Buying a new car in Panama is becoming a headache for many. Not because of the price, but because of what comes next: the warranty that is not honored. Between January and November of last year, consumers filed 183 claims for breach of warranty on new vehicles for an amount exceeding B/. 4.7 million, according to official records of the Authority for Consumer Protection and Competition Defense (Acodeco). This is not an isolated situation or a couple of cases. It is the main reason for complaints in the automotive sector during 2025. Most complaints have a clear pattern: the dealership does not respond when the car breaks down, even if it is within the time or mileage of the warranty. The numbers confirm it: 183 complaints for breach of warranty, Amount claimed: B/. 4,741,434.58.
On the street, the complaint repeats: new cars that go to the workshop time and again, parts that are not changed, excuses that are prolonged, and answers that never arrive.
Although in smaller numbers, there are other irregularities that continue to appear in new car purchases: Lack of information: 23 complaints for B/. 504,125.76; Hidden defects: 10 claims for B/. 225,599.03; Failure to provide service: 9 cases for B/. 54,913.10; Refund of money: 6 complaints for B/. 38,148.62; Unjustified charges: 3 claims.
Abusive clauses, breach of contract, custody of the asset and misleading advertising also appear on the list. These are different situations, but with a common background: the consumer is left unprotected if they do not complain.
Acodeco reminds us that Law 45 of 2007, in its article 47, is direct: every new vehicle must have a minimum warranty of one year or 30,000 kilometers, whichever comes first. And it goes further: if the manufacturer's warranty is better than the minimum established by law, that more favorable warranty is mandatory.
But behind each number there is a family, a worker, someone who paid their due and only asks that they be given what they were promised. And when they are not, complaining is the only way to prevent this from continuing as if it were normal.
Furthermore, it must be delivered in writing to the buyer. It is not a favor. It is a legal obligation.
When the dealership plays deaf, the consumer is not alone. File the complaint with Acodeco. Keep everything: contract, invoice, repair orders, messages, emails, photos, whatever. Documenting the case is key, because without proof, no complaint will get anywhere.
A new car should not become a new problem. The warranty is not an ornament in the contract; it is a right. The figures are there, cold and hard.
