Four in 10 French garages breach fraud and malpractice rules

A French watchdog agency has warned motorists of common red flags to watch out for when dealing with car repair services.    

The consumer protection agency, the DGCCRF (Direction générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des fraudes), recently released the results of an inspection it conducted of 1,600 garages of all sizes. 

The agency found that 40% of garages were failing to comply with rules intended to protect customers from fraud and malpractice.

The operation was conducted in 2024 but its findings were only published 18 months later after legal procedures, principally formal warnings, had been completed.

Despite the efforts of the agency complaints continued throughout 2024.

More than 10,000 reports concerning vehicle maintenance and repair were submitted via the agency’s online reporting platform, signal.conso.gouv.fr, in 2025.

A further round of inspections is scheduled for 2026.

“We advise motorists to always ask for a written estimate from the garage before work starts and to check it carefully,” a spokesperson from the DGCCRF said.

“Motorists should always check the displayed notice for the price of labour, and make sure they understand the work that will be carried out.”

It stated that the cost of garage repairs has risen significantly in recent years, with the average hourly labour rate increasing to €100 in 2023, from €84 in 2019.

During the last major round of inspections in 2022, 30% of inspected garages were found to be in breach of regulations. However, the agency said the 10% increase in 2024 was likely due to more targeted inspections, rather than a rise in dishonest operators entering the sector.

Here are five of the most common problems identified by the agency for motorists to be on the look out for:  

1. Lack of clarity around pricing

Most of the issues identified related to pricing. Garages either failed to display their charges for work or provided estimates that were lower than the amount ultimately charged once the repairs had been completed.

Pricing issues resulted in 500 formal warning letters being issued and 220 procès-verbaux (official reports) being drawn up, a procedure that can lead to a fine or court appearance.

2. Charging for work not carried out

Some of the most serious cases involved garages billing customers for the removal and replacement of vehicle parts when the original components had not, in fact, been replaced.

Other instances included the application of unjustified parking charges and fees for diagnostic procedures that were routinely carried out as part of standard servicing work.

3. Failing to source old car parts

Several garages were also found to be breaching regulations requiring them to seek used or reconditioned parts as an alternative to new components, and to inform customers of any difference in cost.

4. Unlawful clauses on invoices

The DGCCRF also identified problems with the contractual terms and conditions included on invoices, finding that some clauses were unlawful.

Among the examples cited were provisions imposing a daily charge for each day an invoice remained unpaid. While such fees may be applied between businesses in the motor industry, they cannot legally be imposed on private customers.

Other unlawful clauses sought to exempt garages from liability in cases where vehicles were stolen or damaged while in their care, or stated that they could charge customers an amount they deemed appropriate for work carried out without first obtaining the customer’s consent.

5. Illegal modifications of vehicles 

Inspectors also identified a category of offences involving illegal modifications to vehicles, most commonly the disabling or removal of anti-pollution systems.

In some cases, garages that had legally modified vehicles, for example by converting them to run on E85 fuel, failed to inform customers that they were required to update the vehicle registration documents and notify their insurer of the changes.

The DGCCRF investigation also examined the growing use of the internet to book repairs and purchase vehicles.

It found that some garages did not fully understand the rules governing online contracts and provided guidance to help prevent further breaches.