The Motor Ombudsman has recorded the highest ever volume of service and repair cases from its dispute resolution service in a single quarter.
Service and repair disputes accounted for nearly a fifth of the total cases (9,183) opened by consumers.
Bill Fennell, chief ombudsman and MD 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.”
The Motor Ombudsman suggests the surge in cases is a reflection of the sustained financial pressures on consumers from the cost living crisis.
Electrical issues were responsible for 10% of consumer complaints as drivers complained about software updates, hybrid and EV battery failures, intermittent stop/start systems and faulty wiring looms activating car alarms.
Diesel car owners submitted the largest proportion of complaints (48%), followed by petrol models (41%), hybrids (6%), and electric vehicles (5%).
The most requested resolutions were a free of charge repair (29%), followed by compensation (27%), and a full refund (18%).
