The AA Driving School Reviews

Name: The AA Driving School
Address: Fanum House, Basing View,, RG21 4EA
Rating: 3.97

4.0 Rating 1,075 Reviews

74 %

of reviewers recommend The AA Driving School

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

4.0

Based on 1,075 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Postal Service
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In	Under An Hour

Visit Website

Phone:

0330 100 7470

Email:

customer.services@theaa.com

Location:

Fanum House, Basing View,
RG21 4EA
Basingstoke

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The AA Driving School 5 star review on 25th June 2025

225

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Filter: Rated 1 None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“They only care about the money not the safety of the vehicle the learners are in”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Mainly talking instead of driving. Was told by the instructor that if I would practice in my own car, he probably wouldn't want to teach me anymore. Driving instructor asked (with less than 48 hours notice!!!) if he could reschedule our appointment as he had a holiday, to which I agreed. Then when I informed this person that I had tested positive for Covid, straight after.. HE cancelled my lesson for that day and took my 2 hour lesson pay! I complained by the AA who said that they could not waiver due to their 48 hour cancellation policy. Heads up: the AA basically wants you to infect their instructor with covid and therefore their other pupils. I would not recommend them at all. I am absolutely disgusted by this practice!”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“I booked lessons through the aa the instructor booked more lessons and then kept my £1050 just a warning to anyone booking through the aa! I contacted the aa and they weren’t very helpful. Really disappointed with the company ! I only chose the aa as I thought they were a household name I could trust”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“There are two driving instructors with whom my girlfriend booked sessions, and both are perverts. One tried to touch her inappropriately. We raised a complaint, but no action was taken. Trusting the company, we booked another instructor, but he started texting inappropriate messages. Now, my girlfriend is going through mental trauma and has lost the confidence to continue driving training. The name of the first instructor is Bilal Pezhman, and the second is Hade Hosseini.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“The instructor informed me he is unable to do the test appointment that bad been scheduled for months 3 weeks before die to a hospital appointment. AA did absolutely nothing to help and we are still trying to get compensation. the driving instructor is called Richard and based on London, be weary of using this company. The new test is in December and AA have failed to help with setting this up or any other lessons. This is so disappointing and has caused severe stress.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“So my son has had 4 lessons with the local AA instructor. The first 3 lessons went okay but it seemed like the driving instructor might have got out of bed on the wrong side on this last 4th session. My son started to slow down at an amber traffic light which was around 4-5 car lengths away (30mph limit he said he was doing around 25mph). The instructor said to carry on going, however given the conditions were bright, sunny, not raining, he had checked his rear view mirror noting a car was around 2 car lengths behind him, so decided to stop due to it being safe to do so without aggressive breaking needed, in his view. He then got berated by the instructor asking him what the hell he was doing? And why didn't he go through the light as directed? To which my son replied, there was enough distance for me to stop safely given. The instructor then accused him of not checking his mirrors before breaking asking what car and how far away was the car behind, to which my son replied it is a BMW and around 2 cars behind. This seemed to infuriate the instructor who then continued to argue with my son saying, "I forgot you have much more experience than I do in terms of driving." "If you're that experienced why haven't you passed your test yet?" which is blatantly insulting my son. The Instructor clearly knew he was totally unprofessional as he then tried to make a few jokes on the way home. I find this totally unacceptable and completely unprofessional from a supposedly well trusted brand name.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Not a great booking experience, paid upfront for 10, but it’s been difficult to get slots when we want. Regretting that we bought multiple ones upfront. Will go elsewhere after we’ve used them.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“I recommend trying another school - The drivers are not all competent road users themselves. I was dangerously overtaken by one on my bicycle who has either not read highway code updates or doesn't care. (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-highway-code-8-changes-you-need-to-know-from-29-january-2022) There was also no point as there was traffic ahead and I passed him again anyway. Happy to provide licence plate and time of incident should AA care to contact me.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Son was doing really well done 38 hrs driving instructor was finished by AA they then doubled the price”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Was informed by my instructor that he could no longer teach due to failing his own test less than a month before my exam. The AA offered no support and were extremely unprofessional and unhelpful in the matter, essentially telling me I would have to find someone local. I have ended up having to spend additional costs to learn and get experience in an unfamiliar car which is not ideal. I'd recommend anyone avoid the AA as they offer no support when things go wrong.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“It’s been a terrible experience, a few weeks before my practical my instructor stopped responding and cancelled our lessons, after reaching out to him multiple times- I was told he could no longer continue to teach as he was no longer “fit to”. I was told to find a new instructor with no notice. I had to cancel my practical and now won’t be able to find a test date until next year. Despite being very understanding to my instructor, he ignored all my messages asking for a fair partial refund.I made a complaint to AA which has also been ignored. They made no attempt to reach out to me. Why do they have unfit instructors who cannot commit to their students? £40 an hour for such poor service and a waste of 11 lessons. I wish I had started with Red driving School instead.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Having had a disappointing experience with my first daughters independent driving instructor, we decided to take a different approach for my second daughter and go the route of a known brand, The AA, unfortunately, my daughter was landed with the appalling Colin Garland. To be specific: 1. He was late for lessons. 2. He cancelled lessons. 3. During a two hour lesson, they spent approximately one hour parked in a car park with him telling my daughter she could not park and was no good at it – Perhaps the time would have been better spent with him teaching her as he was paid to do? 4. He did not answer specific questions about road markings. 5. He refused to take her for her driving test as she was “not ready” I am pleased to say that my daughter passed her test – first time. After her test the driving examiner took me aside and explained that although she had passed there was a manoeuvre around a parked vehicle which she had never been taught, however as she drove round this obstacle both safely and legally it was not an issue and thus, she obtained a pass. I would suggest if your child is looking for a driving instructor do not go anywhere near Colin Garland.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“After a couple lessons with one of their instructors, my next pre paid lesson was cancelled due to illness, which is fine, but now the instructor wont reply to my messages to reschedule. The lesson was 7 weeks ago. The last message was 3 weeks ago. The AA are saying per T&Cs they're not responsible but they still feature the instructor on their website. It's a scam”

