Toronto, Ontario — The Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement has made amendments to the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act (MVDA) following proposals put forward to the Ministry by the Motor Vehicle Retailers of Ontario (MVRO) and the Auditor General.
Specifically, Ontario dealers will now have more time to provide aftermarket warranty documents and payments to warranty sellers. The change from seven days to 30 days was amended to go forward July 1, 2024.
Other amendments to the Act include:
- Motor vehicle dealers and salespersons are no longer required to return their registration certification when they cease to be registered.
- Registrants are required to include contact information that the registrant chooses—rather than a business telephone number—in advertisements, provided that the same contact information is published on the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council’s (OMVIC) public database of registrants.
- Cross-appointments between OMVIC’s Board of Directors and the Motor Vehicle Dealers Compensation Fund (MVDCF) Board of Trustees are prohibited.
- Provisions that are related to the transition from the outdated MVDA have been removed from the general regulation.
Moreover, as of January 1, 2025, the required Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan (CAMVAP) statements will be simplified and registrants will be required to include a general statement on CAMVAP in all contracts.
Then, on January 1, 2026, registrants will be required to complete continuing education requirements that the registrar specifies before renewing their registrations.
The ministry continues to evaluate the remaining proposals from its consultation period earlier this year and may propose further regulatory and legislative changes to enhance consumer protection.
For more details, click here.
