Carbase Service Car Repair Garage in Bristol

Reviews

1. M Matheou ★★★★★

   I purchased my car from Carbase with an extended warranty. The car had a fault and I contacted Carbase for help. Elise was the really helpful member of staff that helped and guided me through the process. Unfortunately the repair was not as simple as it seemed but Carbase covered all the costs and I now have a car that I am really happy with. Thank you Elise

   almost 8 months ago
2. Harrison B ★☆☆☆☆

   I have never made a complaint in my life but after this experience I’ve simply had to. On 17th October, I brought my car in for diagnosis as requested, arriving at 9:00am. I had to wait until 5:15pm with ZERO communication throughout the day, only to be informed by a member of staff at 5:15pm that there had been no time to inspect my vehicle and that I would need to rebook. This was a JOKE as I had taken a day of annual leave and travelled from Gloucester to Bristol (approximately one hour each way) for this appointment. To provide some context, I returned to Carbase because I purchased both the vehicle and an RAC Warranty from Carbase. When I attempted to use the warranty locally, multiple garages in Gloucester declined to undertake the work, leaving me no choice but to return to your branch. I then rebooked for 28th October, requiring yet another day of annual leave. I was assured that the diagnostic work would be carried out in the morning, but I did not receive any contact until 3:23pm, just hilarious. I was then informed that the issue could not be identified and that I would need to visit a third-party specialist—at my own cost of £275 for diagnosis—before a warranty claim could even be considered. To add to my frustration, I was also asked to pay a £60 diagnostic fee despite no actual diagnosis being completed. After losing two days of annual leave, spending £40 on fuel, receiving no resolution, and quite frankly wasting 2 days of my life this felt wholly unacceptable. I had expressed my concerns to the service department representative, explaining that I had purchased the vehicle for £10,000 and invested an additional £1,000 in an RAC warranty on the understanding that it offered comprehensive support. Unfortunately, I was met with indifference and a dismissive attitude, which made the experience even more upsetting as I had worked so hard to gather the money to buy the car. The lack of communication, customer care, and accountability throughout this process has been extremely disappointing. The inconvenience, wasted time, and unnecessary expenses have left me feeling completely let down by a company I trusted. I do wish to note that my interactions with the sales department have always been positive—your sales staff are friendly, helpful, and professional. However, the service department’s conduct has been the complete opposite and does not reflect the “Highly Rated by AutoTrader for Customer Service” standard you advertise. But looking at previous reviews, it seems I'm not the only one who has had a shockingly stressful experience with your auto-centre team. I’ve just seen on your website “We treat our customers like family”. Lmfao that’s got to be the funniest joke I’ve heard in 2025 after my experience. A rating of 1 is generous.

   almost 10 months ago
3. Florentin Florin ★☆☆☆☆

   Long story short, if you want a car don't go to these guys. For more info about my experience, read below. They sell you a car which might fail from the second day, like it happened to me. After my experience, I believe that RAC check in hundreds of points is actually not done as they claim. It cannot be that a checked car fails from the second day of use... and the service does not look like the year 2025 one... they are careless, no compassion and no feelings for your paid money... don't pay extra warranty either because it is useless... First appointment , after a month of calls, car brought at 8:00, received evening, 17:25, just investigation. At 16 00 they were not sure if ready. Nothing solved Second appointment , car brought at 9 :00, received 17 15 ,adblue injector they say to be replaced not solving the issue. The car entered the shop for injector replacement at 16 00... Third appointment, 9 00, courtesy car without insurance. No support to get an insurance at all. I gave up leaving my car there for nothing. By the time being I could eventually drive the car only 100 miles as the adblue counter will not allow engine to start. Believe me, they do not care at all... no compassion at all. I would take my money back if they will offer me this chance. Think twice! Better go to a dealer who offers you real peace of mind treatment and warranty , OEM parts ( not eBay second hand ). The star I chose is nonsense too... and they never say sorry. Just online! 10/10/2025 See their answer below. Do you see any solution? ...

