Complaints about motor vehicles or trailers

On this page

• Reporting your Queensland safety certificate (roadworthy)
• Consumer complaints
• Regulating the manufacture, importation and supply of new road vehicles
• Offensive advertising on a vehicle

 

Reporting your Queensland safety certificate (roadworthy)

If you have received a safety certificate during the purchase or transfer of a motor vehicle in the last 3 months and have concerns about the legitimacy of your safety certificate please complete the Reporting your Queensland safety certificate form or call (07) 3550 7035.

Understanding safety certificates

A safety certificate certifies that a vehicle has been inspected and meets minimum safety standards. A safety certificate inspection is not a comprehensive mechanical inspection on the quality or life expectancy of a vehicle.

Safety certificates can only be issued by an approved examiner operating at an Approved Inspection Station (AIS) that has been accredited by TMR.

A safety certificate is needed when:

• transferring registration to a new owner
• transferring to Queensland registration from another state or territory
• when re-registering an unregistered vehicle.

Further information about safety certificates in available on the Queensland Government website.

Questions about safety certificates

I am purchasing a used vehicle. How do I know that the vehicle is safe and has been thoroughly inspected?

While all vehicles are required to be inspected and have a safety certificate upon the transfer of registration, it is important to keep in mind that this inspection is only to ensure the vehicle meets minimum safety standards. There may still be mechanical or cosmetic issues with the vehicle.

Choosing a used vehicle is a big decision. Buyers should do their research and consider asking a trusted mechanic to do a pre-purchase inspection.

Additional legal protections are provided when purchasing a used vehicle from a licensed motor dealer. Buyers should exercise caution when buying from a private seller.

More information about buying a car is available on the Queensland Government website.

I am selling a vehicle. How do I ensure the vehicle undergoes the proper inspection process to obtain a safety certificate?

When obtaining a safety certificate, the vehicle must be inspected by an AIS. An AIS can be service station, mechanical workshop or a fixed premises with a mobile AIS that travels to the customer's location.

Find an accredited AIS provider, the types of inspections they can perform and the maximum fees they can charge for a safety certificate.

If someone offers to issue a safety certificate without inspecting your vehicle in person, it will not be a legitimate certificate.

An AIS issuing a legitimate safety certificate will not ask you to text or email your vehicle details to them, as they will collect the vehicle details during the inspection.

A thorough vehicle inspection for a safety certificate takes approximately 1 hour, depending on the type of vehicle and its condition.

I recently purchased a vehicle. What do I need to do to ensure it has a legitimate safety certificate?

There is no need for you to take any action. TMR will contact you if there are any concerns with the safety certificate used to transfer the vehicle to you.

A safety certificate is a point-in-time inspection. The condition of the vehicle may have changed since that time.

Safety certificates are only required for the initial registration of a vehicle or the transfer of registration, not for the day-to-day operation of the vehicle.

If you have any safety concerns with your vehicle, regardless of its age, take it to a trusted mechanic where it can be inspected and fixed. Continue to maintain your vehicle as per the manufacturer's recommendations.

If there is a problem with my vehicle, do I need to take it to an Approved Inspection Station to get another safety certificate?

Safety certificates are only required for the initial registration of a vehicle or the transfer of registration, not for the day-to-day operation of the vehicle. You do not need to get a further safety certificate unless advised by TMR.

If you have any safety concerns with your vehicle, regardless of the age, take it to a trusted mechanic where it can be inspected and fixed. Continue to maintain your vehicle as per the manufacturer's recommendations.

How do I make a report about an Approved Inspection Station providing a safety certificate without doing a physical inspection of the vehicle?

If you believe your vehicle has been issued a safety certificate in the last 3 months without a thorough inspection, you can use the Reporting your Queensland safety certificate form to report the Approved Inspection Station. TMR will investigate your complaint and take action where appropriate. This may include penalising the Approved Inspection Station approval holder or approved examiner who conducted the vehicle inspection.

In some cases, TMR may refer your complaint to the Office of Fair Trading or the Queensland Police Service for further investigation.

Due to privacy constraints, we will not be able to provide you with information about the outcome of its investigation. We will contact you if we require any further information.

If you have made a report about your Queensland safety certificate previously, it is being investigated. Please do not make a duplicate report.

How do I make a complaint about a licensed motor dealer that sold me a defective vehicle, or a vehicle that was not properly inspected?

You can make a consumer complaint to the Office of Fair Trading.

More information about the consumer complaints process is available on the Office of Fair Trading website .

TMR is unable to assist in seeking compensation from the seller of the vehicle.

Consumer complaints

The Office of Fair Trading manages consumer complaints.

Bought a faulty vehicle? Paid for something that never arrived or was not included or not up to the standard you believed you had paid for? As a consumer, you have a right to complain. In relation to motor vehicles and trailers, the Office of Fair Trading's role is to:

• licence traders selling second hand vehicles
• promote your rights as a consumer
• consider consumer complaints about:
  • the conduct of traders who are breaking the law
  • unethical business behaviour regarding vehicle manufacturing.

The Office of Fair Trading, part of the Department of Justice and Attorney-General, works to create a fairer and safer Queensland and increase business and consumer confidence by protecting consumers and businesses against unethical behaviour.

How to make a consumer complaint

For consumer complaints about buying a motor vehicle contact the Office of Fair Trading.

Before you contact the Office of Fair Trading, try to resolve your consumer complaint directly with the business that sold you the item or service.

• Check your consumer rights and responsibilities under the law. Goods and services must meet certain standards and, in some cases, you may be legally entitled to a refund if these standards are not met.
• Be clear about what the problem is and what would be reasonable to get it resolved. Do you want a refund, repair or the job done again free of charge?
• Gather evidence, such as proof of purchase (receipts) and evidence of the fault or problem (photos, video footage). Remember that if you cannot resolve the dispute with the trader, you may have to go to court to get a refund. Think about what evidence you would need to give to a judge.
• Keep records or even a complaint diary. Use them to list what happened, when it happened and who you spoke to. This will help to jog your memory when you are discussing your complaint.
• Make the complaint as soon as possible.

Regulating the manufacture, importation and supply of new road vehicles

The Australian Government regulates the manufacture, importation and supply to the market of new road vehicles to ensure an acceptable level of safety, emission control and theft protection across the Australian vehicle fleet.

The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development (the department) administers these arrangements under the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 and the Motor Vehicle Standards Regulations 1989. Vehicle standards are set through the Australian Design Rules. Additionally, the department also carries out safety investigations and monitors vehicle recalls on behalf of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

How to make a complaint

The department considers complaints that vehicles are not compliant with relevant Australian Design Rules, or that they otherwise have safety defects that will or may cause injury within the terms of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.

For further information please refer to the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development website to submit a Vehicle Complaint Form.

Offensive advertising on a vehicle

If you see advertising on a vehicle with language, slogans or images on it that you find offensive, you can make a complaint to Ad Standards.

How to make a complaint to Ad Standards

You can lodge your complaint online by following the prompts.

You will need to provide:

• a photograph of the vehicle showing the material you find offensive and the vehicle registration number
• your surname
• your suburb
• details of your complaint.

Information that you provide will be considered by a panel of people (Ad Standards Community Panel) who will decide if the material breaches the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics.

If the material is found to be offensive and is not removed from the Queensland registered vehicle, the Department of Transport and Main Roads can take action to cancel the registration so that it cannot be used on the road.

Contact Ad Standards

Ad Standards
PO Box 5110
BRADDON ACT 2612

Telephone: (02) 6173 1500