Hello, my name is Grace, and I am a young female student new to Bristol.
I am leaving this review to express how stressful and disappointing my experience has been with this garage. What should have been a straightforward MOT and minor service turned into the worst service I have ever received from any garage.
1. Mini service not carried out
I originally asked for a mini service before the MOT. This was not done, no checklist was provided, and nothing was itemised on the invoice. Because of this, obvious issues were missed, including the brake light fault that later caused the MOT failure.
2. New problems appeared immediately after their repairs
After collecting my car from the first repair, it began producing white smoke and showing coolant‑related issues, problems I had never experienced before bringing the car in. I reported this straight away.
3. Work repeatedly carried out without my knowledge or consent
My greatest issue throughout this entire experience is that work was carried out on multiple occasions before I was informed of the price. At no point was I given a clear explanation of what was being done or what the cost would be until I collected the car. This is completely unacceptable and caused significant stress, especially when new faults appeared after their repairs.
4. Told to bring the car back, but no clear communication
I was told to bring the car back so they could "sort it". No cost was mentioned, no explanation was given, and no update was provided for a week. I had to chase them myself because they did not answer the phone on several occasions.
5. No missed calls despite being told they tried to contact me
I was told they had tried to call me, but after checking my device, I had no missed calls, no voicemail and no messages when they said they had called. I also tried calling them several times, but got no answer. Communication was extremely poor throughout.
6. Attempted a charge of over £200 for an issue that developed after their work and
When I went to collect the car the second time, I was suddenly presented with a bill for over £200 for thermostat and coolant work, even though this issue only appeared after their previous repair, and I had never been told there would be a cost associated with it until that point. When I refused to pay, the charge was waived immediately, which speaks for itself.
7. No proof of service provided
I was told a courtesy service had been carried out (because they forgot to do the service with the initial M.O.T.), but no documentation was given when I picked up the car. I emailed the garage requesting the certificate, received no reply, and had to call them again myself. Only then was I told I had to collect it in person, which I did, but this was never communicated beforehand. I was then given, for the FIRST time, details of my M.OT failures with the proof of M.O.T
8. New driving issue after their repairs
Since all of this, my car now has a drag/gear issue that did not exist before I brought it in. I reported this immediately after the first repair. I chose not to leave the car again because of the repeated communication problems and the stress this situation has caused.
Overall
This entire experience has been extremely stressful, poorly handled and far below the standard any customer should expect. My car went in for a simple MOT and came out with issues it never had before. Communication was almost impossible, work was carried out without my consent, costs were attempted without approval, and I had to chase the garage repeatedly just to get basic information.
This has been the worst service I have ever received from any garage, and I hope this review encourages improvements in communication, transparency and customer care. read more
