Customers looking for information on whether they can get a refund on their car deposit topped out the most searched for information on the Motor Ombudsman’s website last year.

The Knowledge Base tool on the organisation's website launched 12 months ago to make it faster for consumers to resolve their queries and complaints in relation to buying and running a car.

Subjects in relation to the purchase of a new or used car accounted for 60% of the 10 most popular articles in 2019 (see below).

The Knowledge Base holds a library of over 110 articles and since launch 12 months ago, it has been used over 146,000 times. Nearly 48,000 searches were taken during the same period, with the words ‘recall’, ‘warranty’ and ‘service’ among the most frequently used terms.

The articles relate to The Motor Ombudsman’s four Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)-approved Codes of Practice, car ownership and commonly used automotive terminology, prior to raising a case.

A sixth category on electric vehicles was recently added to reflect the growing choice and rise in sales of zero emission models.

Throughout 2019, the Knowledge Base also witnessed close to 48,000 user searches, with the terms ‘warranty’ ‘recall’ and ‘service’ proving the most used generic terms in the search bar.

Bill Fennell, chief ombudsman and managing director of The Motor Ombudsman, said: “Use of the Knowledge Base by consumers as the first port of call for information prior to raising a case with our dispute resolution team, has grown considerably during the past 12 months.

“We will be looking to expand the subjects included within our existing library to help to ensure that we continue to address the main issues and queries that consumers are ultimately searching for."

The top 10 most viewed articles on the Knowledge Base in 2019 

1. Can I get a car deposit refund?

2. Can I return my car within 14 days of buying it?

3. The garage has not fixed the problem with my vehicle, what can I do? 

4. I was mis-sold my car, what can I do?

5. What do I need to do if I reject my new car?

6. The garage has damaged my car or property, what can I do? 

7. The garage cannot find an intermittent car fault, what can I do? 

8. How do I complain about my car? New and Used Car Sales 

9. What can I do if I have a problem with my car purchase? 

10. Can I complain about a mis-sold car warranty policy?