The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed that its investigation into Autotrader’s handling of customer reviews remains ongoing, with the next update now expected later this year or in early 2027.
The investigation was launched in March 2026 as part of a wider CMA focus on potentially misleading online review practices. The regulator is examining whether some negative reviews submitted through review platform Feefo were prevented from appearing on Autotrader’s marketplace and whether those reviews were also excluded from dealers’ overall ratings.
If negative feedback was being omitted from published reviews or dealer scores, the CMA is assessing whether this could have affected the information available to consumers when comparing dealerships.
CMA Investigation Into Autotrader Reviews Continues
The CMA has spent the intervening months collecting and assessing evidence as it considers whether Autotrader or Feefo may have breached consumer protection legislation.
However, the regulator has reiterated that the investigation itself does not mean that either company has broken the law. No final findings have been made, and the outcome will depend on the evidence gathered during the investigation.
The CMA now expects to provide a further update during winter 2026/27.
When the investigation was announced, Autotrader said it would cooperate fully with the CMA and highlighted its commitment to operating responsibly and in compliance with the relevant rules.
Review Practices Under Greater Scrutiny
The Autotrader investigation forms part of a broader CMA programme examining the way businesses collect, manage and display online reviews.
The regulator has been investigating businesses across a number of industries over concerns surrounding potentially fake, misleading or manipulated reviews. The wider work reflects increased scrutiny of the information consumers rely on when making purchasing decisions online.
The legal framework has also changed. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, with relevant provisions coming into force in April 2025, introduced stronger protections against certain unfair commercial practices involving consumer reviews.
Among the practices covered are publishing fake reviews, failing to make clear when reviews have been incentivised and manipulating the presentation of reviews in a way that could mislead consumers.
For motorists and businesses using online marketplaces to research vehicles or dealerships, the investigation highlights the importance of transparent and representative customer feedback. Until the CMA reaches its conclusions, however, it remains unclear whether the practices under investigation amount to a breach of consumer protection law.
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