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Formula One Autocentres Reviews

4.3 Rating 377 Reviews
85 %
of reviewers recommend Formula One Autocentres
4.3
Based on 377 reviews
Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods
Own Driver
Customer Service
Communication Channels
Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In
Under An Hour
Customer Service
3.3 out of 5
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Phone:

01438746633

Email:

careline@f1autocentres.com

Location:

ASTON HOUSE 18 BOULTON ROAD
Stevenage
SG1 4QX

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Formula One Autocentres 1 star review on 21st September 2025
Aries
Anonymous
Anonymous  // 01/01/2019
“Had rear brakes fitted at Black Heath branch I couldn’t be happier with the service I received. went in for a quote agreed price and they could do the job straight away two members of staff worked on my car and within a hour job done very pleased with the service I receive Many thanks formula 1 Blackheath branch”
Helpful Report
Posted 1 day ago
“Dangerous, Incompetent Workmanship & Zero Accountability Think carefully before using Formula 1 Autocentre in Chelmsford. I recently had four tyres fitted at this branch. After driving just a few miles, the car did not feel right, and the ABS, ESP, and a severe "Do Not Drive" warning light illuminated on the dashboard. I had to have the car recovered and transported to an independent repairer. Upon inspection, they discovered a terrifying safety failure: the wheels had been fitted completely the wrong way round and were left loose on the axle. Because of this extreme negligence, the rear wheel pick-up ring for the wheel sensors was destroyed and had to be replaced at a personal cost of over £500. When I contacted Formula 1 Autocentres to address this, they were incredibly unhelpful, uncaring, and entirely dismissive of the highly dangerous position their mechanics left me in. They are refusing to accept any responsibility for what can only be described as life-threateningly incompetent workmanship. Avoid this garage at all costs if you value your safety and your wallet.”
Helpful Report
Posted 1 week ago
“Avoid! Avoid! Avoid! They tried to charge more after I'd paid in full, then the car turned out to be unsafe. What happened: 📅 1 October 2026: I collected my Ford Mondeo from the Andover branch after a service and other work. I'd been quoted a price over the phone, the same price was on the invoice, and I paid it in full before driving away. 📅 Shortly after: The garage rang to say they'd "made a mistake" with the price and wanted more money. 📅 Less than 24 hours after collection: Driving on the A34, the car started making loud, unusual noises. I had to crawl to the nearest garage, where they found the car hadn't been put back together properly. The engine undertray was missing. Either it came off at speed on a dual carriageway, or it was never refitted. Neither option inspires much confidence in the rest of the work. 📅 Formal complaint: I put both issues in writing. They asked for 72 hours to investigate. 02/10/26 📅 Over a week later: No update. No reply to my emails. Nothing. Issue 1: Asking for more money after payment A price was agreed, it matched the invoice, and I paid it in full. I held up my end of the deal. If your staff can't quote or invoice correctly, that's a training problem for the garage, not something to pass on to customers after they've paid. Issue 2: An unsafe car You bring a car in for a service and it leaves with fewer parts than it went in with! Air now catches underneath the csr causing a loud screeching and flapping noise. If the part came loose on a busy dual carriageway this could easily have caused a serious accident for me or other drivers. Im not sure what's worse though. Did it come off becuase they took no care when putting it back on ? Or did they simply just not put the cover back on ? 🤣 My car is my only transport and my job involves a lot of driving, so this has left me out of pocket and seriously inconvenienced. If you want your car returned safe, from a garage that sticks to its prices and answers its customers, look elsewhere. This situation really is laughable. Hopefully this puts off at least one person from using these cowboys who cant price a job propertly and send cars out in a worse condition then they went in with. As I said this was taken less than 24 hours after picking up the car from a "full service" 😅”
Helpful Report
Posted 2 weeks ago
“I found the new manager Jay to be most helpful & attentive. The wheel alignment was a very competitive price & adjusted the clutch free of charge. Many thanks”
Helpful Report
Posted 1 month ago
“I took my fiat 500 in for an MOT and there was work needed doing to it. the staff were brilliant and carried out the work immediately. Ewan was so helpful and professional and kept me informed which made my experience stress free. Parts were sourced quickly and any questions I had were explained clearly. I am new to the area and hadn't used a local garage before, I will definitely take my car back again. Highly recommend. Thanks Ewan and the team.”
