Lookers Omdömen 

I bought a 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line from Charles Hurst for £17,350, paying for the vehicle in full with no finance. Unfortunately, what should have been an exciting purchase has turned into the worst car-buying experience I have had in 14 years of driving. I have bought five cars during that time, and this has been by far the most stressful.

The problems started within around 20 minutes of taking ownership. On the way home, the car developed an EPC fault and went into limp mode. The car was jerking, losing revs and behaving very poorly, particularly under acceleration and going uphill.

I was told to have the car recovered back to Charles Hurst. However, because I had bought the car late in the evening, I couldn’t tax it until I was able to do so, which meant I couldn’t get it recovered through the RAC at that point.

There was also an issue with the RAC registration. When I collected the car, I specifically told the salesman, Norman, that my RAC registration had been set up with the wrong address and asked him to correct it. I was told it was okay.

The car then sat with Charles Hurst for over a week before the initial fault was eventually repaired.

Unfortunately, that was nowhere near the end of the problems.

Around a month or so later, I noticed that during heavy rain, water was getting into the car around the light controls, with water actually dripping down. This was another issue on a car I had only recently purchased.

A few months later, I contacted the DVLA because I still hadn’t received my new V5C logbook. DVLA told me that the change of keeper had not been completed. Given that I had already raised the address issue with Norman when I collected the car, I emailed him explaining what DVLA had told me. I received no response.

Then, somewhat coincidentally, around a week or so later, a change of ownership suddenly appeared on the DVLA system. I contacted DVLA again, only to discover that the keeper details had still not been dealt with correctly and I had to establish that the address issue had eventually been corrected.

During all of this, the car developed another fault with the engine warning light. I booked it back into Charles Hurst and was told it required a completely new AdBlue tank and sensor, as well as a propshaft. To be fair, these were dealt with under the warranty.

However, Charles Hurst also identified damage/problems with the front arm rear bushes and a cracked casing, which I was told would not be covered under warranty. I found this extremely disappointing given how recently I had purchased the car and the fact that, in my opinion, these were issues that should have been identified and dealt with before selling a £17,350 vehicle.

I then took the car to my own mechanic for further investigation. He subsequently found that one of the rear springs was completely broken and required replacement, which is currently being carried out.

At this point, after only four months of ownership, I have had nothing but stress and uncertainty. Instead of being able to enjoy a £17,350 car from a major dealer, I constantly find myself wondering what is going to go wrong next.

I have completely lost trust and faith in Charles Hurst as a company and in the way this sale was handled. In particular, the way the original sale, RAC registration and DVLA keeper details were dealt with by Norman has been extremely disappointing.

I understand that cars can develop faults and that no used car is guaranteed to be perfect. What I cannot accept is the sheer number of problems that have appeared so soon after purchase, including faults that I believe should have been identified before the vehicle was sold.

I bought this car expecting a quality vehicle from a major, established dealer. Instead, I have spent the first four months dealing with faults, repairs, garages, warranty discussions, DVLA issues and constant worry about what might happen next.

I have bought five cars over 14 years of driving, and this is by far the worst experience I have ever had.

Based on my experience, I would strongly advise anyone considering buying a used car from Charles Hurst to think very carefully and carry out extremely thorough checks before handing over their money.

£17,350 is a lot of money, and after this experience, I simply don’t feel that I received the level of service, preparation or reliability that I should have expected from a dealer of this size.

I would like to thank Ben at Lookers Mercedes-Benz Gatwick for the exceptional service he provided. From the moment I arrived, Ben was professional, friendly, and incredibly helpful. He took the time to explain everything clearly, kept me updated throughout, and ensured the whole experience was smooth and hassle-free.

His knowledge, attention to detail, and commitment to customer satisfaction were outstanding. Nothing was too much trouble, and he went above and beyond to make sure I was completely happy with the service I received.

Ben is a real credit to Lookers Mercedes-Benz Gatwick, and I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for first-class customer service.

Thank you, Ben!
From Tariq

We had such a positive experience with Darryl Lee at Farnborough Audi while looking for an Audi A1 for my daughter, and I genuinely couldn't recommend her highly enough.

From the moment we arrived, the difference in customer service was noticeable. The dealership was extremely busy, but Darryl still made the effort to come over, introduce herself with a smile and immediately remembered our previous telephone conversation when we'd arranged the test drive. We felt welcomed and looked after from the outset.

Before the test drive, Darryl took the time to properly walk us through the A1, explaining the car, its features and answering all of our questions. She even brought the car into their stunning handover/reservation area to show it to us — which was a really lovely touch and made the experience feel that little bit more special!

What impressed us most, though, was that Darryl genuinely listened to what we were looking for. She understood that this was a car for my daughter and took the time to understand our particular requirements and priorities. She offered plenty of helpful information and advice without ever making us feel pressured.

Although the particular A1 we test drove wasn't quite right for us, that didn't stop the excellent service. Rather than simply leaving it there, Darryl went above and beyond by searching across the wider Lookers Group to see if she could find another car that would be a better match for our needs — and she is continuing to help us with our search.

