The Motor Ombudsman’s Knowledge Base, the online reference tool designed to provide consumers with responses to some of the most common queries on car ownership, vehicle maintenance and dispute resolution, finished 2025 on a solid footing by recording 109,408 views during the final quarter of this year. This represented a 43% increase versus the previous three months (76,389), highlighting the resource’s continued popularity amongst website visitors.

The Q&A looking at the Consumer Rights Act, and how it affects a vehicle purchase from the New and Used Car sales category, retained its top spot as the most consulted article with nearly 9,000 reads between October and December – a core piece of legislation which governs the obligations of businesses when retailing products, such as a vehicle, and which remains central to decisions made by The Motor Ombudsman.

Up two places to second in the 10 most popular articles is a Q&A following a similar theme, which looks at a consumer’s rights when buying a car (5,592 views) – a piece which also explores the criteria around the short-term right to reject.

With just over 5,200 views, and rounding off the three most referred to subjects during Q4, was the topic of how to make a complaint about a vehicle – whether it is new, second hand, or if a repair is not considered to be of the required standard.

One of two new entries in the classification, when compared to that seen in the previous quarter, and with 3,412 views, is the Q&A which touches on the action a vehicle owner is able to take should they find an issue with their car in the first 30 days from when they were handed the keys by the retailer, and the implications on receiving a refund for the purchase of the vehicle.

The other article making its debut versus Q3 (in seventh place in the top 10 with 2,663 views) is about the next steps if a motorist should discover a fault with their new car, in terms of exercising their legal rights or having the problem rectified under the manufacturer’s warranty.

The most frequently visited article in the Knowledge Base’s Service and Repair category, touches on the subject of what a customer is able to do should they deem a repairer, such as an independent garage or franchise dealer workshop, to be taking too long when carrying out work on their vehicle (ninth place with 2,371 views).

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From the nominations received by customers of Motor Ombudsman-accredited businesses, we are pleased to announce the full shortlist of finalists in each of the categories of our 2025 Star Awards.

2025 REGIONAL STAR AWARDS: FINALISTS

THE NORTH 

• AJ Fleetcare (Leeds, Yorkshire)
• Jake Watson at Eastham Motors (Birkenhead, Cheshire)
• Napoleon Garage (BD4) Ltd (Bradford, Yorkshire)

THE SOUTH

• Brayley Suzuki Hendon (London)
• Concept Motors (Purfleet, Essex)
• Courtwood Car Services (Uxbridge, Middlesex)

THE EAST

• Holden Honda Norwich (Norfolk)
• John Banks Honda Ipswich (Suffolk)
• Wings of Peterborough (Cambridgeshire)

THE WEST

• Aaron Pryor at AP Auto Repairs (Helston, Cornwall)
• CM Motors (Helston, Cornwall)
• Heritage of Volkswagen Salisbury (Wiltshire)

THE MIDLANDS

• Car Friend (Staffordshire)
• Carl Jenney at Nunns Mazda (Grimsby, Lincolnshire)
• RT Motors (Retford) Ltd.

NORTHERN IRELAND

• Donnelly Honda Belfast (Newtonabbey, County Antrim),
• Roadside (Garages) Ltd (Coleraine, County Londonderry)
• Shelborne Motors Group (Newry, County Down / County Armagh)

SCOTLAND

• Anderson Clark Motor Repairs (Inverness, Inverness-shire)
• Western Honda (Edinburgh, Lothian)
• W Livingstone Ltd. (Glasgow, Lanarkshire)

WALES

• Ashley Ioannides at Griffin Mill Garages (Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf)
• Garej Arwyn Cyf (Caernarfon, Gwynedd)
• Torrin-Dean Merritt at JMP Automotive Services (Gwent)

The winners for each of the eight regions will be put forward to win this year’s National Star Award, which will be presented in-person at the Houses of Parliament in London on 2nd December.