Helpful Report
Posted 1 month ago
“I booked my MOT and service online and paid in full upfront. When I arrived, the receptionist did not mention that my vehicle was too large for their ramp. A few hours later, I received a call informing me that my vehicle was ready for collection. I assumed this meant that both the MOT and the service had been completed. However, when I asked, I was told that only the service had been carried out because they were unable to perform the MOT as their ramp was too small for my vehicle. What makes this even more frustrating is that I had my MOT carried out at the same garage last year without any issues. If they were unable to accommodate my vehicle, they should have informed me before accepting my booking and payment, rather than wasting my time. The lack of professionalism, communication, and customer care was extremely disappointing. I would not recommend this garage based on my experience”
Helpful Report
Posted 2 months ago
“The worst experience I ever had will never return to Formula 1 . Took 3 hours to do my mot though it past a100% had booked the week before for service& mot , they were unable to do the mot had to re book for following week it took 3hours of waiting in a dinghy room no water/coffee and a very rude customer who said “he hoped I’d live for 5years ( sarcastic)” I’m 83 widow suffering in the heat no water dirty waiting room irate vindictive young man racially taunting me no help from male staff on reception who tried to pretend there hadn’t been any racism even though he hadn’t been present in the room or witnessed the dreadful incidence because the arrogant young man drives an £80,000 car obviously a good customer opposed to an old 83 year old widow. Never go back there ever again . It’s back to Mercedes with nice waiting room coffee TV good service clean polite staff . Horrible company dreadful service awful staff. Idiots .”
Helpful Report
Posted 3 months ago
“Had mcpherson strut top bushes replaced under warranty. Informed the work was done and my car was ready for collection. Turned up given key and left got onto the main road and heard and felt loud banging noise coming from both side of the front bonnet. Returned vehicle to garage and informed manager about it and asked why iit had not been road tested before collection as this would of high lighted the issue. The issue being the bolts on both bushes had not been tightened up. This could of resulted in a serious accident. The bolts were tightened up the manager apologised and i left never to return.”
Helpful Report
Posted 4 months ago
“Shocking customer service, damaged my car then denied they did it and refused to fix it”
Helpful Report
Posted 5 months ago
“Ordered 4 tyres, told to call morning b4 going to get fitted. They took all wheels off, next I was told tyres not arrived. Told to come back next day. Once fitted after less than a Month drivers rear flat In my driveway. Changed for spare, see crack between groves of tyre. Went back to centre asked to leave wheel / tyre for examination. When I went back I was told a stone did damage, no photo or evidence shown to me off tyre once removed for checking just a stone did damage. So therefore are the tyres they sell not fit for driving on our roads. Photos added any thought welcomed Ta.”
Formula One Autocentres 1 star review on 9th April 2026 Formula One Autocentres 1 star review on 9th April 2026 Formula One Autocentres 1 star review on 9th April 2026 Formula One Autocentres 1 star review on 9th April 2026 Formula One Autocentres 1 star review on 9th April 2026
Helpful Report
Posted 6 months ago
“Frustrating MOT experience with changing quotes and new problems - Tonbridge Branch I recently booked an MOT at Formula One Autocentre - Tonbridge Branch and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience. My car initially failed the MOT and I was quoted £630 for repairs. I was also informed that they could not complete the work and retest within 10 days. As the failure was marked as “dangerous,” I was unable to drive the car or seek a second opinion elsewhere. After discussing this with them, I agreed to proceed and was asked to bring the car back the day before the planned repair and MOT retest. However, when I returned a few days before the agreed date, I was told there was no record of the MOT retest booking or the original quote in their system. I raised this with the team and left the car with them to resolve the issue. During the repair process, I was informed of additional problems (including a brake caliper issue) that had not been mentioned previously. I agreed to these repairs. Later, I was contacted again and told the car was not starting, which they attributed to the engine oil being overfilled. This was surprising, as I had not experienced any starting issues before handing over the car. I agreed to an oil and filter change. The total cost increased to £740, and the work took five days to complete. Upon collection, I was informed that the car still does not start reliably. Overall, I found the process confusing and frustrating, with unexpected changes to both the scope of work and the final cost. Additionally, the new starting issue has left me concerned, as it was not present before the vehicle was handed over. I would recommend that others ensure all work, quotes, and bookings are clearly documented and confirmed in advance.”
Helpful Report
Posted 7 months ago
“Bought 2 New Vanco camper tyres with fitting for our motorhome. Turned up at the appointed time for fitting only be to be told they couldn't fit them as their jack was only rated at 3 tonne ( motorhome is 3.5t ). The majority of motorhomes are 3.5t so why sell these camper specific tyres and book it in for fitting if not able to fit. What a waste of my time . Plus side, managed to get tyres fitted at home they came to me and cheaper than f1.”
