OzCar enters voluntary administration with four NSW dealerships closed and 90 jobs gone

Administrators appointed and four sites closed

Used-car retailer OzCar has entered voluntary administration, with documents lodged with ASIC showing administrators were appointed on Thursday, Nine's A Current Affair reports. The appointment affects dealerships in Penrith, Cardiff and Gosford as well as the company's headquarters in Lansvale, and has resulted in 90 workers losing their jobs. ¹

Grapevine's automotive and business news site GRAFA reports that secured creditors appointed the administrators, and that the four company-owned locations in Lansvale, Penrith, Cardiff and Gosford were closed immediately, resulting in 90 redundancies. Alvarez and Marsal administrator Glen Kanevsky said: "The immediate focus is to understand the financial position of the business, engage with key stakeholders and assess the options." ³

The collapse follows a period of financial evaluation by the secured creditor, according to GRAFA. Company-owned operations across New South Wales are affected, while the administrators work through the business's financial options. ³

Franchised dealerships keep trading

About a dozen OzCar franchised dealerships remain operating across NSW, Queensland and Victoria, according to A Current Affair. GRAFA similarly reports that the company's 12 franchise dealerships will continue to operate on a business-as-usual basis while the administrators review the business and assess the options available. ¹³

The remaining network means used-car customers in NSW, Queensland and Victoria can still transact with franchised OzCar sites for now, though the long-term shape of the business depends on the administrators' assessment. A Current Affair was told after the administrators' appointment that customers with concerns should contact the voluntary administrators directly. ¹³

Ownership background

OzCar was founded by the Dale family as a used-car dealership network in Australia, according to GRAFA, which also reports that Japanese firm Optimus Group holds a substantial shareholding in the automotive retail business. A Current Affair identified Brett Dale as the company's co-owner. ³¹

Co-owner Brett Dale defended the business when A Current Affair confronted him about the complaints and regulatory action, saying: "We sell great cars to great people," and pointing to 24,000 cars sold over 28 years. Those remarks were made before the appointment of administrators. ¹

NSW Fair Trading action in September

Weeks before the administration, NSW Fair Trading announced disciplinary action against OzCar Pty Ltd for misleading consumers and unconscionable conduct. The regulator's investigation found a pattern of dishonest conduct from 2023 to 2025 across multiple NSW dealerships, with consumers reporting they were rushed or pressured into signing contracts they did not understand, contracts not properly explained, and vehicles sold that were not of acceptable quality. ²

NSW Fair Trading said the fine imposed on OzCar was the maximum available under disciplinary action provisions, and fines were also issued to directors Brett Anthony Dale, William James Keepkie and John Startari. Commissioner Natasha Mann told A Current Affair: "We hit them with the maximum fines that are available to us under the law," citing a $50,000 fine for the corporation and $11,000 fines for directors. ²¹

The regulator also applied conditions to OzCar's motor dealers licence, including prohibitions on pre-completing or pre-selecting cooling-off waivers, a requirement that purchasers hand-write "I understand I am waiving my cooling off right" for twelve months when waiving those rights, rectification of safety or reliability defects before sale with written inspection and repair records, and provision of signed contract copies to purchasers. OzCar must also implement a compliance program covering unconscionable conduct and handling vulnerable customers. ²

NSW Fair Trading said it would conduct ongoing compliance visits to OzCar dealerships to ensure the licence conditions are met. Commissioner Mann said the regulator's investigators would continue to closely monitor the company, and encouraged any consumers who have dealt with OzCar and are not satisfied with their interaction to lodge a complaint with NSW Fair Trading via its website, at any Service NSW centre or by calling 13 32 20. ²

In one case documented by NSW Fair Trading, a customer bought a vehicle from an OzCar outlet that suffered an extensive list of mechanical failures despite the business claiming it had been inspected by a mechanic. The regulator's own inspection identified significant issues and resulted in an order for OzCar to repair the vehicle. ²

Customer complaints featured in A Current Affair investigation

The administration comes weeks after A Current Affair investigated OzCar following widespread complaints involving faulty vehicles, expensive financing and unaddressed customer issues. Among them was Melbourne couple Shaz and Daz, who bought a used MG as an engagement present after securing $22,990 in finance through OzCar. They said the car entered "limp mode" on a freeway soon after purchase, failing to accelerate, and that after OzCar took it away for repairs it was never returned. ¹

A Current Affair also reported that Sydney mother-of-two Natasha paid $30,000 for a Hyundai SUV through OzCar's Campbelltown dealership and experienced repeated mechanical problems, saying she was "scared to drive" the car with young kids. OzCar later accepted the return of Natasha's vehicle and issued a refund, and following the program's investigation it cleared the remaining $22,990 balance on Shaz and Daz's loan and paid them an additional $5000. The couple had paused repayments on advice from the ACCC and AFCA while the vehicle was unaccounted for, and the missing MG was eventually sold at auction by the financier for $5000. ¹