Motor Ombudsman receives record high repair complaints

The Motor Ombudsman received more service and repair cases than ever before in the first quarter of the year.

It recorded 1,604 new cases from January to March, which equates to a 35% rise on the same period in 2023 and exceeds the previous high quarter total of 1,372, which was recorded from October to December last year.

Meanwhile, service and repair disputes accounted for nearly a fifth of all cases opened by consumers under The Motor Ombudsman’s four Motor Industry Codes of Practice during the first quarter of 2024.

Just over a third of complaints (37%) related to the vehicle’s engine, with concerns around the quality of repair and the repeated failure of components.

Chassis complaints accounted for 14% of all cases, with electrical and external features making up 10% and seven per cent of complaints.

Bill Fennell, chief ombudsman and managing director of The Motor Ombudsman, said: “Routine and ad hoc maintenance is a vital part of running a car, and when something goes wrong, this can be a source of frustration and inconvenience for motorists, whilst they may also incur added expense if their vehicle is off the road for a prolonged period. Coupled with an economic backdrop where consumers are facing added strains on their finances, this has resulted in even greater demand by consumers for our-free-of-charge dispute resolution service to pursue remedies for the issues they have encountered.

“With an already busy start to the second quarter, we expect this uplift in the volume of calls and case submissions to be sustained as we go through the year, highlighting the value and importance of The Motor Ombudsman.”