Helpful Report
Posted 7 months ago
“I ordered two new tyres through your online website to be fitted today. I arrived at 12:15. After 20 minutes I was informed by the manager that the tyres received were damaged due to incorrect storage and that they couldnt be inflated correctly. I said ok, please deal with it and I'll wait. After 90 minutes waiting with no interaction or reports from the manager I decided to walk out onto the workshop floor to see what I can only describe as a scene out of "Carry on Mechanic"!!! There were three "Mechanics" or supposed mechanics around one of my car wheels stuffing reams of paper between the tyre beads and the wheel rim to try and inflate a tyre that was obviously the wrong size. What would they have done if the tyre inflated????? There would be paper between the tyre bead and the tyre rim causing air to ,eak out at a later date. Please tell me that this isnt the normal practice for your company to fit tyres????? I am absolutely astounded at the shocking level of workmanship displayed by this garage and I cant believe that this has not been noted. Not only is this bad workmanship, the garage manager was also there directing this method of getting a tyre to inflate. I approached the manager to tell him to stop what he was doing and get my old tyres back on the car. When I asked for a refund I was then informed by the manager that he would "TRY" to get me a refund as I ordered the tyres online. I informed him that I had purchased the tyres through the F1Autocentre website and that the refund better be forthcoming. I will go to where I normally used to go, (Kwik-Fit) to get the correct type of tyre fitting to my vehicle. Absolutely amatuerish workmanship at ths garage.”
Helpful Report
Posted 9 months ago
“I booked and paid for an MOT on 2 December 2025. I attended the appointment on Wednesday 7 January, the same day my MOT expired, only to be informed on arrival that the MOT examiner had left in early December. Despite this, my booking remained active, my payment was retained, and no one contacted me at any point to advise that the MOT would not be going ahead. On the contrary, I received two automated reminders, including one on the day of the appointment, which reasonably led me to believe the booking was valid. As a result, I was left without a valid MOT through no fault of my own. There was no meaningful assistance, no reasonable alternative offered, and no acknowledgment of the inconvenience or distress caused, either at branch level or from head office. This represents a clear failure in communication, customer service, and basic administrative competence. Based on my experience, I would not recommend this company due to its unreliability and lack of accountability.”
Helpful Report
Posted 9 months ago
“FORMULA ONE (Basildon) Background: My door mirror was damaged by a 3rd party, I needed a new indicator cover for it. My MOT was due in a few weeks, so, as usual I phoned these, felt they could be trusted as my partner & I have used them over the last  few years for our MOT's/Services & tyres etc & they have always been friendly & helpful. I've  even given them a positive review before. I contacted them as usual to book the MOT & Service, both needed & they give a £20 discount on the MOT if booked/completed on the same day. I told him about the door mirror indicator cover/bulb, "not a problem, it's  a quick job, we'll do that at the same time, no charge." I thought that was nice & helpful. It was agreed that I just had to wait for the cover to be delivered before I confirm any booking. It arrived, and I booked it. HOW THINGS CHANGE! A different member of staff stated that: " The indicator cover/bulb isn't  as straight forward as that, I don't  know why he said that." I took my car in late Tuesday, 2nd/12/25, for the booking the next day. About 15 mins later I got a call stating that I'd need a completely new door  mirror as the bulb "keeps blowing & the part the bulb goes in can't be purchased on it's  own" & to fit it would be 30 mins labour. I questioned this as the door mirror functions perfectly in every way, but APPARENTLY, this can happen regardless of that. We decided to turn back & collect the car that same night in order to buy a new door mirror & rebook. We spoke to the mechanic who confirmed that although it works perfectly in every way, there is an electrical fault to the bulb that can't  be rectified. I phoned the company that was recommended, who stated it would cost £150. OUT OF THE BLUE: Whilst driving onto somewhere else, I decided to contact another company we know  of to see if they can advise, told them my problem & what I'd been told, IMMEDIATELY he said that CAN'T  NOT correct & if it's  working so should the bulb part & suggested we pop by & they will look at it, they close at 10, so we went straight there. When we arrived, he said to his colleague what I'd  told him & he also said that ISNT right. They not only put a bulb in but also put the whole unit back together, including the indicator cover WITHIN AROUND 90 SECONDS (so it IS a very quick job), they tested it.  WORKED PERFECTLY!!! I thanked them & went to pay for the bulb, was told not to worry as I'd  clearly  had a stressful time (what a very nice thing to do/say). I asked how much their MOT/Services cost, (IT'S CHEAPER) & that's with Formula One's  £20 discount (£45 saving if the jobs done on seperate day's). I contacted Formular One the next day & asked  how much the labour would be, told £40, so that would cost £190 in total plus the cost of the MOT/Service. I informed him of the above & all he said was 'that's  good, no problem, when  you bring it in", I reminded him that he told me the casing/bulb would be a harder job than the 1st person told me but it wasn't, he didn't  have an answer!! I also asked how the mechanic got it wrong about the unit, he just said 'Sir, it's working fine now, though, isn't  it!", I confirmed it was, but if it hadn't been looked at that night & I hadn't had the sudden idea of getting a 2nd opinion, it would have cost me £190!! He just repeated what he said previously & that it's "probably an Intermittent problem" , told him he's  missing the point & that 'mistake' cost me a lot of running around & stress, AGAIN, he just repeated (for the 3rd time), what he'd  already said, told him he sounded  very defensive which he obviously denied. I told him to cancel  my appointment. & put the phone down. IT'S NOT AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM & IT'S  STILL WORKING FINE!!! 'Strange' how the other company put a bulb in & it didn't blow,  but when Formular One tried it a  few times, every bulb did!!! NOTICE: NO APOLOGY!!! Their 'mistake', so at LEAST apologise as, again, that 'mistake' would have cost me £190 PLUS all the running around & grief. I'VE BOOKED WITH THE OTHER COMPANY. My partner will also from now on. TWO CUSTOMERS LOST!!!”
