CMA Investigates Autotrader Consumer Reviews and Star Ratings

UK CMA Cases

Filed March 27th, 2026

Detected March 27th, 2026

Summary

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened an investigation into Autotrader Limited regarding potential breaches of consumer protection law related to the publication of online reviews and star ratings. The investigation will examine whether certain 1-star reviews were withheld, potentially misleading consumers about customer experiences.

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What changed

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has initiated an investigation into Autotrader Limited under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, focusing on potential unfair commercial practices concerning the moderation and publication of consumer reviews and star ratings. Specifically, the CMA is examining whether a number of 1-star reviews, moderated by Feefo Limited, were not published on Autotrader's platform and therefore not included in star ratings, potentially denying consumers a complete picture of customer experiences.

This investigation is in its initial stages, and no infringement of consumer protection law has been assumed or found against Autotrader. The CMA will engage with Autotrader and gather evidence to determine if consumer protection law has been infringed. The initial investigation phase, involving information and evidence gathering, is scheduled from March 2026 to September 2026, with the next case update expected in September 2026. Companies involved in online reviews and ratings should be aware of increased scrutiny in this area.

What to do next

Monitor CMA investigation updates regarding Autotrader.
Review internal policies and practices for online review moderation and publication to ensure compliance with consumer protection law.

Source document (simplified)

Autotrader: consumer protection enforcement case

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating Autotrader Limited’s (‘Autotrader’) compliance with the law on unfair commercial practices under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act) in relation to publishing consumer reviews and consumer review information like star ratings.

From: Competition and Markets Authority Published 27 March 2026 Case type: Consumer enforcement Case state: Open Market sector: Communications Opened: 26 March 2026

Case timetable

| Date | Action |
| --- | --- |
| March 2026 to September 2026 | Initial investigation: information and evidence gathering (next case update September 2026) |
| 26 March 2026 | Investigation opened |

Case opening

26 March 2026: The CMA has opened an investigation into Autotrader’s compliance with consumer protection law.

The CMA is investigating whether a number of 1-star reviews – which were moderated by Feefo Limited – were not published on Autotrader’s platform, and were not counted towards star ratings, therefore denying consumers a fully rounded picture of other customers’ experiences.

The CMA will now engage with Autotrader and gather evidence to consider whether the CMA thinks Autotrader has infringed consumer protection law.

At this initial stage, it should not be assumed that Autotrader has infringed consumer protection law and no finding has been made.

Press release: Fake and misleading reviews: 5 businesses under CMA investigation (27.3.26)

Contacts

onlinereviews@cma.gov.uk
Laila Benfaida, Assistant Director
Jon Riley, Director
Hayley Fletcher, Senior Responsible Officer

Personal information

Your name and contact details are your personal data. The CMA may collect, use and share personal data for its consumer protection investigation under Part 3 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. This includes processing personal data for the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018.

For more information about how the CMA handles personal information, please see our personal information charter.

Published 27 March 2026 Contents