If you took out car finance before April 2014, one date should be in your diary: 31 August 2026. It is the key car finance complaint deadline for older agreements under the FCA’s redress scheme rules. Complain to your lender by then and, even while the wider scheme is paused by a legal challenge, your lender must tell you where you stand by 18 January 2027.
Here is what the deadline means, who it affects, and why acting now still matters despite the delays.
Why the 31 August 2026 car finance complaint deadline matters
The FCA’s motor finance redress scheme, confirmed in March 2026, covers car, van and motorbike finance agreements taken out between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024. It is split into two parts: one for agreements starting on or after 1 April 2014, and one for older agreements dating back to April 2007.
Could You Be Owed Car Finance Compensation?
Millions of UK drivers may be entitled to a refund. Check your eligibility in under 2 minutes — no upfront cost, no obligation.
On 2 July 2026, the Upper Tribunal suspended parts of the scheme while it considers legal challenges. But not everything is on hold. Lenders must still identify affected agreements, gather commission data, and respond to complainants who are not owed compensation by set deadlines.
For agreements that began before 1 April 2014, the FCA has confirmed that if you complain by 31 August 2026 and you are not owed compensation, your lender should tell you by 18 January 2027. Complain after that date and the answer can take up to five months from when your lender receives your complaint.
Who could be owed compensation?
The scheme is designed to compensate drivers whose finance deals involved one of three unfair features:
- A discretionary commission arrangement, where the dealer or broker could raise your interest rate to earn more commission
- A high commission arrangement, where the commission was an unusually large share of the cost of credit
- A tied arrangement between the lender and the dealer that was not made clear to you
When the scheme was announced, the FCA estimated the average payout at around £830 per agreement, with total compensation expected to reach about £7.5 billion. Individual amounts will vary — some people will receive more, others less.
What the Upper Tribunal suspension means for your claim
The Tribunal will hear the challenges on 14–18 December 2026 or 16–26 February 2027, with a judgment expected in the months that follow. Until the legal process concludes, lenders do not have to calculate or pay compensation. If the scheme is upheld and not appealed, the FCA expects payments to begin in 2027.
If the scheme is overturned in whole or in part, the FCA will decide what happens next — which could mean lenders resolving complaints individually instead. Either way, a complaint lodged now is already in the system, which is why the regulator and consumer groups alike say it still makes sense to complain sooner rather than later.
What happens after you complain?
If your lender concludes you are not owed compensation under the scheme, it must write to tell you, subject to limited exceptions. For newer agreements (started on or after 1 April 2014) where a complaint was made by 30 June 2026, that answer should arrive by 18 November 2026. For pre-2014 agreements, complaining by 31 August 2026 secures an answer by 18 January 2027.
If you hear nothing by those dates, your complaint may well still be in scope for compensation — though nothing is certain until the legal challenges are resolved.
What should you do now?
Older agreements are the ones where paperwork goes missing and lenders’ records get thin, so it pays to act early. Dig out anything you still have: the lender’s name, the agreement number, the dealership and rough dates. Even without paperwork, lenders must check their own records once you complain.
You can complain directly to your lender for free — you do not need to pay anyone to do it, and the FCA’s car finance claims page explains how. If you are not sure whether your old agreement qualifies, you can check your eligibility in a couple of minutes.
With the 31 August 2026 deadline approaching for pre-2014 agreements, the window to guarantee an early answer is closing. Find out if you qualify before the date passes.