Complain About a Car Dealer or Mechanic

Bought a car with hidden problems, or charged for repairs you never approved? Most provinces have a dedicated regulator for vehicle dealers — separate from general consumer protection, and separate again from independent repair shops.

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Dealer, Private Sale, or Repair Shop? It Changes Everything

Licensed dealer: covered by your province's vehicle sales regulator (below).
Private sale (individual to individual): not covered by any dealer regulator — your recourse is small claims court.
Independent repair shop: usually falls under your province's general consumer protection office, not the dealer regulator.

Vehicle Dealer Regulators By Province

Ontario

DEALER REGULATOR OMVIC — omvic.ca/buying/complaints
Covers registered dealers only — not private sales, manufacturers, or repair shops.

British Columbia

DEALER REGULATOR Vehicle Sales Authority of BC (VSA) — vsabc.ca

Alberta

DEALER REGULATOR AMVIC — amvic.org/consumer/complaint-process
Can investigate, discipline, and access a compensation fund — but cannot force a business to pay damages directly.

Quebec

GENERAL REGULATOR Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC) — opc.gouv.qc.ca
Quebec has no separate dealer-only body — vehicle sales and right-to-repair complaints go through the OPC under the Consumer Protection Act.

Manitoba & Saskatchewan

SK DEALERS FCAA Consumer Protection Division — 306-787-5550 — fcaa.gov.sk.ca
MB DEALERS Manitoba Consumer Protection Office — gov.mb.ca/cca/consumb

Where ComplaintCA Fits

ComplaintCA helps you identify which of these bodies actually applies to your situation and drafts the formal complaint, in your own language, with the documentation these regulators typically ask for (bill of sale, inspection report, repair invoices).

Not sure which body covers your case? Ask Asya first.

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Frequently Asked

Who regulates car dealers in Ontario?

OMVIC — licenses dealers and handles complaints, but not private sales, manufacturers, or repair shops.

Who regulates car dealers in BC?

The Vehicle Sales Authority of BC (VSA).

Who regulates car dealers in Alberta?

AMVIC — can investigate and discipline, and administers a compensation fund, but can't force a business to pay damages directly.

Can I complain about a mechanic the same way as a dealer?

Usually not — dealer regulators cover vehicle sales. Repair shop complaints typically go to your province's general consumer protection office.

What if the regulator can't force a refund?

Most can discipline or revoke a licence but not order payment. For money back, small claims court may be the next step after filing the regulatory complaint.

What is ComplaintCA?

A Canadian civic platform that identifies the correct authority for a complaint, drafts it with AI in 7 languages, and helps track it through to resolution.

Sources & Verification

This guide is maintained by ComplaintCA and checked against the official sources linked throughout, including:

Learn more about how ComplaintCA verifies information on our About page.

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