Halfords Autocentres Reviews 

I have never known a worse company and I have never said this about a company but I would not touch this company with a barge pole.

I am extremely disappointed with the way Halfords has handled a series of issues with my car following work carried out by them.

I took my car to Halfords for a service. As soon as I picked up my car from them 8 months ago, the warning light came on. The car had no issues and no warning light before the service. Since that service, the car has had two oil leaks, both of which an independent garage proved was due to Halfords’ poor quality of work during the service. Two oil leaks later, which Halfords have sent me pillar to post to try to get reimbursed, which they still refuse to, despite evidence proving it is their fault, my warning light remains on with no fix. My car is now unsaleable and will not pass an MOT, purely due to Halfords’ unbelievably appalling work.

What should have been a straightforward service has resulted in repeated garage visits, further repairs, considerable expense and a car that I have been left unable to rely on and am anxious to drive longer than 10 minutes.

The independent garage, I used for the remedial works, identified that Halfords had overtightened my sump/repaired it an angle, without even telling me, the paying customer, that they had worked on the sump! They also evidenced that Halfords had broken my crank seal however Halfords refuse to pay for this repair (of hundreds of pounds) had been overtightened and required repair, and there were also issues involving the crank seal, which Halfords refuse to reimburse me for, despite evidence this was their fault.

The current branch manager seems embarrassed and said he took over as the manager ‘for a reason’ implying the last manager was below par.

I have now had to take the car to a garage on five different occasions to try and fix the problems that began that Halfords caused.

Halfords have taken the immoral decision to not fix my car and have effectively ruined my car, meaning I am facing further diagnostic and repair costs simply to establish what is wrong and whether the vehicle can be returned to a reliable and roadworthy condition, which seems highly unlikely.

The impact has gone far beyond the cost of the original service. I have incurred approximately £1,600 in related repair costs, have spent a significant amount of time dealing with repeated garage visits and correspondence, and have been left with a vehicle whose reliability and value have been affected.

What I find particularly frustrating is their lack of accountability and poor communication, with their staff being verbally abusive to me, on several occasions, and another family member, and even laughing at the issue and then pretending his wasn't. No professionalism or empathy whatsoever.

Wish I had not used this company- they make life unnecessarily painful! I contacted the complaints team about this and an admin person adopts a computer-says-no position and they do not even look into the issue-they do not care and it is very dangerous having work done there.

The fact my experience is not unusual amongst poor Halfords customers tells you all you need to know about this well known brand you would think you can trust.

Shocking service. Tried to order a tyre online, paid for it, took money but order didn't go through. Can't have a refund for seven days. Unacceptable.

This review is about a sales person not store.

Big thank you to Sam at Hillsborough if you want someone who gives a dam ask for him.

I’m 71 and he’s a young guy who from the onset when I asked for his help and advice he was there. No prompting or asking he just came out looked at my car advised where he could and sought advice when he couldn’t.

He was courteous, respectful, good mannered and cared. Asked open questions, showed interest and engaged. We don’t all know what we need or what’s best. He talked interacted and showed options.

Having worked in sales many years Halfords he is a credit to your store. His customer service was exemplary being a major store recruiter I know a good sales person when I see one. So thank you Sam, you left a lasting impression 👏🏻 👏🏻

Given one star as I'm a pensioner and bought carrerra vengeance ebike and was told I had to update software at a cost of 25 pound every 2 months or pay 55 pounds and still go back to shop they didn't tell me about until I paid for bike and was leaving shop

I visited the Trowbridge shop on Saturday last and a young man was extremely helpful with my windscreen wiper and fitted and replaced with such wonderful service abc when paying for some other goods the other guys at the till were so polite it made an amazing experience. incredible team well done all 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

Halfords also own National Tyres, from whom I had a replacement tyre.
Due to an admitted fitting error (the inner wall got pinched), I had a blow-out 70 miles into France!
Over a year later I'm still trying to get my refund and some recompense for the cost of hotel I needed due to being stranded in France!
WILL NEVER BUY FROM HALFORDS / NATIONAL TYRES AGAIN !

NOTE: Neither Halford nor National Tyres respond to emails, they are as evasive as can be.

Absolutely disgusted with Halfords and National Tyres.

Hope this saves someone else from lots of trouble buying from un-caring companies.

