr Czislowski said.

Mr Czislowski eventually got the car started and drove it straight back to the car dealership.

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He said after a week at the service centre, mechanics couldn't find anything wrong with the car and suggested in the mechanical report that Mr Czislowski may not have had his foot on the brake firmly enough to start the vehicle, something the war veteran found insulting.

"Of course I was, how'd I start it every other time," he said.

"They're trying to shift the blame because they couldn't find anything," Mr Czislowski daughter Jane Dhnaram said.

However, the worst was yet to come.

When Mr Czislowski was heading home from a family dinner just two days after picking up the car, the Polo suddenly cut out while he was driving, just meters from his house.

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"I just wonder what had happened if I was on a highway or something, it would have been catastrophic," Mr Czislowski said.

The car had to be towed back to the dealership where Mr Czislowski demanded a new car or his money back.

"We are absolutely non-negotiable, this car is unsatisfactory, it's unsafe, it's playing with Brian's head," Mr Czislowski son-in-law Greg Dhnaram said.

"I haven't heard the word 'lemon' mentioned since the 50s, 60s, 70s where there used to get a lot of 'lemons' and I've got one in 2020 for god sake," Mr Czislowski said.

Westpoint Volkswagen Indooroopilly gave Mr Czislowski loan cars to use throughout the ordeal but this week insisted the 83-year-old pick up his new car, it claimed was now fixed.

Volkswagen Australia initially also refused to grant Mr Czislowski wishes for a new vehicle despite in 2018 the company saying it would improve its consumer obligations under consumer law with the ACCC.

It agreed to a 60 day policy where it would offer refunds or replacements without the need for the customer to demonstrate a major failure if a defect prevents the car from being driveable within those first 60 days.

But after A Current Affair stepped in and phoned Volkswagen Australia, the company seemingly had a change of heart, phoning Mr Czislowski to apologise, and promise him a brand new Volkswagen Polo, much to the veteran's delight.

"I think that's absolutely marvellous, thank you," he said.