Helpful Report
Posted 10 months ago
“Online booking and paid for tyre. Attending for appointment, centre people said they dont have the facility to replace the tyres for vans. I had to cancelled order and search for others.”
Helpful Report
Posted 11 months ago
“This is the worst MOT experience I ever had. The summary: 1, For something you don't know how to fix, or you don't want to fix, why did you spend a whole day and give me a call right before 6 o'clock and asked me to fix it somewhere else? 2, Once MOT failed, they will offer you only 2 weeks later time slots for retest. 3, This shop never give you an estimation time on when they will start looking at your car because they won't look into it until something missed their appointments. 3, This shop only fix easy problems. 4, Often, there is no one to answer calls. They don't want you to call them but they will never let you know what was happening. 5, Each time you call, there are different people to pick up the call who don't know what the previous one told me. 6, They said I could claim the car while waiting for a time slot when they are available. When I get the car, the manager said it was not and I could not send in the car for a retest. The story was this. On 26th Aug, 2025 at 8:30am, we drove the car to F1 to wait for them to open. They said they would open @ 8:30am, but they were late on that day. We dropped the car for them. Their web site said that the MOT would take 45minutes to 1 hour. However, 90 minutes later, we did not receive anything about the status. At around 10:30am, they called me saying that the car boot could not be opened. I could open the car boot but they said it is not legal. OK, I authorized them to fix it. At around 4pm, I called them what was the status, they said they don't know. They don't even know when would they look into the issue and told me that they will call me when it is fixed. At around 5:45pm, they called me that they are not going to fix it and asked me to fix it somewhere else. If you are not going to fix the issue, why not tell me early in time? And I could not claim the car since it is already late. I took the car the next day. I opened the boot and checked. There were parts separated. I just put them back in and apply some glue and stipe it. It took me less than an hour. I don't know what happened in F1 and they just don't fix it. I immediately physically go back to the shop and asked for a time slot to retest. That day was 27 Aug, they don't have any available slot until two complete weeks later that was on 9 Sep. They offered me 11:30. I asked if there are other available slots either earlier or later? They said no. The attitude just like you just take it or leave it. OK, you win. I took the slot. However, when I got back home, I checked their website, on 9 Sep, there were other available slots. Anyway, I waited two weeks. I turned the car in. There were other problems. They said there were cracking on the suspension and the horn did not work. OK, I asked for a quotation. The quotation took one day and they did not let me know until I called them. OK, I authorized them to fix it. Then I kep calling them two times a day and asked what is the estimated time the car will be fixed. Each time I called, they replied they will call me back when the car was ready. That meant when? You got to let me know the estimated time. Today? Tomorrow morning, afternoon? Day after tomorrow morning, afternoon? They said they could not give me. On 12 Sep afternoon, I called them that if you don't know when would you look at the car, can I get the car and return it to continue when you left off when you are available. The technician who the first time talked to me said that he needed to talked to the manager. He then said OK, I could get the car and send it back when they are ready. When I get the car, the manager told me that they already gave me one free retest and they could not offer again. Then why did you say yes on the phone? I put the car in and they never know when they could look into the car. The manager said it has to be someone who missed his appointment and then they will look into my car. So, it meant when? That could be two months! And they charged me for the fix of the suspension. They will just fix the easy issue, for something that needs troubleshooting like the car boot which I just fixed it in less than 60 minutes, they don't do it. Or ,they are not capable to do it. I asked them why did they not tell me all the MOT problem at once? They said that when they spotted a major issue, they stop the MOT. I asked other technician and they said it is not unless it is a blocking issue. OK, assuming that when they said is true, why did they not tell me early in time they won't fix/not capable to fix? I highly NOT recommend this shop to anyone unless you want to give a 1 star rating to it.”
