Several Winnipeg used car dealerships are welcoming a proposed 'lemon law' from the provincial government.

The law requires all auto dealers to disclose information on a vehicle's history before selling it.

"If people are buying a product in Manitoba they should know its history," said Finance Minister Greg Selinger. "So the idea behind the legislation is that when somebody buys a vehicle they should get as much information as possible about the history of that vehicle."

The legislation would not apply to private sellers because it would be too difficult to enforce.

It will affect dealerships, though - like Parkside Ford.

"We've been giving people all the info on our used cars all along," said Parkside's Scott Pollett. "So it's good for individuals and the car business as a whole."

Right now auto dealers don't have to disclose a car's history. It means the onus is on the buyer to do the leg work to try and find out where it came from, or if it's been in any crashes.

The new law would mean that information would be made available to the consumer immediately.

"Anything that gives the customer the chance to make a better buying decision about a used vehicle I think is a great thing," said Damian Mannion of Murray Hyundai.

CTV News did contact several small used car dealers but we couldn't find anyone who wanted to do an on-camera interview with us.

However one person we did talk to said he worries about the cost of doing the extra checks.

MPI must follow new rules

Manitoba Public Insurance has one of the largest used car auctions in the province. The province said MPI is not exempt and would be required to follow the same rules. MPI says 99 per cent of its cars for sale are from Manitoba so it wouldn't be difficult to track down the automobile's history.

If passed, the legislation will become law in mid-June. Consultations with auto dealerships would follow, and the law would take effect Sept. 1.

Manitoba is a member of the Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan, an arbitration program that can help resolve disputes with an automobile manufacturer regarding defects with a vehicle.

The Consumers' Bureau administers Manitoba's consumer protection legislation and responds to consumer complaints. The bureau can be reached at 945-3800, toll-free at 1-800-782-0067 or online.

With a story from CTV's Alana Pona.