Vehicle Repair Disclaimer Template (Australia)
Updated on 9 August 2026
A vehicle repair disclaimer sets expectations before a customer signs off on a repair: what the repairer is and isn't promising, what its warranty on the work actually covers, and what's the customer's own responsibility. It's usually signed alongside the work order, not instead of it.
A blanket disclaimer that tries to exclude everything doesn't work in Australia. Consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law — including that services are provided with due care and skill, and that any goods (parts) supplied are of acceptable quality — cannot be excluded, restricted, or modified by any contract term or sign, and a term or notice that tries is void. This template keeps a real, useful warranty structure while stating plainly what a disclaimer legally cannot take away.
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Vehicle Repair Disclaimer
- Date:
- Repairer:
- ,
- Customer:
- Vehicle:
- ,
1. Services performed
performed the following services on the vehicle described above: . The repairer made reasonable efforts to diagnose and address the reported issues, consistent with the consumer guarantee that services are performed with due care and skill.
2. Warranty
The repairer provides a limited warranty on the parts and labour for this repair for , covering: .
This warranty does not cover: , including damage resulting from accidents, misuse, or neglect of the vehicle after this repair.
3. Customer responsibility
It is the customer's responsibility to disclose any known pre-existing issues with the vehicle and to provide accurate information about its history, maintenance and usage. Failure to do so may affect the repairer's ability to diagnose and repair the vehicle effectively.
4. Personal property and storage
The repairer is not responsible for personal property left in the vehicle. If the vehicle is not collected within a reasonable period after the customer is told repairs are complete, the repairer's storage policy is:
5. Consumer guarantees preserved
This disclaimer does not exclude, restrict or modify the consumer guarantees available under the Australian Consumer Law, including that services are performed with due care and skill and that parts supplied are of acceptable quality.
By signing this Vehicle Repair Disclaimer, the customer confirms they understand and accept the matters stated above.
Customer
Date:
Give the warranty an actual scope and duration
A vague promise of "a limited warranty" with no duration is not something a customer can rely on. This template asks the repairer to state the actual warranty period — for example, three months or a kilometre limit, whichever comes first — and what it covers: defects in the parts and labour for the specific repair performed, under normal use.
It also states what the warranty doesn't cover — damage from accidents, misuse, neglect, or an unrelated fault the repairer didn't diagnose or repair — so both sides know the boundary.
Know what a disclaimer legally cannot exclude
The ACL makes consumer guarantees — including due care and skill in performing the service, and acceptable quality for parts supplied — impossible to exclude, restrict, or modify by contract term or notice, subject to limited exceptions for some business transactions. A sign or clause claiming "all care taken, no responsibility accepted" has no legal effect, and displaying one that misrepresents a customer's rights can itself raise misleading-conduct concerns under the ACL.
Disclose parts sourcing
If the repair uses aftermarket, reconditioned, or used parts rather than original-equipment-manufacturer parts, say so. It's a legitimate choice in many repairs, but a customer who finds out afterwards has a legitimate complaint regardless of whether the part itself was sensible.
Keep the customer's own responsibility reasonable
It's fair to ask the customer to disclose known pre-existing issues and give accurate information about the vehicle's history and use, since the technician's diagnosis and repair depend on that being accurate. This template keeps that expectation but frames it as a two-way arrangement rather than shifting risk onto the customer wholesale.
Address belongings left in the vehicle and any storage policy
Customers often leave personal items in a vehicle during a repair. A brief clause on the repairer's responsibility (or lack of it) for property left in the vehicle, and its policy on storage for a vehicle not collected promptly, closes two common sources of dispute the free source template ignores entirely.
Understand major vs minor failure remedies
If the repair itself fails to meet the consumer guarantees, the ACL gives the customer different remedy rights depending on severity. For a major failure, the customer chooses the remedy — repair, replacement, or refund — and the repairer doesn't get to insist on its own preferred fix. For a less serious problem, the repairer generally gets the first opportunity to put it right within a reasonable time. This template's warranty clause works alongside these statutory remedies rather than instead of them; it cannot narrow a customer's right to choose the remedy for a major failure.
Section-by-section guide
- Vehicle and services
- Identifies the vehicle and the repair services actually performed.
- Warranty scope and duration
- States a specific warranty period and what it covers.
- Warranty exclusions
- States what the warranty does not cover.
- Parts sourcing
- Discloses whether non-OEM parts were used.
- Customer responsibility
- Asks for accurate vehicle history and known pre-existing issues.
- Consumer guarantees preserved
- States that the disclaimer does not exclude the ACL's due care and skill or acceptable-quality guarantees.
- Property and storage
- Addresses personal property left in the vehicle and the repairer's storage policy.
Australian compliance notes
These protections apply regardless of what the disclaimer says.
Don't try to exclude consumer guarantees
A term or notice purporting to exclude, restrict or modify a consumer guarantee — including due care and skill, or acceptable quality of parts supplied — is void, subject to limited exceptions.
ACCC — Consumer rights and guaranteesDon't display a sign that misrepresents these rights
A sign or document stating something like 'all care taken, no responsibility accepted' can itself be misleading and does not relieve a repairer of liability for faulty parts or defective work.
How to complete the disclaimer
- Describe the vehicle and services. Identify the vehicle and the repair work actually performed.
- Set the warranty terms. State the actual warranty duration, scope and exclusions.
- Disclose parts sourcing. Note whether non-OEM parts were used.
- Add storage terms. State the policy for vehicles not collected after repair.
Frequently asked questions
Can a repairer exclude all liability with a disclaimer or sign?
No. Consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law — including due care and skill in performing the service — cannot be excluded, restricted or modified by a disclaimer, term or sign, and one that tries is void.
Does a 'no refunds' or 'all care taken' sign remove my rights?
No. These statements have no legal effect on a customer's consumer-guarantee rights, and displaying one that suggests otherwise can itself be misleading under the ACL.
How long should a repairer's own warranty on the work last?
There's no fixed statutory duration for the repairer's own warranty — it's a commercial decision. What matters is stating an actual period, such as three months or a kilometre limit, rather than a vague promise with no duration.
Do I have to be told if the repairer uses a used or aftermarket part?
It's strongly recommended even where no specific rule mandates it, since a customer who discovers non-OEM parts were used without being told has a legitimate complaint regardless of whether the part choice itself was reasonable.
What happens to items left in the vehicle during the repair?
This should be addressed directly in the disclaimer. Most repairers disclaim responsibility for personal property left in the vehicle and ask customers to remove valuables before drop-off.
If a repair goes wrong, can I insist on a full refund?
If the problem amounts to a major failure, yes — you choose the remedy, including a refund. For a less serious problem, the repairer generally gets the first opportunity to fix it within a reasonable time before other remedies apply.
Should this disclaimer be signed at drop-off or at collection?
Best signed at drop-off, alongside the work order, once the customer has authorised the repair — so the warranty scope and storage terms are agreed before work begins rather than presented as a surprise at collection.
Related templates
Disclaimer
This template and guide are for general information only. They are not legal advice, and no lawyer or the ACCC has reviewed or approved them. This disclaimer does not, and cannot, exclude the consumer guarantees available under the Australian Consumer Law.
