Guides

Faults and defects

• What counts as a defective vehicle in Australia?

  What makes a car defective under Australian Consumer Law, which faults tend to count and which usually don’t, how serious a fault has to be before it matters, and how new car defects are judged.

• Been sold a faulty car? What to do now

  Bought a car from a dealership in Australia and it’s turned out faulty? What to do first, what not to do, and where a fault the consumer guarantees cover could lead.

Returns and refunds

• Can you return a car to a dealer after purchase?

  When a car may be returnable to a dealership in Australia and when it isn’t. Change of mind, cooling-off, a fault the consumer guarantees may cover, a dealer who misled you, and selling a car back.

• Can I get a refund on a car?

  Can you get your money back on a car bought from a dealership in Australia? When a refund may be on the table, when it usually isn’t, and what happens to finance, deposits and trade-ins.

• Is there a return policy on cars in Australia?

  Is there a 14 or 30 day return window on a car in Australia? What cooling-off periods are, what a dealership’s own return policy may offer, and why a faulty car isn’t about a deadline.

• How to return a car to the dealership

  Can you physically return a car to the dealership in Australia, and how does a return actually happen? What a handover looks like, what happens to the money and the finance, and where to start if you want a refund.

• Can I return a brand new car to the dealership?

  When a brand new car may be returnable in Australia, when the dealership may be entitled to repair it first, and what changing your mind does and doesn’t give you.

Warranty

• My car is out of warranty. Do I still have rights?

  Why a written warranty ending doesn’t automatically end your consumer rights in Australia, and what a reasonable period may mean for a car.

By brand

AudiBMWFordHyundaiMercedes-BenzNissanTeslaToyota

What each brand publishes about warranty, returns and refunds. All brands