OMVIC's Disclosures Guideline: What Buyers Should Expect on Every Contract

Photo: American Honda (Honda US Newsroom). 2026 Honda Civic.

OMVIC's Disclosures Guideline consolidates every disclosure obligation a registered dealer has under the MVDA, the Code of Ethics, and the Consumer Protection Act. For a buyer, it's the most important single document in the OMVIC framework — the thing that determines whether the contract you're about to sign has all the information you need to make a real decision.

Every disclosure in the guideline is a requirement, not a suggestion. The dealer's job is to put it in writing on the contract in a clear, comprehensible, and prominent way. The buyer's job is to read it before signing.

The four categories of disclosure

• Vehicle-specific disclosures — make, model, trim, model year, VIN, odometer reading, previous use, accident history, branding
• Conditional disclosures — anything material that could affect the buyer's decision, even if not on the standard list
• Warranty disclosures — what's covered, what's excluded, term limits, claim limits, deductibles, the warrantor's identity
• Finance and lease disclosures — APR, term, payment amount and frequency, total cost of credit, prepayment terms, any dealer commission

How OMVIC expects the disclosures to appear on the contract

In writing. Verbal disclosure doesn't count, no matter how detailed the conversation. OMVIC's framework is explicit that verbal disclosure does not meet the MVDA requirement.

In a clear, comprehensible, and prominent manner. The wording and placement have to be readable and obvious. Fine print, footnotes, and conditional clauses don't satisfy the requirement.

On the contract itself. The disclosures have to be part of the document you're signing. A separate disclosure form is fine if it's referenced on the contract, but the buyer has to see it before signing.

Before you sign. OMVIC's MVDA requires the dealer to present the disclosures in a timely manner so the consumer can review them before signing the contract. If the dealer is rushing you, that's a structural problem.

Photo: American Honda (Honda US Newsroom). 2026 Honda Civic.

What OMVIC considers a 'material fact'

• Anything that could reasonably be expected to influence the buyer's decision to purchase or lease on the terms disclosed in the contract
• Includes the standard MVDA disclosures (accident history, branding, odometer) but is broader than the standard list
• Includes information specific to the buyer's situation that the dealer knows or should know (for example, a first-time buyer who needs insurance confirmation)
• Excludes information the dealer genuinely doesn't have access to (the MVDA doesn't require dealers to invent disclosures)

Why disclosure failures trigger the 90-day cancellation right

OMVIC's MVDA gives buyers a 90-day window from delivery to cancel the contract and get a full refund if the dealer failed to disclose (or failed to disclose in a timely manner) any of the following: previous use as a daily rental (unless subsequently owned by a non-dealer), police, emergency, taxi, or limo; the actual make, model, and model year; the vehicle's branding status (irreparable, salvage, rebuilt); or the actual distance the vehicle has travelled (within 5% or 1,000 km, whichever is less).

Other disclosure failures don't trigger automatic cancellation, but they're still MVDA breaches that OMVIC can pursue through the complaints process. The 90-day window is the strongest protection; the complaints process is the backup.

What OMVIC's Disclosures Guideline says about warranties

• The identity of the warrantor has to be on the contract
• The parts and labour that are covered have to be on the contract
• Any time or distance limits have to be on the contract
• The obligations of the buyer and seller under the warranty have to be on the contract
• For extended warranties sold by the dealer, the retail value of the warranty has to be separately disclosed

What this means when you're at the dealer

• Read the entire disclosure block before signing — don't skim past it
• Ask about any disclosure that isn't clear, even if it sounds technical
• Verify the disclosures against independent sources (CARFAX, Transport Canada, your own mechanic)
• If a disclosure is missing, flag it before signing — your 90-day cancellation right depends on the disclosure being wrong, not on it being absent
• Keep a copy of the contract and disclosures for at least two years after delivery — that's the window for the 90-day MVDA cancellation and the Compensation Fund claim