The Knowledge Base reports a positive opening quarter, with views up 21%
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, saw a strong opening quarter to 2026 with a total of 132,489 views recorded. This equated to a positive 21% rise versus the previous three months (i.e. 109,408 in Q4 2025), reinforcing the Knowledge Base as a ‘go-to’ resource for Motor Ombudsman website visitors.
In the New and Used Car Sales category, the Q&A on the Consumer Rights Act, and how it affects a vehicle purchase was once again the most popular read in Q1 (with just under 12,000 views), highlighting the continued importance of this key piece of legislation, which outlines, amongst other areas, what a customer is able to do should they discover a defect after buying a product, such as a car.
Remaining in second place versus the last quarter of 2025, the Q&A looking at a consumer’s legal rights when buying a car continued to attract strong interest with 8,529 views – reflecting ongoing demand for information about what motorists can expect when purchasing a vehicle, including the short-term right to reject.
Rising one place to round off the top three most consulted articles between January and March, and still within the New and Used Car Sales category, was on the topic of what happens if a motorist finds a fault within the first 30 days (6,024 views). This is double the volume of views seen in the last quarter (3,412), reinforcing a growing readership amongst consumers who are looking to find out the options available to them, and the conditions that need to be satisfied to get a refund.
Also featuring prominently among the most-read subjects in Q1 was guidance on how to make a complaint about a vehicle should a fault develop with a new or second-hand car, or for example, where a repair is not considered to have been completed to the required standard – a subject which was looked at nearly 5,700 times during the opening three months of 2026.
Taking its place for the first time as a new entry in the top 10 classification when compared with the previous quarter, is the Q&A on whether a consumer can get a new car refund or replacement (2,764 views). This article outlines the rights of consumers within and beyond the first 30 days of ownership, and which award may be applicable in the circumstances should the relevant requirements be satisfied.
Completing the top 10 classification, the most visited article in Q1 from the Knowledge Base’s Service and Repair section, examined what a customer can do if they believe a repairer, whether an independent garage or a franchised dealer workshop, is taking too long to carry out work on their vehicle (2,505 views).
