Please read the following information before you complete the vehicle defect notification form.

You should complete the defect notification form only if you have a significant concern regarding the safety of your vehicle that is related to the design and manufacture of the vehicle. The Department of Transport and Regional Services does not deal with issues relating to normal wear and tear on a vehicle.

Please note that the Department of Transport and Regional Services is not a Consumer Affairs agency and it is therefore not possible to assist you in obtaining a refund, repair or replacement from the seller. For this you should approach the Consumer Affairs or Fair Trading agency in your State or Territory. The Department of Transport and Regional Services also cannot assist you in any adversarial proceedings.

The Department of Transport and Regional Services may conduct an impartial investigation into your report. Since 1 July 1986, the Trade Practices Act has provided for safety defects in goods to be rectified by the supplier through recall if necessary or other appropriate action.

The defect notification form requests certain information, including the name and address of the owner/driver and details of the vehicle. We may need to disclose this information to the manufacturer so that arrangements can be made, if required, for the reported defect to be investigated jointly by the manufacturer and the Department of Transport and Regional Services.

Of course, you should initially contact the seller or any authorised dealer for your model vehicle to explain the problem. This has two purposes. Firstly, Consumer Affairs or Fair Trading agencies usually require that the customer attempt to resolve any problem with the seller before they intervene. Secondly, motor vehicle dealers are required by manufacturers to report cases of defects in customers' vehicles. Manufacturers use this information to conduct their own investigations into possible safety defects so that they can take appropriate action.

Notify us of a safety defect: