Marketing
for mechanics.

The biggest thing standing between an independent workshop and a new-car owner isn't price or location. It's a belief. The 2026 survey for the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association found 44% think they must go back to the dealer, and the association estimates that's around five million owners. Its chief executive told CHOICE there are nearly 20 million vehicles on the road, and half are under warranty.

That's a market most mechanics don't speak to. Their sites list services and opening hours, and never say the one sentence that would let a nervous owner of a two-year-old Kia book in. Say it on the home page, the log book service page and the Google profile.

The ACCC's position, as CHOICE reports it, is that a manufacturer's warranty saying only an authorised dealer can service the car may raise concerns under competition law. It can set conditions: servicing by qualified staff, to the manufacturer's specifications, with quality parts. Follow those and the warranty remains valid. The ACCC also says consumers can choose an independent repairer.

There's one exception worth being honest about. Extended warranties sold separately often require servicing by the dealer that sold them, and CHOICE notes that as a common condition. So your line should be about the manufacturer's new car warranty, not 'any warranty'. Being precise is what makes the claim believable, and keeps it from misleading.

Tick only what your workshop actually does. It writes a plain line you can use on your site and profile, and flags wording to avoid. It's a marketing aid built on the ACCC and CHOICE guidance, not legal advice.

Under the Motor Vehicle Information Scheme, which started in July 2022, manufacturers must make service and repair information available to Australian repairers and training organisations. It covers passenger and light goods vehicles made from 1 January 2002, including software updates and codes, at a price no higher than fair market value. An industry body, AASRA, runs the day-to-day access.

Enforcement has started. In August 2026 the ACCC took Subaru to court, its first case under the scheme, and CHOICE reports that in September 2026 Mazda, Kia and BYD agreed to improve access after separate ACCC investigations.

For marketing, this means a well-equipped independent workshop can honestly say it services late-model cars of the makes it covers. Say which makes, and what you have: the diagnostic gear, the subscriptions, the training. Don't claim 'dealer level' or 'factory authorised' unless it's true.

In NSW, most light vehicles more than five years old need a yearly safety inspection report, the pink slip, and only an Authorised Inspection Scheme station can do it. The report is valid for six months, so owners can get it well before rego is due.

The fee isn't the prize. From 1 July 2026 the maximum for a light vehicle is $52 including GST. The prize is a once-a-year visit from every older car in your area, and a chance to show the owner you're honest about what needs doing now and what can wait. If you're an inspection station, give pink slips their own page and a place in your Google profile's services, and say whether you can do the service in the same visit.

NSW repair businesses need a motor vehicle repairer licence, and workers need a tradesperson certificate for the work they do, or supervision by someone who holds one. The licence details must be on a sign visible to everyone approaching the business, or on the vehicle for a mobile mechanic, and a missing or wrong sign can bring a $550 fine. Put the same details on your website footer and Google profile. It costs nothing and it's a fact a careful owner can check.

Other states differ. Western Australia also requires a repair business licence and repairer certificates. If you work across a border, check that state's rules before you advertise there.