It was also really refreshing to deal with a woman in what still feels like a predominantly male industry. Darryl combined excellent knowledge with a friendly, approachable and understanding manner, and I genuinely wish there were more people like her working in car sales.

Thank you, Darryl, for making the experience so enjoyable. You're a real credit to Farnborough Audi. Please keep doing exactly what you're doing — fantastic customer service and a very well-deserved 5 stars!

From start to finish, this was a perfect experience. Lottie was amazing throughout, keeping in touch and keeping me updated, without pestering me. The videos were a nice touch! She was friendly, professional and great at her job.
The car was beautifully prepared, and the trade in experience couldn’t have been better. Thanks very much!!

Bought A3 from Audi Teeside. Start Stop didn’t work from day 1. Advised by other garages would be the battery as no fault codes. Audi Teeside charged battery overnight and tested. Obviously battery was ok. Start stop still doesn’t work. Audi Teeside kept on trying to sell me a new Battery and fit it for free?? Why if the Battery you tested is ok?? I would like the Start Stop to work as advertised in the vehicle description. Started Complaints Procedure, still waiting to hear back but not very hopeful. Very disappointed

Friendly and knowledgeable, no pressure sales people.

I recently bought a used Hyundai Tucson from Lookers Volkswagen Guildford. Cameron, the sales advisor, was helpful and pleasant to deal with. He also arranged for the car to be polished before the GX2 graphene treatment, which I appreciated.

However, I would still advise anyone collecting a used car to inspect it very carefully themselves, even if you are told it has gone through a 142-point check.

After collection, I noticed a windscreen chip that was already visible in the dealer’s own advert photos, along with multiple scratches around the car. I was later contacted by the Sales Manager, who explained that although they carry out the 142 checks, items they consider wear and tear, or anything that would still pass an MOT, may not be repaired or specifically highlighted before handover.

I also wasn’t given a copy of the completed 142-point inspection report.

More concerningly, the service department had overfilled the engine oil. A local mechanic later removed almost 700 ml of excess oil.

The car itself is good and Cameron was helpful, but the preparation and quality-control side at Lookers Volkswagen Guildford could have been better. My advice is to check the bodywork, glass, fluid levels and paperwork carefully at collection, and ask to see the actual inspection checklist before driving away.

Yet again I spotted a chance to have my car serviced at a time suitable to me,
As my wife is disabled our vehicle is required Mon to Fri for various appointments for hospital visits, looking at the diary for booking a service I siezed the chance to have done on a Saturday morning.
Within 10 minutes of me booking the service, I was contacted by Lookers to tell me it wasn't possible.
As this was yet another cancellation by them I was a absolutely furious that they were cancelling again.
I pointed out that it was booked and I would be turning up that day. I also pointed my wife was disabled and would not stand for another cancellation.
I paid for a service plan I want the vehicle serviced at a time of my choosing that was available through their booking system.

I like SEAT but the aftercare is shocking sad to say

from first point of contact lisa brash taylor was a fantastic lively lady helped me get sorted with a new car they should have more people working in customer rolls with agreat personality never felt wanted while deciding the new car lisa deserves 10 stars for her personality get down to lookers in south shields for great customer service that girl n
knows her stuff again thank you eddy

I cannot recommend Glen highly enough! From start to finish, the service was absolutely fantastic. Glen was incredibly fast, efficient and reliable, exactly what you want when you need something done properly. Communication was brilliant throughout and everything was handled with real professionalism and care. It is rare to find someone who delivers such a high standard of work so consistently. I will definitely be using Glen again and would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone. Five stars without a doubt.

Taylor who dealt with us from the start to the finish on the purchase of our new car, was found to be very knowledgeable and professional and continues to support us with any questions with have about the Audi.
I hope the dealership realise they have a great employee working for them, and really hope they help him move forward within the company.
Thanks again Taylor.

Staff welcoming and helpful. Work done on time. No unexpected additional changes.

Car repaired and as good as new. Kept informed of progress throughout.

When we met Philip he was really helpful and knowledgeable. Philip organised everything for us. Very happy with our purchase. No complaints at all. 5*.

Thanks to Joe Mack at the Skoda garage at Scotwoods.

Got a brand new car at a reasonably price I could afford monthly.

Nothing was too much effort with joe he went above and beyond, which made my experience smooth and easy ! picked my new car up less than a week what more can you ask?

Showed me my new car and all the gadgets asked me any questions I had so he own the experience to be honest.

Thanks Joe

Excellent prompt service Kept up to date on progress Very satisfied customer thanks yo Sophie

On arrival met with really helpful professional sales rep Katie. I was with my son and the car was his first car for his 17th birthday. Katie provided excellent advice and made the purchase straight forward. As it was for his 17th birtday she was able to add over £1000 extras to the package. She also ensured that we could pick the car up on his actual birthday when again he was made to feel special.

My customer experience with Lookers Darlington and especially Sophie was excellent.
Initial contact prior to my service was informative and this continued upon my arrival on the day of my service and until my vehicle was ready.

Mohammed was very helpful with my MOT on check in and on collection. VW texts keeping me up to speed on when the car would be ready were very helpful.