I had to pop to Halfords Autocentre in SIDCUP as my coolant light came on whilst driving on the A20. I was a bit panicked but a kind young man on reception was very helpful and filled the coolant up for me and gave me some good advice on what to do next if there were any other problems with the car.

Visited Durham autocentre today Saturday 22 August. I'd bought windscreen wipers off the Internet, called in to see if they could fit them. Found manager Mark more than helpful and pleasant along with it. He advised the wipers were wrong size he said he could order some and gave me a price have mark the go ahead, called back wipers in and had them fitted. Job well done. 10 out of 10 from Jean Hall

It was shock when I purchased another product Yusas battery via your apps and when I fit it in the shop I was told that the model offered in the apps was NOT fit and I was asked to pay another 4X pounds for HALFORDS brand battery that I was not intended. Later I was told by my friend it was a Halfords selling tactic!

I've used Halfords Finchley Central for MOTs and servicing for a few years now and have always found them to be reliable, transparent and with an excellent level of customer service. Very pleased.

Auto protect tyre insurance use Halfords as there go to service centre, I went to Cuxton Rd Strood and Merrick sent all the details off to AP insurance then waited for 2 1/2 hours for them to approve the work. Merrick kept me informed at all times of the delay. He chased them up and finally got sorted! Thanks.

An exceptional staff member, J.C. was extremely friendly, helpful and professional. Even though they were already very busy, he still managed to fit me in and dealt with everything quickly and efficiently. His customer service was outstanding and he genuinely went above and beyond to help. It is always a pleasure to come across someone who takes such pride in looking after customers. A real credit to Halfords – highly recommended!

Outstanding MOT service from Jimmy and the team at Surbiton!This was absolutely a 5-star service. I left happy and they really took care of me. I highly recommend the Halfords on Hook Road, Surbiton. The team spirit here is fantastic, and a huge credit goes to the manager, Jimmy, who goes above and beyond to ensure the branch runs smoothly and that customers are genuinely looked after. They looked after me through both my MOT and the retest, which included an oil change and a clean. Every single staff member I spoke with was professional, incredibly welcoming, and showed a genuine willingness to help, creating a brilliant and reassuring atmosphere from the moment I walked in. The whole process was smooth and stress-free, and my car ran beautifully afterwards. I definitely wouldn't hesitate returning - in fact, I will be back for my next service and anything else for that matter. I would certainly without hesitation recommend others to go and see for themselves. They really set the standard for excellent customer care. Keep up the great work!

I experienced shocking customer service at the Halfords Isle of Wight store when trying to buy a dashcam, resulting in a completely wasted one-hour round trip. When I complained, they initially offered a measly 10% voucher, which escalated to a £45 cash offer from the Executive Office when I pushed back. I have formally rejected their money. My complaint was about principle and respect, not a cheap payout. Halfords has permanently lost my business, and I will be taking my vehicle to an independent garage that actually values customers. Avoid.

Took car for mot they failed it on a few things including a major fail for number plate, which had a slight crack the mechanic (salesman) quoted nearly £400 to get it road worthy so I decided to take for retest at a different garage and it passed, even with me not rectifying what they told me was wrong, do not trust Halfords auto centres from what I’ve experienced they are salesman on commission. Extremely disappointed will never use again

Review for the Halfords Morden AutoCentre branch. Booked in for a MOT, arrived early was greeted with friendly staff. MOT was done swiftly earlier than i expected. Overall 10/10 service from this branch. Will definitely use again.

The lads at this garage were extremely helpful. They even changed my key’s battery free of charge. Their prices were very reasonable too. Would highly recommend.

Title: Exceptional MOT Service at Finchley Autocentre

I recently booked my MOT at Finchley Autocentre, and the service was exceptional. The MOT was completed in around 30 minutes, making the whole experience quick, efficient, and stress‑free.

What truly stood out was the reception area. Most autocentres smell of oil and feel neglected, but Finchley Autocentre was spotless. The manager, Monire, clearly takes great pride in maintaining a clean and welcoming environment — he even cleaned the restroom himself, which is something you rarely see in this industry.

He was polite and friendly, going the extra mile to ensure customers were comfortable and happy while waiting in a clean environment. That level of care made a genuine difference.

The service was fantastic, fast, and carried out with real attention to detail. This is the nicest autocentre I’ve ever visited, and I highly recommend it. I will gladly return.

