The Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa, usually shortened to MIOSA, resolves disputes between consumers and the motor industry, covering vehicle sales, repairs, servicing and warranties. It is the body to approach when a dealership or workshop will not resolve a complaint, and it is free to use.
Official contact channels
- Contact number: 010 590 8378
- Email enquiries: [email protected]
- Complaints are lodged through the online Assistance Request Form published on the MIOSA site
- Office hours: Monday to Thursday 08:30 to 16:30, and Friday 08:30 to 16:00
Note the Friday close. MIOSA shuts half an hour earlier on a Friday than on other weekdays, which is easy to miss when a deadline falls at the end of a week.
Lodge the complaint through the online form rather than by phone. The office works from a written record, and the form captures the vehicle, the supplier and the sequence of events in the structure the assessors use.
What this organisation provides
- Dispute resolution between consumers and motor industry suppliers, at no cost to the consumer
- Coverage of new and used vehicle sales, repairs, servicing, and warranty disputes
- Published case studies, an industry code of conduct, and guidance under the Consumer Protection Act
- A separate registration route for companies in the industry that participate in the scheme
Approach the supplier first. An ombud scheme expects you to have given the dealer or workshop a fair opportunity to resolve the matter, and the first question asked will be what the supplier said in response.
Keep the job card, the invoice and any written communication. A motor dispute usually turns on what was authorised versus what was done, and the job card is the document that records it.
Address and operating information
- Contact is by telephone, email and the online form; MIOSA does not present itself as a walk-in office
- Office hours are Monday to Thursday 08:30 to 16:30 and Friday 08:30 to 16:00
- MIOSA publishes annual reports, financial statements and newsletters on its own site
Support and escalation routes
- If your complaint is about motor finance or vehicle insurance rather than the vehicle itself, the National Financial Ombud on 0860 800 900 or [email protected] is the right body
- If it concerns credit bureau information, a credit provider, a debt counsellor or a payment distribution agent, the Credit Ombud on 0861 662 837 or [email protected] applies
- General consumer goods and services complaints outside the motor sector go to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud
- MIOSA publishes these sister schemes on its own contact page, which is a useful indication of where a misdirected complaint will be sent
Getting the scheme right at the outset saves weeks. A dispute over a vehicle finance settlement figure is a financial services matter, while a dispute over a gearbox repair is a motor industry matter, even though both concern the same car.
Sources
- Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa contact page, miosa.co.za, read 3 September 2026