Service and Repair

The garage has scratched my car, what do I do?

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the garage has an obligation to use reasonable care and skills when completing any repairs, service or investigation on your car. We further this obligation in our Code of Practice for Service and Repair. Therefore, if they have scratched your car, you can expect them to put this right.

In order to resolve this, you should firstly raise your concern with the garage directly, ideally by submitting a formal complaint to the business in line with their complaints procedure.

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

The garage isn’t dealing with my complaint, what do I do?

If the business does not provide you with a satisfactory response to your complaint, then follow their in-house complaints procedure, in order to provide the business with an opportunity to resolve the issue.

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

The garage has stopped contacting me, what do I do?

We expect accredited businesses to provide a reasonable response to any issues you raise with them. In order to get a response from the business we recommend you do the following:

• Call the business first to try and see if this can be resolved without being made formal
• If you are unable to speak to the relevant staff member of staff during the call, leave a message and ask for a call back within 24-48 hours.
• If the garage does not return your call, contact the garage and ask them for their in-house complaint process. Submit a written complaint to the garage either by email or post, stating your concerns, the issues you are experiencing and the outcome you are seeking (we recommend that letters are sent by recorded deliver and the tracking receipt kept for future reference). You should ask the business to respond within 10 working days.
• If the business fails to respond, send a follow up email and let them know you will be referring the matter to The Motor Ombudsman, if they continue to fail to respond. Give them another 10 working days to respond.
• If it is 8 weeks of raising the formal complaint with the business and they have failed to respond or satisfactorily resolve your concerns, you may escalate the complaint to The Motor Ombudsman for further investigation.

Bodywork repairs are not covered by the Code, please refer any issues regarding body repairs to the Vehicle Builders and Repairers Association. If the repair was done through your insurer, you can also contact your insurance company and follow their complaint processes.

How do I complain about breakdown companies?

If your dispute is regarding a breakdown service, The Motor Ombudsman does not offer a Code of Practice but you can ask your breakdown provider if they have a dispute resolution service and, if so, who this is.

The garage will not give me a courtesy car. Do they have to?

There is no legal or Code obligation on any accredited business to give you a courtesy car. A courtesy car may be supplied as a discretionary service and, therefore, we would recommend contacting the accredited business to request a courtesy vehicle before booking your vehicle in for service or rectification work. Bear in mind that there may be a charge for the courtesy car, to cover the costs of insurance or fuel.

Light and medium commercial vehicles are covered under the Code of Practice for Service and Repair, but only where such vehicles are not used in the course of your trade, business or profession. If the vehicle is used for business purposes, then we would advise that you seek legal advice to establish any potential claim you may have – you could contact the Citizens Advice Bureau on 03454 04 05 06.

How do I complain about motorhome and caravan repairs?

If your dispute is regarding a motorhome or a caravan repair, then you would not be covered under our Code of Practice for Service and Repair. However, you can refer your complaint to the National Caravan Council who may be able to assist you further.

I have a problem with a motorcycle repair, what can I do?

Motorcycles repairs are not covered by the Code of Practice for Service and Repair, so please refer any issues regarding the servicing and/or repair of motorcycles to the Motor Cycle Industry Association.

Another garage could have done the work cheaper, what can I do?

The Motor Ombudsman does not regulate the price of work and labour rates can vary across different parts of the country. We suggest shopping around for some quotes before committing to any servicing or repairs. You can use our online garage finder to find local garages accredited to the Code.

My garage invoice is unclear or does not provide a clear breakdown of costs

Accredited businesses should provide an honest and transparent service, including invoices which match the price agreed and are inclusive of VAT. As such, if you think it’s unclear, let the accredited business know as they might be able to explain the issue or provide you with further documentation which is clearer.

If you’re still unhappy with your garage invoice, get in touch with The Motor Ombudsman and they’ll see what they can do to help.