Andrea

If i could have left a Zero Star rating i would.
My Company Vehicle was sent to Halfords Autocentre Shirley for a Service & MOT 15/08/26.
The vehicle was returned to me with Black oil smeared across the front of the vehicle, the oil level barely touching the end of the dipstick and on starting the vehicle a flashing red oil light, with a warning stating low oil! There is oil splattered all around the engine bay, exhaust manifold, engine and gearbox. The coolant level is below minimum. I didnt trust that the cabin filter would have been changed so educated myself and removed it for inspection. The white filter assembly is almost as black as the oil all over the paint work.
As a fleet vehicle user over 12 years and numerous experiences across various Halfords Autocentres, this is "situation normal", my experiences have at best, been annoying, and at worst dangerous.
I would never utilise the group for working on my private vehicles, and dont trust them working on my fleet van. I have seen Halfords stamps in car service books when looking to buy, and seen as a red flag and declined to purchase.

Extremely disappointing experience – Wolverhampton Fox’s Lane Halfords Autocentre

I’ve now had a number of visits to the Wolverhampton Fox’s Lane Halfords Autocentre, and unfortunately, on virtually every occasion I’ve come away with another issue. At this point, I genuinely cannot recommend this centre.

On my first visit, I had four tyres replaced. The tyres themselves were fitted correctly and I had no issue with that work. However, upon receiving my car key back from the centre and opening it, the key broke. It was a flick key — the type where you press a button and the key blade springs out — and it had been working perfectly before I handed it over. I appreciate it is difficult to prove a direct connection, but the timing was certainly unfortunate.

The second visit was more frustrating. I had some work carried out which included a wheel alignment, for which I paid £49. I drove approximately half a mile and immediately realised something was seriously wrong. The steering wheel was around half a rotation out, and the alignment was clearly worse than before I had paid to have it corrected.

I returned to the centre and had to ask them to check it. When I asked whether the alignment was actually out, I was told, “Yeah, to be fair, it was out, but it might have settled.” There was no apology or meaningful explanation. I then had to wait around another hour for it to be rectified. If I pay £49 for a wheel alignment, I expect the job to be done correctly first time.

The third visit involved an MOT and around £500 worth of suspension work. The MOT was completed, but I subsequently continued to have suspension-related issues, leaving me with very little confidence that the work had properly resolved the problems.

Immediately after this suspension work, I also developed a screeching/whining noise whenever I put the car into reverse. This had never happened before the work. I returned to the centre, but was told there was no issue and that they couldn’t hear anything. I accept it may have been difficult to prove a direct connection, and the garage maintained it was nothing to do with the suspension. However, given that the noise appeared immediately after the work, and that I had already experienced two other issues immediately following visits, I find the timing coincidental at best. The noise then continued for around another 12 months.

What makes this particularly frustrating is that I have been more than reasonable throughout. I haven’t shouted, caused a scene or demanded compensation. I have simply expected work I have paid for to be carried out properly and problems to be acknowledged and put right.

The attitude I’ve encountered hasn’t helped either. On several visits, the general atmosphere among staff has been one of moaning and complaining, rather than giving the impression that customers are valued or that people take pride in their work.

One isolated problem can happen at any garage. Repeated issues across multiple visits, poor communication and a lack of acknowledgement when things go wrong becomes a pattern.

Overall, an extremely poor experience. I have lost confidence in this centre and would not recommend Wolverhampton Fox’s Lane Halfords Autocentre.

I would genuinely appreciate an actual response to the issues raised in this review. I have taken the time to explain what happened, so I hope the response acknowledges the specific concerns and explains that they will be investigated. A generic, automated-sounding response telling me to “contact us via the help page” would completely miss the point of leaving a detailed review.

I’m not looking for an argument or unreasonable compensation. I simply want the issues raised to be taken seriously.

One final point regarding the wheel alignment: the person I raised this with was the manager. I had returned because I had paid £49 for an alignment which had left my steering wheel around half a rotation out. While I was waiting for the issue to be dealt with, the manager appeared more interested in talking to another customer about Formula One and then spent around an hour taking down the Christmas tree.

From a customer’s perspective, it was incredibly frustrating to be waiting for a problem with work I had paid for to be rectified while the manager was occupied with other matters.

Taken together, the repeated issues, poor communication, lack of urgency and overall attitude have left me with one overriding impression: really shoddy workmanship and a disappointing approach to customer service.