Something went wrong with your car shipment. Maybe the carrier damaged your vehicle and will not return your calls. Maybe you paid a deposit and the broker disappeared. Or maybe your car arrived two weeks late and nobody told you why. You are angry, you are stressed, and you are searching “how to file a complaint against an auto transport company.” This guide walks you through every option — from the fastest fix to the nuclear option — so you know exactly what to do and what paperwork you need before you start.
Step 1: Contact Your Broker First (Seriously, Start Here)
If you booked through a broker, they are your first and best path to resolution. Brokers hold the carrier relationship, the contract, and — critically — a seventy-five thousand dollar surety bond with the FMCSA. That bond exists specifically to protect consumers when things go wrong. A reputable broker has every incentive to resolve your issue quickly: carrier disputes are bad for business, bond claims are worse, and word travels fast in a tight-knit industry.
Before calling, gather three things: your booking confirmation or bill of lading, photos of any damage (with timestamps if possible), and a written timeline of what happened and when. When you call, state the problem clearly, reference the contract terms, and ask for a specific resolution timeline. Many issues that feel like “I need to file a formal complaint” are resolved at this stage — especially with brokers that maintain active carrier relationships and accountability standards.
Learn more about auto transport industry regulation and consumer protections.
Step 2: FMCSA Complaint Filing — The Step-by-Step Walkthrough
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates all interstate auto transport companies in the United States. Every licensed broker and carrier must maintain a Motor Carrier (MC) number and a surety bond. The FMCSA maintains the National Consumer Complaint Database (NCCDB) at nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov — and filing a complaint is free, takes about fifteen to twenty minutes, and creates a permanent record that the FMCSA uses to identify patterns of misconduct.
What you need before you start
- The company’s MC number or USDOT number (find it on your contract, bill of lading, or by searching the FMCSA SAFER database)
- Your shipment reference number or booking ID
- Dates: when you booked, when the carrier was assigned, pickup date, delivery date
- A clear written description of what went wrong (dates, dollar amounts, communications)
- Copies of emails, texts, and the contract (you can attach these as PDFs or screenshots)
How to file (takes about 15 minutes)
- Go to nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov and select “File a Complaint”
- Select the complaint category: “Household Goods / Auto Transport” for car shipping issues
- Enter the company’s name and MC number — the system auto-populates the company details from the FMCSA database
- Describe the incident: be factual, chronological, and specific. “Broker charged five hundred dollars deposit, carrier never assigned, broker refused refund after thirty days” is better than “they scammed me”
- Upload supporting documents: contract, bill of lading, email threads, photos of damage
- Submit. You will receive a confirmation number — save it.
What happens after you file
The FMCSA does not mediate individual disputes or recover your money directly. What it does is powerful: every complaint becomes part of the company’s permanent record. Carriers and brokers with patterns of complaints face compliance reviews, civil penalties (fines up to tens of thousands of dollars), and eventual license revocation. For you personally, the FMCSA complaint creates leverage — companies often settle once they know a formal complaint is on file because it threatens their operating authority.
Worried you were scammed? Use the FMCSA verification checklist to check a broker before booking.
Step 3: BBB Complaints — When They Help and When They Do Not
The Better Business Bureau is a private organization, not a government agency. It has no enforcement power — it cannot issue fines, revoke licenses, or force a company to pay you. What the BBB can do: publicize your complaint, pressure the company to respond (companies care about their BBB rating), and create a public paper trail that future customers find when they search the company’s name.
BBB complaints are most effective against brokers (who market to consumers and care about reputation) and least effective against independent carriers (who work through load boards and rarely interact with the public). If your complaint is against a broker, file with the BBB in parallel with your FMCSA complaint — the dual pressure often accelerates resolution. BBB complaints are also useful for non-FMCSA issues, like deceptive advertising or bait-and-switch quoting tactics where you never actually shipped a car but feel misled.
How to file a BBB complaint
- Search for the company at bbb.org
- Click “File a Complaint” on their BBB profile page
- Describe the problem, the resolution you want (refund, repair coverage, apology), and attach evidence
- The BBB forwards your complaint to the company and gives them typically fourteen to thirty days to respond
- The company’s response (or non-response) becomes part of their public BBB file
Step 4: State Attorney General and Small Claims Court — The Escalation Path
If the FMCSA and BBB routes do not produce results, the next tier is state-level enforcement. Every state has an Attorney General’s office with a consumer protection division. Auto transport fraud, deceptive business practices, and breach of contract all fall under state consumer protection laws.
State Attorney General complaint
File with the AG in the state where the company is headquartered (not where you live). The AG’s office reviews complaints for patterns and can open investigations, issue subpoenas, and pursue civil penalties against companies that systematically defraud consumers. Individual disputes rarely trigger AG action on their own, but your complaint becomes part of a cumulative record that matters when patterns emerge. Filing takes about ten minutes online through the state’s AG consumer complaint portal — search “[state name] attorney general consumer complaint” to find the right form.
Small claims court
For disputes involving amounts under the small claims limit (typically five thousand to ten thousand dollars depending on the state), small claims court is a viable option. You do not need a lawyer. You do need: the company’s legal name and registered agent address (available from the state’s Secretary of State business registry), your contract, your bill of lading, all correspondence, and a clear calculation of your damages. File in the county where the company is located or where the transaction occurred. The filing fee is usually between thirty and seventy five dollars.
Step 5: Documentation Checklist — What You Need Before You File Anything
Every complaint channel — FMCSA, BBB, AG, small claims — requires the same core documentation. Collect these before you file your first complaint so you only do the paperwork once:
- Contract or booking agreement — the document you signed showing the quoted price, pickup window, and terms
- Bill of lading — the inspection report signed at pickup and delivery; this is the single most important document in any dispute
- Photos — timestamped photos of the vehicle before pickup AND after delivery; photos of any damage with close-ups
- Communication log — a written timeline of every call, text, and email, including dates, names of representatives, and what was promised or denied
- Payment records — receipts, credit card statements, or wire transfer confirmations showing what you paid and when
- Company identifiers — the MC number, USDOT number, and phone number/email used during the transaction
- Your written summary — a one-page, factual, chronological narrative of what happened; this is what you will copy into every complaint form
How Best Care Auto Transport Handles Disputes
At Best Care Auto Transport, we carry a seventy-five thousand dollar FMCSA surety bond and maintain active, direct relationships with every carrier we dispatch. That means if something goes wrong — damage, delay, or a dispute — you have one point of contact (us) with the leverage and accountability to make it right. We verify carrier insurance before every shipment, document vehicle condition at pickup and delivery with photos and a detailed bill of lading, and maintain open communication from booking through delivery. Most complaints we see in the industry are the result of poor communication and no accountability structure — both of which are built into how we operate from day one.
See how Best Care vets carriers and why it matters for your shipment.
Car arrived with damage? Here is the inspection checklist and full claim process.