Complaint Trends
The Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) mediates consumer complaints with the goal of obtaining a fair and appropriate resolution for both the consumer and the automotive repair dealer (ARD) involved in the repair transaction. BAR also uses the complaint mediation process to educate ARDs on the Automotive Repair Act and related laws and regulations to help avoid future complaints and to promote consumer confidence in their next repair transaction.
Complaint allegation trend information for January through June 2023 is provided in the table below. To learn more about complaint trends, view BAR’s quarterly enforcement statistics reports available on the BAR Advisory Group webpage at www.bar.ca.gov. Additional enforcement statistics, including performance measures to track the Department of Consumer Affairs' efficacy in managing the consumer complaint process, are available on the DCA Open Data Portal at www.dca.ca.gov.
Complaint Allegation Trends (January - June 2023)
| Trend | Total Received | % |
|---|---|---|
| Engine Repair and Performance Repair, diagnosis, cooling systems, fuel systems, etc. |
2,730 | 33% |
| Auto Body Auto body repair, auto glass, etc. |
1,468 | 18% |
| General Repair and Maintenance Brakes, suspension, steering, air conditioning/heat, etc. |
1,346 | 16% |
| Transmission Automatic transmission, manual transmission/clutch, etc. |
567 | 7% |
| Smog Smog repair, test procedures, etc. |
510 | 6% |
| Other Motorcycle repair, etc. |
485 | 6% |
| Vehicle Warranty | 470 | 6% |
| Used Car Transactions | 425 | 5% |
| Unlicensed Activity | 135 | 2% |
| Towing and Storage Towing, storage fees, and improper lien sales |
120 | 1% |