   almost 10 months ago

1. Vivek Prabhu ★☆☆☆☆

   I purchased a Peugeot 308 from Carbase in December 2024. Less than 9 months later, in September 2025, the car broke down on the motorway after completely losing acceleration. This could have caused a serious incident had I not just pulled into an exit – thankfully everyone in the car was safe. The most concerning part is that the car had a Full MOT issued by Carbase Service Bristol just 5 months earlier, despite me raising concerns about the clutch and gears heating up. Having driven manual cars for over 15 years, I know when a vehicle is faulty – this was clearly not alright when sold. Carbase also sold me an RAC Platinum 30-month warranty for £950, promising “complete peace of mind.” When the clutch and flywheel failed, the claim was rejected by RAC as their usual “user error.” This left me with a £1,600 repair bill and no car for weeks. The warranty process is deeply flawed: • These ‘Approved’ garages avoid warranty jobs, knowing delays and rejections are likely. • The advertised hire car is only available for ‘approved’ claims, not while you wait weeks for repairs or parts. • After several dodged call, Carbase and RAC customer support simply blame each other, offering no resolution. In short: Carbase clearly sold me a faulty vehicle with an ineffective costly warranty, leaving me out of pocket and without support. I would not trust them again, and I strongly advise others to look elsewhere before making the same costly mistake.

   almost 10 months ago
2. Wiilki Riyada ★☆☆☆☆

   AVOID THIS DEALERSHIP - Sales Team Okay, But the Auto Centre Is the Worst this review is to warn others about the terrible experience I had with the auto centre team at this dealership. While the sales team was fine when I bought my car, the service I received afterward was the worst customer service I have ever encountered. My nightmare began when I tried to schedule a service for my car, which I've owned for less than 30 days. Despite being a members' club cardholder, which should have included a discount, it took months to finally secure an appointment. When I did, I was given no explanation of the costs. I was blindsided when I went to pick up my car, only to be hit with a bill for over £500. When I explained that I couldn't pay the entire amount at once and asked if I could pay in installments, they refused and held my car hostage. They told me I could not have my car back until the full amount was paid. With no other option, and no warning or explanation given to me beforehand, I was forced to pay the full amount, leaving me overdrawn. To make matters worse, the attitude of the staff, particularly the young woman I dealt with, was appalling. She was rude and dismissive, and as I was leaving, I could hear the staff laughing. It was a completely unprofessional and heartless display of disrespect. The management is clearly just as bad, as they have done nothing to address this situation. Even after all this, I'm still locked into a contract and paying for a members' club I cannot use, as I have to take my car to other garages for all future services. This is, without a doubt, the worst car dealership in Bristol. Stay away if you want to avoid being scammed and treated with utter contempt. Sal

   1 year ago
3. Colin Smith ★★★★☆

   Nice straightforward and efficient service from Elise and Suzanne,they rang to let me know my Vehicle was ready much earlier than expected too Thanks to Rich and Dave too,would definitely use again !

   almost 3 years ago

1. Zoe Gast ★☆☆☆☆

   Has anyone ever got though on the phone ? I have tried multiple times on many days and NOTHING. They have had my mums for for a week for the 5th time and not even had an update. I wouldn’t recommend this company. Won’t send the car back to the main dealer as it’s a 17 plate and “too old” for a problem they have tried to fix 5 times and not been able too.

   almost 3 years ago
2. Mark Walker ★★★★★

   Purchased a Bmw x1 from these guys. Really pleased with the vehicle and worth the travel from Suffolk to Bristol to purchase. Really easy experience no hold ups contacting can be a little difficult whilst in the process of purchasing but not really a hassle just have to be a little patient. Overall a good experience and looking around their showroom really nice vehicles. Really pleased with ours. Would highly recommend

   almost 3 years ago
3. Aurangzaib Rana ★☆☆☆☆

   I have calling them more than a week now leaving my number hoping someone would call back also left my details on the online form but still waiting no one bothered to reply back. My problem is I have drivers owner club membership and warranty through them otherwise would have gone to somewhere else.

   almost 3 years ago

1. Cassandra Tucker ★★★★★

   There have always been helpful and honest big shout out to Suzanne and the team. The mechanics are also great, when i had a concern over my car they were happy to do a quick check late on saturday morning to amke sure my car was safe.

   almost 3 years ago

FAQs