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The AA Driving School Reviews

4.1 Rating 1,302 Reviews
76 %
of reviewers recommend The AA Driving School
4.1
Based on 1,302 reviews
Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods
Postal Service
Customer Service
Communication Channels
Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In
Under An Hour
Read The AA Driving School Reviews
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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 14th March 2026
Arnold
The AA Driving School 5 star review on 7th March 2026
Anonymous
The AA Driving School 5 star review on 6th March 2026
Carmen
The AA Driving School 5 star review on 21st February 2026
Anonymous
The AA Driving School 5 star review on 20th February 2026
Anonymous
The AA Driving School 5 star review on 20th February 2026
Anita Vekaria
The AA Driving School 5 star review on 19th February 2026
Gezo Issi Bozkurt
248
Anonymous
Anonymous  // 01/01/2019
Don’t go with James Clark, he clearly does not know what he is doing and trying to milk people for more lessons. After doing lessons for nearly a year this instructor won’t let me take my test multiple times. He has no confidence in you and will put you down. He hates his job and clearly does not have any experience and no idea on test routes. Go save yourself some money and fimd another instructor that will help you pass the test. Really upset of being scammed and hope i can get the £1500 i spent on 50 hours lesson back
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
I paid for 10 hours of driving lessons, but instead of receiving the full 2-hour sessions, I was only getting 40 minutes or less each time. This is completely unfair, and I feel like I've been scammed.
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Posted 2 years ago
Absolutely Appalling Treatment. My daughter had been learning to drive with the AA for over 18 months, she had her driving test on the Sunday 8th October and had booked the 2 hour slot with her instructor Richard from Tonbridge Area. Everything set to go months in advance. Then on Tuesday 3rd of October, Richard from Tonbridge Area decided that he was going to cancel the lesson and pull the car from the Examination, meaning my daughter had to do her test in an unfamiliar car. He's taken the money for 18 months and then did her over when she needed the car. Totally unreliable and we wouldn't recommend this company as there is no monitoring of the instructors. A Bully & a Coward.
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Posted 2 years ago
I just hade bad experience with AA YF71JNK FORD PUMA CAR He doesn't know howto drive car On road Not in traffic as well . He is with his family In AA driving school car . We have some words He use Swere Words evan is Kid as well .I don't know who cannot teach manners his kid How would he teach car driving to students 🫡🫡
The AA Driving School 1 star review on 3rd December 2023
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Posted 2 years ago
Don’t do driving lessons with AA driving instructor Mihai Stanescu. He is very unprofessional, he smokes in the car , on his phone during the lesson. Is Inappropriate and has also borrowed money from me and not gave it back.Avoid
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Posted 2 years ago
My son had one lesson in 2 months, instructor constantly cancelled, then just dropped him and told him to use another AA instructor, the AA won't let us change instructor as he's had 1 lesson, complaints department are non existent, going down the small claims court to get our money back.
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Posted 2 years ago
DO NOT DRIVE WITH AA if you want to save your time and money. I had a few lessons with Stuart Bradley (Cardiff). Firstly, my first ever lesson with my instructor, I spent £28 to sit in the car and chat whilst my instructor sat on his iPad. Not once did I get to drive in my DRIVING lesson that day. Secondly, I took around 12-13 hours worth of lessons with my instructor. In that many lessons I expect to be on main roads and not driving on the same long stretch of road and doing the same left turn multiple times. I would’ve appreciated if the reason behind this was that I was not a good driver, however my driving instructor didn’t suggest anything of the sort. From experiences of other people my age taking driving lessons, they had completed so much more than me in a fraction of the time. When telling people how many lessons I had and that I’ve driven on the same road in a straight line, people were shocked. It took me a while to accept that it was not normal and wanted to give my instructor a chance and give him the benefit of doubt as I am a trusting person which may have served against my favour in this situation. Which is really upsetting to realise. Thirdly, in a 2 hour lesson I would not be driving for more than 1 hour or so. The time it took for my instructor to drive to and from my house to the location was 40 minutes and an extra 10-20 minutes constantly swapping seats so my instructor can drive us back to the start of the road to drive in the straight line again. If I am paying for a 2 hour lesson, I expect to actually be driving for 2 hours. It is my right as a paying customer to be getting what I paid for, which I didn’t. In my lessons with my new instructor, I’ve been driving for the whole 2 hours around Cyncoed and other driving test routes in Cardiff and drove home in my first lesson with him (something I never did with my old instructor). I’ve done many manoeuvres and other things on the road in 6 hours. Whist in 6 hours with my AA instructor, I drove in a straight line. When I made my complaint Stuart then gaslighted me and said he didn’t feel as though I was confident enough for main roads with AA simply protecting their driver and not their customers and they didn’t reply to my further emails.
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Posted 2 years ago
Shocking driving instructor let my daughter down on 3 different occasions mostly at short notice. Asked to change driversand they wanted more money that the 280 I had paid.
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Posted 2 years ago
An inconsiderate instructor, Mr. Karim (Leicester) cancelled on a test less than 24 hours without notice, causing loss of test dates which is hard to come by and the fee. Instead of apologising, he threatened and suggested involving the police if his opinion was not regarded. He missed some classes and did not even refund. Despite notifying the appropriate complaints team, nothing was done because they said the evidence was insufficient. I honestly hope no one uses this agent or driving school as they are utterly disappointing and incur losses for people.