2025 CUSTOMER SERVICE STAR AWARDS: FINALISTS

VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS 

• Alfa Romeo UK
• Genesis Motor UK
• Honda UK

VEHICLE WARRANTY PROVIDERS

• Autoguard Warranties
• The Motoring Organisation
• Warranty Solutions Group

2025 COMMUNITY STAR AWARD: FINALISTS

• Britannia MOT & Repair Centre Ltd
• Car Care Plan Limited
• Su at Chapelhouse Motor Group

For more information about the Star Awards, please click here. 

The 2025 Star Award winners and highly commended entries will be announced tomorrow on 25th November.

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The Motor Ombudsman’s online Knowledge Base, the reference tool designed to provide consumers with responses to some of the most common queries on car ownership, vehicle maintenance and dispute resolution, recorded 76,389 views during the third quarter of this year.

The classification of the ten most popular articles on the resource between July and September, saw a new topic spearhead the table compared to the previous three-month period. Leading the way is a Q&A about the Consumer Rights Act, and how it affects a vehicle purchase (with around 6,500 views) – an important piece of legislation which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary of coming into force on 1st October 2015.

Climbing three places in the classification, the second most consulted Q&A in Q3 was on the subject of how to complain about a vehicle. Also from the New and Used Car Sales section of the Knowledge Base, it saw almost 4,000 reads, highlighting its continued value to consumers.

Mirroring the trend seen in the second quarter, and completing the top three most consulted articles for the past three months, was in relation to whether a consumer can return a car within two weeks of buying it – a process dependent on whether the purchase by the customer was at a retailer’s premises or “at a distance”.

Another article which witnessed a rise in readership (from seventh to fifth place) outlines the action that a consumer may take if they deem to have been sold a faulty car (1,470 views). The essential piece of guidance highlighted, is for the owner to take their car back to the seller as soon as possible to resolve any concerns.

There were two new entries in the top 10 classification, namely the next steps if an owner encounters  a problem with a used car (1,226 views), and how to get in contact with The Motor Ombudsman if website users are unable to find the information they are looking for (1,001).

Rounding off the top 10 most viewed articles in the third quarter of 2025, were in the Service and Repair category, which look at resolving a problem with a garage or dealership should an issue occur, and what a customer can do if they consider a repairer to be taking too long when carrying out work on their vehicle.

12th category added to the Knowledge Base 

The third quarter of 2025 also saw the addition of a new category on The Motor Ombudsman’s Knowledge Base dedicated to recalls – a subject that often makes headlines in the media. The 24 handy Q&As touch on areas such as, the significance of a recall, the typical action required once a consumer is notified of a manufacturing fault affecting driver and occupant safety, and where a recall repair can be carried out at no cost to consumers.

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• The Motor Ombudsman has launched a newly designed website (TheMotorOmbudsman.org) to deliver a first-class online user experience for consumers and businesses
• The digital platform sports a modern and dynamic layout, coupled with streamlined and intuitive navigation, plus added functionality
• The highly frequented Garage Finder search tool has also been subject to a refreshed look and feel, and adopts a new identity as the ‘Business Finder’ (TheMotorOmbudsman.org/Business-Finder) to reflect the wide range of organisations accredited to The Motor Ombudsman, which span independent and mobile repairers to franchise car dealerships
• The fully mobile-optimised website retains its popular information hubs, such as the Q&A-style Knowledge Base, the vehicle recalls database, and the Motoring Advice portal for drivers

The Motor Ombudsman, the Ombudsman for the automotive sector, is pleased to announce the launch of its newly designed website (TheMotorOmbudsman.org). The refreshed digital platform, which sports a clean, modern and visually-engaging interface in line with the body’s widely-recognised brand identity, has been designed to offer a first-class and fully intuitive experience for consumers and businesses – delivered via improved functionality and streamlined navigation.

Nearly a million individuals visited The Motor Ombudsman’s website last year, highlighting its importance as an online gateway to the body’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service and the many impartial resources and information available to help motorists in their vehicle purchase and ownership journey. Building on the previous iteration of the website as a strong foundation, the layout of the new portal has equally been driven by user feedback, as well as that gathered from The Motor Ombudsman’s own team members, to ensure that it encompasses the needs of core audiences within the automotive sector, and beyond.

