Service and Repair

You must use an approved MOT Test Centre for your annual MOT test. This may be an Independent Garage of a Franchised Dealer or Manufacturer Authorised Repairer.

Only centres showing the blue sign with 3 white triangles can carry out your MOT.

To find your nearest Motor Ombudsman-accredited centre, you can use our handy online Garage Finder

To find out more about MOT’s such as read our handy guide here.

Do repairs to correct paint defects on a vehicle fall under a warranty?

You may have a paint quality issue with your vehicle due to:

• Chips as a result of a fault in the manufacturing process or any other problem due to the use of poor-quality paint ingredients;
• Debris or contamination of the paint (e.g. resulting from dust particles);
• Uneven coating; and
• Variations in the colour across the bodywork.

Before getting the paintwork repaired, you should check the terms and cover of your warranty policy. When buying a new car, a vehicle manufacturer will often offer a specific warranty policy covering the paintwork.

If the paintwork warranty is still valid, you should contact the vehicle manufacturer by submitting a formal complaint to the business in line with their internal complaints procedure.

If the paintwork warranty has expired at the time the issue occurred, you may wish to have the seller of the vehicle repair the problem under your sales contract in line with the Consumer Rights Act 2015, if it has been less than six years since buying the car.

If you have been unable to resolve your complaint to your full satisfaction, and you have reached a state of deadlock with a Motor Ombudsman-accredited business, you are able to submit your dispute to The Motor Ombudsman for help getting it resolved.

Do I need courtesy car insurance?

You must have motor insurance at all times for driving a car on public roads.

You may need to pay an additional cost to the garage or company supplying your courtesy car to cover insurance, however they may also provide the insurance free of charge.   You might also be covered under your own car insurance or be able to arrange cover for a small additional fee.

Therefore, if you unsure about the insurance status of the courtesy car, then you should contact your courtesy car provider for further clarification.

Can a garage charge for diagnostic work?

The short answer is yes. A garage can charge you for diagnosing a fault with your car.

However, whether the diagnostic costs are covered by your warranty will depend on the terms and conditions of the agreement. Therefore, if the work is being covered under warranty, we recommend you contact your warranty provider if you want more information on whether your agreement covers diagnostic costs.

Can I claim compensation?

Unlike a civil court, The Motor Ombudsman’s adjudication service does not award compensation for losses which are not easily quantifiable such as loss of earnings, inconvenience or stress.

If you have suffered a demonstrable financial loss due to the actions of an accredited business, we can instruct the business to refund the money – but we would not stipulate an amount of general compensation. We tend not to make financial awards for things that cannot be easily quantified as stated in our enquiry form under “Adjudication Terms of Use”.

What to do about a poor MOT?

If you disagree about the outcome of an MOT, you need to report this to the DVSA. You can usually complain if your vehicle has failed its MOT and you think it should have passed or your vehicle passed its MOT, and you think it should have failed.

You should discuss the test result with the MOT test centre first before starting any repairs. If you remain unhappy, you can then appeal against the test result by completing the form on the following website www.gov.uk/government/publications/complain-about-an-mot

If your vehicle has failed but you believe it should have passed, you must report this to the DVSA within 14 working days of the test. They will give you an appointment within 5 days to recheck your vehicle. You will need to pay another fee but if your appeal is successful, you will get some or your entire fee back.

If your vehicle has passed but you do not think it should have, you need to report this to the DVSA within 3 months of the test if the fault is a corrosion-related problem or within 28 days if the fault is for any other defects. Again, you will receive an appointment within 5 days to recheck your vehicle, and you do not have to pay. At the end of this appointment, you will get an inspection report listing any vehicle defects and advisory items.

How do I resolve a problem with a garage or dealer?

In the first and foremost, you should approach the garage or dealership and raise your concerns with them directly. It is okay to raise it with them verbally first but if you find you are not getting anywhere, you should ask the garage / dealer for their in-house complaint process. You should submit a formal complaint in writing and ask them to respond within 14 days. If they do not respond, you should follow this up with them. If you are submitting a letter by post, it is usually advisable that you send the letter via recorded delivery to make sure they receive it.

If it has been, eight weeks and they have not responded, you can refer the complaint to TMO for an independent review. If they respond but you are unhappy with their response, you can refer the complaint to TMO. You should ask for their response in writing and provide a copy of this response to us, with your complaint form.

How do I get compensation from a garage?

Unlike a civil court, The Motor Ombudsman does not award compensation for losses, which are not easily quantifiable such as loss of earnings, inconvenience or stress. If you have suffered a demonstrable financial loss due to the actions of an accredited business, we can instruct the business to refund the money – but we would not stipulate an amount of general compensation.

Should wish to make a claim for non-demonstrable losses then you may wish to contact the Citizens Advice Bureau on 03454 04 05 06 for some guidance on your legal rights as we will not be able to assist you further.

How do I complain about my car?

If you encounter an issue with your car, it is important to understand who to complain to, and what your rights are as a consumer.

Once you know who your complaint is with, you should inform the business about the problem with your car in the first instance before contacting a dispute resolution provider, such as The Motor Ombudsman.

You must then provide them with a reasonable opportunity to resolve the issue according to their own complaints procedure.

If the business is accredited to one or more of The Motor Ombudsman’s Codes of Practice, you can find out how to submit your dispute here.

There are different types of issues that may be the source of complaints about your car:

How do I complain about an issue with a used car?

If you have bought a used car, and a fault develops within the first 30 days, you may have the right to return it and receive a full refund. After this period, and if there is a problem, you may still be able to get a repair or replacement. For more information about what to do if you have an issue with your used vehicle, and your consumer rights, click here.

How do I complain about an issue with a new car?

If a fault develops after buying a new car, you may able to make a claim under the manufacturer’s warranty, or your consumer rights.

If you have a new car problem, and would like to find out what you can do, click here.

How do I complain about an issue with my car’s servicing or repairs?

There may have been a problem with the work that has been undertaken on your car.

For example, if you suspect that the servicing or repairs have not been carried out correctly, you may be entitled to a repeat repair or up to a full refund.

For more information, please click here.

How do I complain about an issue with my car’s extended warranty?

Purchasing an extended warranty for a car offers peace of mind against costly repairs.

However, you may experience issues relating to:

• Making a claim for a wear and tear item, such as brakes or tyres;
• The fact that you may feel the policy may have been mis-sold;
• The fact that you may think the terms of the policy are unfair; and
• The choice of garage used to repair my car under warranty.

How to complain about substandard repair?

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, an accredited business has an obligation to use reasonable care and skills in the repairs of the car. Therefore, if they have failed to do this whilst carrying out the repair, then the garage should repair the car again in the first instance. This will be a free of charge repair. If this repair fails, or it is not practical, then you can ask for your money back.

In order to get the dispute resolved you should inform the business of the issue and provide them with a reasonable opportunity to repair the issue by following their complaints procedure.

If you are unhappy with the final response of the accredited business or more than 8 weeks has passed since raising the complaint with the accredited business then you may escalate the complaint to The Motor Ombudsman for further investigation.