What is motor vehicle repair work?

Most types of motor vehicle repair work (known as classes of repair work) are covered by the Motor Vehicles Repairers Act 2003, including:

• examining motor vehicles;
• diagnosing and detecting faults in motor vehicles;
• adjusting, servicing and maintaining motor vehicles;
• overhauling motor vehicles;
• replacing components of motor vehicles;
• modifying and altering motor vehicles; and
• painting or treating the surfaces of motor vehicles.

The Act covers most types of repair work however there are exclusions eg window tinting.

Most repairers who work on a vehicle unsupervised or supervise a person carrying out repair work will require a repairer’s certificate, approved by the Commissioner for Consumer Protection.

Repairers will require a certificate if they work on vehicles which carry persons or goods or a goods trailer which has brakes. There are some exemptions for repairers who carry out work on agricultural machinery (tractors, combiners, seeders etc), plant equipment, bobcats, cranes, ride-on mowers, boats, bicycles.

Most repair businesses need to apply for a licence to carry out motor vehicle repair work.

Servicing and repair

A well-maintained vehicle has a lot of advantage for the owner. It will be more reliable, cheaper to run and cheaper to repair.  If things are left un-repaired they can often cause more problems and lead to expensive repairs later on.

Well maintained cars are easier to sell and can usually attract higher prices.

If your car needs some repairs, give your vehicle repairer as much information as you can about what the problems are. This will help the repairer diagnose the problem and carry out the repair properly.

Always request a written quote or at least a cost estimate to fix the problem. Once your vehicle is repaired, make sure you get an itemised receipt with all the repairs and their costs. 

If you are not satisfied with the repair work conducted on your vehicle, talk to the repairer.  This will give the repairer an opportunity to fix the problem.

If you cannot resolve the problem, you can seek further advice or you can lodge a complaint with Consumer Protection. We will attempt to resolve your dispute with the repairer.