The new website showcases The Motor Ombudsman’s four newly updated, Motor Industry Codes of Practice, industry and annual reports, as well as popular information hubs, such as the vehicle recalls look-up tool, the Q&A-style Knowledge Base, and TMO EVolVE for the latest electric vehicle data. This is joined by an extensive library of content in relation to vehicle ownership and maintenance, which covers topics ranging from tyres to key considerations when buying a new or used car.

One of the other expanded elements introduced as part of The Motor Ombudsman’s digital strategy to grow its online presence, is the unveiling of the new-look ‘Business Finder’ (TheMotorOmbudsman.org/Business-Finder). Formerly known as the Garage Finder, the search tool, used by nearly 700,000 people in 2024, has been given a new identity to encompass the wide array of businesses that are accredited to The Motor Ombudsman’s Service and Repair and Vehicle Sales Code. With more than 7,500 organisations accredited across the UK, the businesses profiled span independent and mobile repairers to franchise car dealership workshops and authorised repairers.

In keeping with the preference for many to access information on mobile devices, and often serving as the first interface when interacting with The Motor Ombudsman, the new website has been fully optimised for display and responsive performance on smartphones. In addition, one of The Motor Ombudsman’s core areas of focus in the redesign was accessibility, so as to create an inclusive experience for users who may have additional requirements when accessing pages on its website. This includes content that can be easily communicated by text-to-speech voice readers, for those who prefer to access information in an audio format or who may be visually impaired, as well as the option to view content in a larger typeface.

Going forward, the website will continue to be updated with the latest news, information, trend data and thought leadership in line with the fast-evolving automotive landscape.

Bill Fennell, Chief Ombudsman and Managing Director of The Motor Ombudsman, said: “The unveiling of the new website is the culmination of many months of work, and marks a significant step forward for transforming our presence in the digital space. The brief was to develop a platform which is easy-to-use, accessible, fast, interactive, whilst offering information users need at the touch of a button, and the very best experience at every touchpoint. The new website certainly ticks all these boxes, and we are very proud of what has been achieved.”

Bill added: “We will be continue to work with our design partner to ensure that that the website stays current in line with the needs of our core audiences, technological innovation, and the incorporation of the many benefits that AI offers in the sphere of fast and effective dispute resolution.”

For more information about The Motor Ombudsman, and to view its new-look website, visit www.TheMotorOmbudsman.org

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Linda has been randomly selected as the winner of £500 in vouchers in The Motor Ombudsman’s latest quarterly prize draw.

The Nissan owner was among hundreds of motorists who completed an online Service and Repair or Vehicle Sales Code survey between 1^st April and 30^th of June 2025, after using a Motor Ombudsman-accredited business.

Following her recent experience with Towns End Garage on Shetland, off the North Coast of Scotland, Linda gave a ten out of ten rating for all aspects of her experience, which included the booking process, quality of work, information provided, and the level of customer service She received. He also added the following review:

“Towns-End Garage went way over and above the highest level of service and help. Stuck with a puncture, they repaired my tyre after hours, drove me back in to town, brought my car back to me – all for the tiny price of £25. I’m used to garages down south who would have replaced the tyre. Thank you so, so much.”

To be in with a chance of winning £500 worth of  vouchers in the next quarterly prize draw, all you need to do is to rate and review a Motor Ombudsman-accredited business listed on The Motor Ombudsman’s online Garage Finder.

On the business profile page, you can click on the ‘Submit Rating’ button. You can score the service and leave written feedback about your experience with a  garage, mobile mechanic, bodyshop, repairer or car dealership after visiting them for a vehicle repair, service, MOT or purchase of a new or used car.

The next quarterly prize draw will take place in October, and your review could make you the next lucky winner!

