Motor Ombudsman Complaint UK: How to File (2025)

Overview

The Motor Ombudsman is an independent alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body for the UK motor industry. It's accredited by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and approved by the Financial Conduct Authority for certain credit-related complaints. Its role is to look at disagreements between consumers and motor businesses that have signed up to one of its codes of practice, then work towards a fair outcome for both sides.

It's worth being clear about what it isn't. The Motor Ombudsman is not a regulator, not a government agency, and not a campaigning body for consumers or for the trade. It can't force non-accredited businesses to engage with a complaint, and it doesn't override your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 or other legislation.

Think of it as a neutral middle ground: somewhere you can turn once you've tried to sort things out directly with the business but got nowhere. Its decisions on accredited businesses are generally binding on the business if you accept them, though you retain the right to pursue court action if you'd rather not accept the outcome.

Key steps

1. Confirm the business is accredited. Before anything else, check whether the garage, dealer, or warranty provider is signed up to a Motor Ombudsman code of practice. You can do this through the 'Garage Finder' or accreditation search tool on their website. If the business isn't accredited, the Ombudsman generally cannot take on the case and you may need to consider Trading Standards or the small claims court instead.
2. Raise the issue with the business directly. The Ombudsman expects you to give the business a fair chance to put things right before escalating. Put your complaint in writing, clearly explain what went wrong, what you want them to do about it, and keep a copy. The business has up to eight weeks to provide a final response, and the Ombudsman won't usually look at the case until that window has passed or you receive a deadlock letter.
3. Gather your evidence. While you wait, pull together everything that supports your version of events: invoices, service records, written quotes, email threads, text messages, photos of any defects, independent inspection reports, and notes of phone calls with dates and names. Strong documentation is often the difference between a complaint that gets upheld and one that stalls for lack of proof.
4. Check the scheme's scope. The Motor Ombudsman publishes guidance and a knowledge base explaining the types of disputes it handles under each of its codes, which cover new car sales, used vehicle sales, service and repair, vehicle warranties, and motor finance. Make sure your issue sits within one of these areas and within any time limits that apply, so your complaint isn't rejected at the triage stage.
5. Submit your case online. If the business has failed to resolve matters within eight weeks, you can file your complaint through the Motor Ombudsman's online case submission form. You'll need to upload your evidence, summarise what happened, and state the outcome you're seeking. From there a case handler will review the file, contact the business for its side, and work towards a resolution, which can include mediation, adjudication, or a formal ombudsman decision.