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Posted 2 years ago
I have been facing unresolved issue in my dealings with AA Driving School and one of its instructors, Mr. Mihai Stanescu. I engaged in a transaction with Mr. Stanescu for a series of driving lessons, and I regret to inform you that this experience has been highly disappointing and unprofessional. Mr. Stanscu insisted that I have to pay urgently for the lessons, which I did. When I attempted to reschedule my lesson, he began ignoring my calls and messages, effectively rendering any communication with him impossible. Frustrated and dismayed by this unprofessional behaviour, I reached out to the school for assistance. Both the AA Driving School and Mr. Mihai Stanescu have continued to ignore my pleas for a refund and any form of communication. The response from the school, unfortunately, added to my disappointment. I was informed that the school could only cancel my lessons but could not address or rectify the issue of the funds I had transferred to Mr. Stanescu's personal account. Despite my repeated attempts, Mr. Stanescu has continued to evade my request for a refund. I find myself in a state of complete frustration and dissatisfaction as nothing has been done to rectify the situation. Both the AA Driving School and Mr. Mihai Stanescu have continued to ignore my pleas for a refund and any form of communication. I am at a loss for words regarding the lack of accountability and responsibility demonstrated by both parties involved. This situation not only tarnishes the reputation of AA Driving School but also undermines the trust and confidence of students like me who rely on their services. This ongoing ordeal has been incredibly distressing and disheartening. It’s going on for more than 2 months now. Lessons not delivered, refund not issued. Therefore I advise NOT to use services of the AA School!
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Posted 2 years ago
Absolutely shocking. Avoid at all costs. Could never get hold of the socal line manager. The driver trainer was spending 3 hours on eco driving. wasting my time and money. When you speak to the Dave harvey disagrees with everything you have to say. What happens to the customer is right. Unfortunately The AA are absolutely shocking. The Driver trainer. Was asking on my first lesson if i was transgender. How is this relevant. Then making home a phobic comments. I have to move from The AA to a different training company. Due to the training being carried out wasn't working and the comments made by the trainer. I paid for the course in full and have been refused a refund on the 14 hours i paid for.
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Posted 2 years ago
I've had the worst experience with the instructor not showing up and not even giving a notice that he cannot attend. I've tried the online support which is absolutely useless. I have less than 2 weeks before my driving test and have no instructor assigned. This is so frustrating as I have no choice but to cancel/re-book my test and tests only become available for the next few months.
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Posted 2 years ago
I had a very bad experience with an instructor who taught near Harlow-Epping region. This man was out of control, any time I do a mistake he used to yell at me in the car and threatened that he would cancel all my bookings with AA and blacklist my name as a dangerous driver, such that no driving school would teach me. I, on many occasions had wept during the classes and used to dread every time I had a class with him. As I was naive, didn’t know he had no authority to do any of things he said he could do. But this reduced my confidence of driving, failed my exam and never attempted to take any lessons for another two years. But I found a very good and experienced instructor with a different school after two years. The difference in teaching was day and night. I passed my exam with confidence.
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Posted 2 years ago
I have my test in two weeks and it has been three weeks that the car I practiced with has been broken down and they gave a different car which is so different and I don’t have time to get used to it. I talked to company and they said they can’t do anything about it. So now instead of focusing on the test I have to be worried about the car. This is not acceptable and I’m not getting any support from the AA company.
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Posted 2 years ago
Money driven, thats all Mr AA instructor cared about. Don't say "you're not ready for the test" without putting in the effort to make me ready for the test. I took additional lessons with a local, independent instructor and passed, because they put the effort in. The best part was mr AA turned up to a lesson after my test (which i cancelled but he still turned up), i told him i had passed, his bitter face and reponse of amumbled "okay" before driving off was the icing and cherry on the cake.
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Posted 2 years ago
Mitchel Ford in Tamworth is the worst. We finished 15 min early all the time, no patience of compassion. Stopping the car all the time so he can say same things all over again On my first lesson with my new driving instructor I practised more than I did with him in 10 hours.
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Posted 2 years ago
Paul sangha cringe instructor go’s on his phone during lessons and has no proper techniques and gives no refrence points and finishes lessons 15 minutes early when he charges double what other aa instructors charge not a good instructor he doesnt know what hes talking about and knows nothing about driving
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Posted 2 years ago
Had 2 instructors that would cancel with impunity, any time window before a lesson they liked. Both would make full use of the 48 hour student cancellation window that the AA provides however, your time is worthless and theirs is worth 100% of the overpriced £35/h they charge. Their customer service is absolutely shocking, prices are extortionate and availability is non-existent. Maybe it's just that the profession of 'driving instructor' only attracts braindead washouts with only one skill? F!ck the AA
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Posted 2 years ago
I was given an instructor called Paul. I only stuck with him for 2 lessons which were both 2 hours long. On the morning of each lesson he was late and by the time he had driven me to a location it was 10am. By the time the lesson finished he cut it short for 15 minutes early which I paid for lessons for 9.30 to start and 11.30 to finish which wasn’t the case at all. During 1 lesson he told me to me a u turn on a dip road which went down hill slightly then up hill. As I came out the road again to turn right bearing in mind I checked all the mirrors and there was no cars coming either way I had got onto the road again then there was a car coming to the left which slowed down to let me go. Paul got snappy and told me to pull up on the left which I did. He then had a go about me not checking the mirrors which I did before hand. I thought it was really unprofessional of him the way he had a go I wanted to end the lesson there and then. I’m a natural worried learner which I’m sure most Learners can relate too. I have not been back since I have now found a decent instructor who is calming and more compassionate.
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Posted 2 years ago
I have taken 8 lessons from AA driving school. The instructor Monowara Chowdhury is worst instructor. She just doing time pass and tries to make you not fit for driving so that you will come to her for many more lessons, that way she can earn more money from you. She asked me to not book through AA and offered her personal bank account details to transfer money directly to book lessons. She and AA both are waste. Don’t waste money and time with AA. For sure you will loose your driving confidence if you land here with AA.
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Posted 2 years ago
The AA Driving School is rated 4.1 based on 1,302 reviews