Main image courtesy of Towns End Garage

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Overview of EV disputes brought to The Motor Ombudsman relative to UK new car registrations and the overall automotive parc

Before presenting the profile and volume of electric vehicle (EV) disputes received by The Motor Ombudsman from consumers, it is important to understand the trend of EV disputes in relation to both EV and non-EV new car registrations (i.e. petrol, diesel and hybrid models), and the overall EV and non-EV vehicle parc.

When looking at the proportion of disputes received by The Motor Ombudsman versus new registrations on an annual basis for electric vehicles and non-electric models (i.e. petrol diesel and hybrid), as shown in Tables 1 and 2, it is possible to conclude that EVs generate far fewer complaints per vehicle than non-EV equivalents. For example, based on the latest 2024 full-year data, EVs were generating one dispute for every 195 cars, compared to one in every 41 vehicles for a petrol, diesel, or hybrid variant.

A similar picture can also be seen when comparing the volume of EV disputes to the combined car parc, with the two-year combined parc equating to one complaint in every 202 cars, extending to one in every 283 for the four-year combined parc. In contrast, for ICE and hybrid equivalent models, this rises to one dispute in every 51 cars for the two-year combined parc, and one in every 61 vehicles for the four-year combined parc, highlighting the variation between the powertrains.

For the second quarter of 2025, the ratio of EV disputes (676) received by The Motor Ombudsman to new EV registrations (104,650) equates to one dispute for every 154 new EVs registered.

For the second quarter of 2025, the ratio of non-EV disputes received by The Motor Ombudsman (12,734) to new non-EV registrations (357,067) stands at one dispute for every 28 new non-EVs registered.

Overview of EV disputes received in Q2 2025

In the second quarter of 2025, The Motor Ombudsman received a total of 676 disputes from consumers in relation to an electric vehicle (EV). This is up marginally from the volume witnessed in the first quarter of the year (641), and equates to a 35% increase versus the same period in 2024 (502), reflecting the growing battery electric car parc and EV new car registrations in the UK, which rose by 26% in Q2 2025 (as shown in Table 3 below).

For June year-to-date, there have been 1,317 disputes logged with The Motor Ombudsman about EVs, up 32% compared to the opening six months of 2024 (994).

When looking at the main issues encountered by consumers with an EV during the second quarter of 2025, they are as follows:

1. Customer service and purchase issues (47%)

Customer service issues at the point of purchase or during ownership were the source of the majority and close to half of EV-related disputes received by The Motor Ombudsman between 01 April and 30 June. Complaints were driven by factors, such as incorrect orders being placed at the point of sale, sellers not informing consumers about prior accident damage, and being mis-sold paint protection products.

At the time of handover, dissatisfaction equally stemmed from damage or missing keys and service books, and being asked to pay different prices to those listed by retailers, whilst owners also reported vehicle functions being deactivated remotely in the absence of customer consent.

2. Chassis and motor issues (11%)

Between April and June, just over 10% of disputes submitted to The Motor Ombudsman during the past three months were driven by issues around the ‘running gear’ of a car. Examples of concerns raised, included vehicles changing ride heights with no prior warning, knocking suspension, wheel balancing issues, and tyres wearing unevenly.

3. Electrical and software issues (11%)

Concerns with the electrical infrastructure of an electric vehicle caused the same proportion of complaints as the aforementioned category in the second quarter of 2025. Causes of disputes during ownership originated from corroding and failing wiring looms, vehicles losing internet connectivity, software faults causing pre-conditioning failures and preventing vehicles from starting, and in contrast, cars shutting down without notice.

4. Interior and cabin systems issues issues (9%)

The cabin area of an electric vehicle was the fourth most prominent area of EV disputes. Problems reported about the interior and in-car systems, were namely infotainment screens repeatedly freezing or going completely blank, sound being distorted by speakers, and seat heaters not working. Splitting seat covers and stitching detaching, and water ingress in the boot, also drove consumers to log a complaint with The Motor Ombudsman during the second quarter of 2025.

5. Battery issues (7%)

Batteries are critical components of EVs, and can inhibit their operation when faults are present. Principal concerns highlighted by consumers counted 12 Volt batteries being drained by vehicle systems, battery coolant issues, as well as cracks developing in coolant pipes.