The AA Driving School 1 star review on 19th June 2024

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“The worst services and worst professionalism ever seen. They book your dates and on the day of lesson they wont show hp saying they have booked in for someone else and dates are not available.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“dont use them they cant even refund”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Do not choose AA!! I'm in the process of trying to get a refund after a horrible experience with an AA instructor. Customer service are awful - there's no way to call them and speak to someone. I've had to send a complaint and will probably wait days to hear back from someone. I've read so many similar reviews here - people are struggling to get refunds after bad experiences. Never again will I use AA for anything. Not only have I lost £90, but they have also taken up so much time on my day off work. Choose a different driving school!”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“I had the instucutor Karim Salih who expected me to reverse out of a road into the road behind me. whoever let him be a AA instructor should be fired as he will kill his student.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Terrible experience - do not recommend! Mark Whittet didn't turn up for my lesson in Edinburgh because he couldn't find my address. The address I gave him was correct and also available on maps / online. He was very rude on the phone and made me feel very uncomfortable when he finally arrived and hour late (I had to send him a screenshot of Google maps - a red flag for a driving instructor). He said he would charge me a 1 hour cancellation fee as apparently it was my fault he couldn't find my address. This was a horrible experience! I hope AA help with a refund or different instructor.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“I had a very disappointing experience about 11 months ago with AA driving school Basildon. Their instructor Darren wasn't at all professional! Very impatient, very patronising, made me feel nervous not only about the road but about his attitude. I had done over 12 lessons and on day in the middle of the lesson he snapped after I've done a mistake, said the lesson was over and he can't teach me anymore. This has been truly traumatic for my confidence in driving,luckily I had found the courage to start again and I found another instructor (not AA) that was absolutely the opposite of Darren and within 20 lessons I had passed my test at the Basildon test centre wich is known to not have the best pass rate. My point is, not everyone can be an expert at driving from the beginning, and the whole point of having lessons it's because you need to learn. So yes, I'd expect another attitude! Again maybe I would've left it, but after I had lessons with someone else I saw the difference, and I can compare, and I hope this feedback would be taken as it is!”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“I had my driving lessons with Zahran in Newham. Honestly, it was a waste of money. How was he teaching me? I have to change the company, and I'm happy. ”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

The AA Driving School is rated 4.0 based on 1,075 reviews