What can I do about noise issues on my new car?
We receive various types of complaints on car noises. For example, the car is making a noise when idling, accelerating, cruising, turning, braking or even when you turn the engine off.
Noise in cars can mean a number of things and for most, it can be quite concerning. If you are concerned your car is making a noise, try not to panic and book your vehicle into the nearest main dealer. Listen to the noise though as it if sounds like a fault that needs to be looked at straightaway, you should ideally pull over and contact your Roadside Assistance if you are a member of one.
There are times when a noise is not necessarily symptomatic of a fault. Manufacturers will often set tolerance levels on how much noise a characteristic should make. It is normal for manufacturers to work with a main dealer to try to minimise the noise but this does not necessarily mean they accept there is a fault.
If you disagree with the manufacturer and believe the noise is a fault, you should get a second opinion. This can be from another main dealer or an engineer. If you wish to exercise your warranty rights, you should inform the manufacturer of your intention to obtain a second opinion as if successful, you can ask for your costs on getting this report. If you wish to exercise your legal rights, you need to follow the process set out in the Consumer Rights Act and allow the seller an opportunity to diagnose the noise. If they say no fault, again get a second opinion and inform the seller of your intention to do this. This will enable you to recoup the costs of the second opinion from the seller.
How to submit a dispute to The Motor Ombudsman
The Motor Ombudsman is a certified Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider who can assist with disputes that arise between consumers and Code-accredited businesses.
Before you submit a dispute to us, firstly please ensure you have taken a look at the information about our process on the resolve a dispute page.
If you are ready to submit your dispute, you can find the relevant form to complete on our case creation page.
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