6. Exterior issues (6%)

Complaints associated with the bodywork of a vehicle stayed at 6% – the same proportion as that seen in the first quarter of 2025. Disputes raised during the last three months in this area originated from paint chipping on bumpers, delaminating paintwork, whilst consumers also reported repairers respraying panels to a poor standard. In terms of external fixtures, owners expressed disappointment with water entering headlights, electric wing mirrors ceasing to function, and cracks appearing in panoramic sunroofs.

7. Charging issues (6%)

Not being able to charge an EV can be a significant source of frustration and inconvenience for users. Problems described by consumers in their case submissions to The Motor Ombudsman, pertained to vehicles not being able to charge to their full potential, faults after periods of heavy rain, charging ports locking, and faulty onboard AC chargers.

8. Range issues (3%)

Complaints about range were largely centred around claims that the actual range available for a full charge did not meet advertised figures, thereby leading to a sentiment that vehicles had been mis-sold by retailers and not meeting the needs of customers.

Average consumer claim value

For consumers who stated a monetary value to resolve their complaint with a business, the average stood at £8,659 for Q2 2025 – a very similar statistic seen for the same three-month period in 2024 (£8,729).

To view and download the infographic below as a PDF, please click here.

To view and download The Motor Ombudsman’s thought leadership paper on electric vehicle disputes as a PDF, please click here.

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The Motor Ombudsman’s online Knowledge Base, the reference tool designed to provide consumers with responses to some of the most common queries on car ownership, vehicle maintenance and dispute resolution, saw 126,775 views across the resource during the second quarter of 2025. The Knowledge Base is home to quick-reference, bitesize Q&As hosted across 11 different categories, which touch on a wide array of subjects, including dispute resolution, as well as key areas when buying and owning a car.

With just under 10,000 views between April and June, and continuing to lead the top 10 most popular articles, is the Q&A which looks at the rights of consumers when buying a car from the New and Used Car Sales category, and outlines the conditions for rejecting a vehicle in the first 30 days of ownership, and beyond. Maintaining second place in the classification, is an article which provides an overview of the  Consumer Rights Act, and how it affects a vehicle purchase, with 9,153 views.

Rounding off the top three most consulted articles during the second quarter of 2025, is on the topic of whether a consumer can return a car within two weeks of buying it (around 6,700 views). Rising a place since Q1 to fourth position is a Q&A which explores the subject of what happens if a consumer finds a fault within 30 days of buying a car (5,663 reads), whilst the topic of how to complain about a vehicle, also from the New and Used Car Sales section of the Knowledge Base, dropped, in contrast, by one place (5,624 views), and completed the top five classification for Q2.

During the last quarter, there was a new entry in the most consulted Q&As, which was in relation to how consumers can look to resolve a problem with their garage or dealership, and the initial steps to take to help tackle the concerns highlighted.  

Underpinning the top 10 classification of the most popular articles on the Knowledge Base for the last quarter is on the service and repair subject of what a customer can do if they consider a repairer to be taking too long when carrying out work on their vehicle (around 3,000 views). 

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Lee from Somerset has been named as the second quarterly prize draw winner of 2025, after being selected at random to win £500 in vouchers.

The BMW 1-Series owner from the western county was one of the hundreds of motorists who rated and reviewed a Motor Ombudsman-accredited vehicle repairer or retailer on their Garage Finder profile this year, during the months of January to March.

Following his visit in February to Easyfit Auto Safety Centre on Winterstoke Road in Weston-Super-Mare, a business that is signed up to The Motor Ombudsman’s Motor Industry Code of Practice for Service and Repair, Lee gave a ten out of ten rating for all aspects of his experience, which encompassed the booking process, the quality of work and information provided, and the level of customer service received.

The BMW owner also left the following glowing review about the repairer in the Somerset town:

“Fantastic service – helped solve issues from a previous garage on an MOT, friendly, professional and good value for money. Already booked another car in for service and MOT.”