Formula One Autocentres 1 star review on 21st September 2025
Helpful Report
Posted 1 year ago
“This is the worst MOT experience I ever had. The summary: 1, For something you don't know how to fix, or you don't want to fix, why did you spend a whole day and give me a call right before 6 o'clock and asked me to fix it somewhere else? 2, Once MOT failed, they will offer you only 2 weeks later time slots for retest. 3, This shop never give you an estimation time on when they will start looking at your car because they won't look into it until something missed their appointments. 3, This shop only fix easy problems. 4, Often, there is no one to answer calls. They don't want you to call them but they will never let you know what was happening. 5, Each time you call, there are different people to pick up the call who don't know what the previous one told me. 6, They said I could claim the car while waiting for a time slot when they are available. When I get the car, the manager said it was not and I could not send in the car for a retest. The story was this. On 26th Aug, 2025 at 8:30am, we drove the car to F1 to wait for them to open. They said they would open @ 8:30am, but they were late on that day. We dropped the car for them. Their web site said that the MOT would take 45minutes to 1 hour. However, 90 minutes later, we did not receive anything about the status. At around 10:30am, they called me saying that the car boot could not be opened. I could open the car boot but they said it is not legal. OK, I authorized them to fix it. At around 4pm, I called them what was the status, they said they don't know. They don't even know when would they look into the issue and told me that they will call me when it is fixed. At around 5:45pm, they called me that they are not going to fix it and asked me to fix it somewhere else. If you are not going to fix the issue, why not tell me early in time? And I could not claim the car since it is already late. I took the car the next day. I opened the boot and checked. There were parts separated. I just put them back in and apply some glue and stipe it. It took me less than an hour. I don't know what happened in F1 and they just don't fix it. I immediately physically go back to the shop and asked for a time slot to retest. That day was 27 Aug, they don't have any available slot until two complete weeks later that was on 9 Sep. They offered me 11:30. I asked if there are other available slots either earlier or later? They said no. The attitude just like you just take it or leave it. OK, you win. I took the slot. However, when I got back home, I checked their website, on 9 Sep, there were other available slots. Anyway, I waited two weeks. I turned the car in. There were other problems. They said there were cracking on the suspension and the horn did not work. OK, I asked for a quotation. The quotation took one day and they did not let me know until I called them. OK, I authorized them to fix it. Then I kep calling them two times a day and asked what is the estimated time the car will be fixed. Each time I called, they replied they will call me back when the car was ready. That meant when? You got to let me know the estimated time. Today? Tomorrow morning, afternoon? Day after tomorrow morning, afternoon? They said they could not give me. On 12 Sep afternoon, I called them that if you don't know when would you look at the car, can I get the car and return it to continue when you left off when you are available. The technician who the first time talked to me said that he needed to talked to the manager. He then said OK, I could get the car and send it back when they are ready. When I get the car, the manager told me that they already gave me one free retest and they could not offer again. Then why did you say yes on the phone? I put the car in and they never know when they could look into the car. The manager said it has to be someone who missed his appointment and then they will look into my car. So, it meant when? That could be two months! And they charged me for the fix of the suspension. They will just fix the easy issue, for something that needs troubleshooting like the car boot which I just fixed it in less than 60 minutes, they don't do it. Or ,they are not capable to do it. I asked them why did they not tell me all the MOT problem at once? They said that when they spotted a major issue, they stop the MOT. I asked other technician and they said it is not unless it is a blocking issue. OK, assuming that when they said is true, why did they not tell me early in time they won't fix/not capable to fix? I highly NOT recommend this shop to anyone unless you want to give a 1 star rating to it.”
Helpful Report
Posted 1 year ago
“Basildon Branch -Recently had fout tyres changed on my classic car and the staff were amazing. Care was taken with the vehicle and it was great to be welcomed by staff that seem to be happy in their work. Used a different chain for a tyre change and they couldnt complete it but took it the branch and it was completed with no fuss what so ever. A credit to your company!”
Helpful Report
Posted 1 year ago
“site did not work on mon eve but was fine tues morning”
Helpful Report
Posted 7 years ago
Formula One Autocentres is rated 4.3 based on 377 reviews