Revealed: The most common service and repair complaints of 2023

Insight from The Motor Ombudsman shines a light on most common reasons for complaint

Revealed: The most common service and repair complaints of 2023

In a Garage Wire exclusive, The Motor Ombudsman reports on some of the recurring themes within service and repair disputes brought by consumers during the third quarter of 2023, and key learning points for garages to help avoid common customer complaints.

On an annual basis, service and repair complaints brought by consumers to The Motor Ombudsman account for the second largest volume of new disputes logged with the Ombudsman for the automotive sector, after those in relation to vehicle sales.

Aside from the tens of thousands of contacts received by The Motor Ombudsman’s dispute resolution service, in the first nine months of 2023, over 3,700 service and repair cases have been accepted into the service, a rise of around 10 percent versus the volume seen between Q1 and Q3 in 2022 – most likely driven by the increased financial pressures on consumers associated with the cost of living crisis, and a possible greater urgency to complain in order to recoup perceived losses.

Around a fifth of service and repair complaints submitted to The Motor Ombudsman on a quarterly basis, with the last three months being no exception, stem from issues in relation to the level of customer care provided by a business.

The cases brought to The Motor Ombudsman show that the causes of consumer dissatisfaction can be wide-ranging, spanning prolonged delays to repairs without communication from the business, customers being charged for diagnostics which do not identify the root cause of the reported problems, and gaps in administrative processes, such as service histories not being uploaded to digital vehicle records.

However, three other recurring causes of complaints, which were evident during the third quarter of this year, were namely:

  • Courtesy cars not being provided during repairs.
  • Cars being damaged whilst in the care of a business.
  • Reconditioned parts failing following repairs.

Courtesy cars not being supplied during repairs – courtesy or a consumer right?

Cars are an essential mode of transport for many, whether it is for daily commitments, such as commuting or the school run, or for getting to social engagements or medical appointments. Therefore, when they require repairs, this can mean vehicles being off the road in the short-term or for extended periods.

From a best practice point of view, one of the ways that garages can keep consumers mobile (and happy) is by providing a courtesy car. The ability to do this depends of course on a business’s means and capacity to offer this service.

Contrary to the perception of some customers, as seen in their case submissions to The Motor Ombudsman, there is no obligation from a legal standpoint or The Motor Ombudsman’s Codes of Practice for garages to provide courtesy cars, because this is a voluntary gesture of goodwill.

Where courtesy cars are not available to customers, because either the garage does not have a fleet, or simply because they have already been loaned out to others, this can transpire as a source of frustration and complaints by vehicle owners.

In fact, this negative sentiment may be amplified, if:

a) Customers are having to pay hire car costs when courtesy cars are not available, especially for extended periods.

b) Vehicle owners remain contracted to making finance repayments and paying expenses on their vehicle when off the road, as illustrated by the following consumer case submission:

Consumer A explained: “I am still paying my road tax and insurance, and having to get the train to work, and at a greater cost of running a car. I am a single father with two daughters. I have been extremely patient and polite with all concerned, but am so frustrated, especially as it is the school holidays, and we are car-less.”

The loan of the courtesy car does not cover the full duration of the required repairs:

Consumer B stated: “I have been waiting since April for my car to be repaired. The business is waiting for a steering rack after breaking a bolt. This is my family car, and the business kindly loaned me a vehicle in April until mine was ready. They took it back in August and have left me car-less with no sign of the part being delivered or repaired. I have had no car for over a month. I have complained to the manufacturer’s head office and the repairer, but am repeatedly told they have no car to loan me and no estimate for when my car will be fixed.”

or

Consumers do not have the means to pay for an alternative car.

In the event that a courtesy car is available, disputes may be also derive from customers not receiving a like-for-like replacement of their own vehicle, for example if their electric car has been swapped for a petrol or diesel model, costing them more in fuel, at a time of rising prices at the pumps.

Similarly, if their courtesy vehicle is not the same size as the one in for repairs (i.e. an SUV has been swapped for a city car), this can also cause consumers difficulties from a practical perspective, and lead to an element of dissatisfaction.

The Motor Ombudsman says: “When making a courtesy car available to customers, it is important that they are made aware of any terms in writing, such as any associated costs, insurance excesses, fuel return requirements, and mileage restrictions, and are familiar with the controls and functions before leaving garage premises.”

Cars being damaged while in the care of a business

Another type of consumer complaint that can arise, and that has been seen in Q3, is when a customer’s vehicle has been damaged whilst in the care of a business. This of course can be a notable source of distress for individuals.

However, where disputes can be particularly challenging for both parties, is if there are no documented photos or proof of condition when the car was brought into the garage, causing conflicting reports from both parties as to whether the damage was pre-existing, as highlighted below:

Consumer C said: “When my car was serviced, a lot of work was carried out to make sure everything was fixed. However, when my car was delivered back to my address, I noticed many black marks going right across the whole wing.

I rang the garage to tell them about the problem, and they asked me to take photos of the wing so they could tell me how much it would cost to repair it. Unfortunately they did not acknowledge that the damage happened during the service, and told me the cost would be nearly £350 and would take three days to rectify.”

The Motor Ombudsman says: “When a car is left by the owner at your premises for either ad hoc or routine repair work, it is recommended that a vehicle inspection report is completed to highlight the condition of the vehicle on arrival, and is signed by both yourselves and the vehicle owner. This is to show that you both agree with what has been stated, thereby helping avoid any disagreements on collection of the vehicle.”

Reconditioned parts failing following repairs

At a time of increasing financial pressures on households, instances have been identified where reconditioned parts are being purchased by consumers and installed by garages to help save money during repairs compared to buying genuine manufacturer components of an equivalent specification brand new.

In the case of some components, such as replacement engines or gearboxes, the saving may be significant from the consumer’s perspective. However, complaints have arisen during the last quarter due to the subsequent failures of these parts, leading to vehicle owners having to pay for additional repairs to get their car back on the road.

To clarify, in the following two cases, the disputes were brought against the parts suppliers themselves, rather than the garages, therefore lying outside the remit of The Motor Ombudsman’s Service and Repair Code. However, the purpose of highlighting this type of service and repair complaint, is that it has been seen on several occasions by The Motor Ombudsman just in the last three months, amidst the current cost of living crisis.

Consumer D said: “I purchased a reconditioned engine off a website. However, once the engine was fitted by a local mechanic, and the car was serviced and MOT’d, it worked fine for three weeks. Then the engine cut out.

”Since then, it has been a non-runner, and I have tried to contact the company that sold me the engine on numerous occasions to suggest the engine they supplied was faulty. The mechanic that fitted the engine for me said that it doesn’t look like the head gasket was put together correctly, meaning an error when the engine was being rebuilt.”

Consumer E said: “I purchased a reconditioned engine. Two weeks later, I reported a sound from the engine, and since the day of purchase, the garage has looked at the vehicle twice. They concluded that nothing was wrong with it. I have therefore had to pay tow costs and more money out for extra parts. The garage concluded the issue was not related to the work they’d carried out, but with the engine itself.”

Summary

Service and repair disputes can arise from a large spectrum of reasons, but clearly defined and well-documented processes, combined with regular communication, are essential elements for garages to keep front of mind to help steer high levels of customer satisfaction.

Similarly, it is also imperative to ensure that any nature of complaint, no matter how big or small, is addressed swiftly and fairly as the first port of call, so as to maintain a positive long-lasting business-customer relationship.

Click here for more information about accreditation to The Motor Ombudsman’s Motor Industry Code of Practice for Service and Repair.

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