To be in with a chance of winning £500 worth of  vouchers in the next quarterly prize draw, all you need to do is to rate and review a Motor Ombudsman-accredited business listed on The Motor Ombudsman’s online Garage Finder.

On the business profile page, you can click on the ‘Rate this garage’ button. You can score the service and leave written feedback about your experience with a  garage, mobile mechanic, bodyshop, repairer or car dealership after visiting them for a vehicle repair, service, MOT or purchase of a new or used car.

The next quarterly prize draw will take place in July, and you could be named as a lucky winner!

Image courtesy of Easyfit Auto Safety Centre.

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The Motor Ombudsman’s online Knowledge Base, the reference tool designed to provide consumers with responses to some of the most common queries on car ownership, vehicle maintenance and dispute resolution, witnessed 143,516 views across its 212 articles. The quick-reference, bitesize Q&As are hosted across 11 different categories, which touch on key topics during a car user’s journey, spanning deposits to extended warranties.

The article on the rights of consumers when buying a car from the New and Used Car Sales category, spearheaded the top 10 most consulted articles as the most popular read during the first three months of the year, with just over 13,000 views – a Q&A which outlines the conditions for rejecting a vehicle in the first 30 days of ownership, and beyond. Second up, also from the same section in the Knowledge Base, is an article which outlines the Consumer Rights Act, and how it affects a vehicle purchase (close to 10,200 views).

Mirroring the classification at this time last year, the Q&A exploring whether a car can be returned within 14 days of buying it (nearly 7,800 views) rounded off the top three most referred-to articles between January and March 2025, whilst the topic of how to complain about a vehicle, also from the New and Used Car Sales section of the Knowledge Base, remained in fourth place, attracting around 7,000 visits during the quarter.

The article on the subject of what happens if a consumer finds a fault within 30 days of buying a car and outside of this period, emerged as the only new entry for the quarter, when compared to the same three-month period in 2024, and completed the top five classification for Q1 with about 5,300 reads. These highlighted articles were followed by Q&As touching on areas, including whether consumers are eligible for a refund of a deposit once it has been put down to buy a car, and the next steps to take in the event of a problem with a new or used vehicle.

The most popular service and repair topic, and securing tenth place out of the classification outlining the 10 most referred to articles between January and March 2025, was around the suggested steps to take if a garage was deemed to be taking too long when carrying out work on a customer’s vehicle (about 6,600 views).

The top 10 most viewed articles on the Knowledge Base in Quarter 1 (1st January to 31st March 2025)

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Vanessa has been randomly selected as the winner of £500 in vouchers in The Motor Ombudsman’s latest quarterly prize draw.

The Hyundai i30 owner, was among hundreds of motorists who completed an online Service and Repair or Vehicle Sales Code survey during the last three months of the year, after using a Motor Ombudsman-accredited business.

Following her recent visit to Westgate Tyres, a family-run garage based in Morecombe, Lancashire, Vanessa gave a ten out of ten rating for all aspects of her experience, which included the booking process, quality of work, information provided, and the level of customer service she received. She also added the following review:

“Always so helpful and do free checks on my tyres, will never go anywhere else.”

On being notified of winning the prize draw, she added:

“I can’t believe I’ve won. I just wanted to thank the garage for how they have always looked after my car. As a single woman it can be really daunting going to a garage, and they are always so helpful and check my tyres for free. When I’ve needed a replacement they give me options and I never feel like I’m asking a stupid question (even though it probably is). I recommend them to friends and family and I know they have been great with them too.”

To be in with a chance of winning £500 worth of  vouchers in the next quarterly prize draw, all you need to do is to rate and review a Motor Ombudsman-accredited business listed on The Motor Ombudsman’s online Garage Finder.

On the business profile page, you can click on the ‘Rate this garage’ button. You can score the service and leave written feedback about your experience with a  garage, mobile mechanic, bodyshop, repairer or car dealership after visiting them for a vehicle repair, service, MOT or purchase of a new or used car.

The next quarterly prize draw will take place in April, and your review could make you the next lucky winner!

Main image courtesy of Westgate Tyres.

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