Halfords Autocentres Reviews 

Went for an mot which passed at Halfords/Mconechys garage in Kirkcaldy, mot report advised discs scratched not excessively and pads wearing thin, quoted £264 for replacement discs &£65 for pads alone so £300 in total for discs and pads, 6 x the cost of buying them myself, invoice stated discs excessively scored and pads contaminated with grease brake fluid or Oil,well wouldn’t that be an mot fail then,you don’t even take the wheels
off to check, talk about catastrophising, now under new management obviously sales targeted, oh and only £51 for discs and pads from Halfords store & no labour if I do it myself, if fitting during service then why charge an extra £200 for labour if buying parts at trade cost, not happy with this, caught red handed, I’m an ex tyre and brake fitter from some years ago, anyone else might be frightened and feel pressured to pay on the spot for the work to be done there and then, the mechanics are great, boys are 1st class but the new office boys, well, stop catastrophising.

We take our car to Halfords for brake pads, discs & tyres. We recently booked in for brake pads only 18/07/26 but due to a miscommunication between the Halfords team the discs were also changed. Kurt the manager at our Poole branch was excellent in resolving this issue for us and the outcome was more than satisfactory. We also had a new tyre fitted this Saturday 25/07/26 and unfortunately upon removal of the tyre a crack was also discovered on the alloy. Rob who was dealing with our vehicle was again excellent in offering advice and local contact details so we could resolve this issue, greatly appreciated. They ensured our vehicle was safe to use for the weekend and the issue was resolved today 27/07/26. Excellent service from Halfords Poole.

I went today for my scheduled appointment at 08:30am. I was there at 07:30am and waited until the store was open. I approached the Staff and informed him that I am booked for complimentary service today with Reference Number 159210929. I asked him how long it would be but he shrugged his shoulders and told me that he does not know.

I told him that my car had 2,000 miles and as per contract it needs to have its first service check after 2,000 miles or 2 months whichever comes first. However, he told me that it was a waste but he never completed his statement.

I told him that I can show him the service book so that I can show him the instructions. But he said it does not matter. I confirmed with him that it is inside the car. Then I gave him my car key and he asked me to enter my Vehicle Registration Number for parking purposes. He also confirmed my contact number.

I left the store at 08:30am. I was expecting a call or text message from the staff however, I did not receive either. Therefore, I decided to go back to the service centre at 03:00pm to check the status of my car. However, the Staff told me that they will not provide the service and advised me to return the car back to the Suzuki Dealer.

At first, I felt unwelcome by the staff and it made me feel that I was just wasting his time. Moreover, I wasted my time because no one informed me from their team that they would not provide the service. If I did not take the initiative to go back to the service centre to check the status of my car I would not know that they were not giving the service and waited for nothing. I felt there was a lack of professionalism and they disrespect my time.

I have already given Halfords my order number. I haven't got time to sit on a phone/at a computer for ages waiting for someone to answer. You already have my details & order number.

Thank you Emily. I have already reported it using your link. This is the problem. It has been ignored do far. Terrible. Wish I had not used Halfords - they make life needlessly difficult!

I contacted the complaints team. And complained in store. No response. Awful. They do not care and it is very dangerous having work done there.

Dear Complaints Team,

Formal Complaint – Incomplete Brake Inspection, Poor Workmanship, Poor Communication and Vehicle Care

I am writing to raise a formal complaint regarding the service I received from your garage following work carried out on my Mazda 3 (2015).

I am extremely disappointed with both the quality of the service and the way my concerns have been handled.

I paid for my brake discs and pads to be replaced, together with a brake inspection that the garage confirmed had been completed. However, when I collected my vehicle and paid for the work, nobody was able to tell me the condition of the front brakes or how much brake pad material remained. This is basic information that should have been readily available if the inspection had genuinely been carried out.

I contacted the garage several times afterwards, but despite repeated promises, no one returned my calls. I eventually raised the matter with the Centre Manager, Jack. His proposed solution was for me to leave my vehicle with the garage again for a further two hours so they could perform the inspection that should already have been completed in the first place.

This is completely unacceptable. Brakes are one of the most important safety-critical components on any vehicle, and this experience has left me questioning whether the inspection was carried out at all. As a result, I felt I had no option but to take my car elsewhere for the brakes to be checked independently.

The entire experience has significantly damaged my confidence in Halfords. It gives the impression that vehicles are processed quickly rather than inspected thoroughly and with due care. My vehicle was with your garage for a total of four days, yet I was still unable to obtain basic information about the condition of the braking system.

In addition, I found the interior of my vehicle had been left untidy, with personal items moved and not returned to their original positions. While this is secondary to the safety concerns, it reflects a lack of care and respect for customers' property.

Overall, I am disappointed by:

* An inspection that appears either not to have been completed or not properly recorded.
* The inability of staff to provide basic information about the work carried out.
* Repeated failures to return my calls despite several promises.
* The suggestion that I should inconvenience myself further to have work completed that should already have been done.
* The poor care taken with my vehicle while it was in your possession.

The lack of communication, accountability and attention to safety has been extremely disappointing. I have lost confidence in the quality of the work performed and, based on this experience, I cannot recommend this garage.

I would appreciate it if you could investigate this matter thoroughly and advise what action Halfords intends to take to resolve my complaint. I look forward to receiving your response and bringing this matter to a satisfactory conclusion.

Thank you for your attention.

Kind regards,

Gregory

Unbelievably rude staff. I asked why it would take so long to change the tyres that I had a slot booked for, and they said I should “do it yourself if you think you can do it quicker”. I queried why they were so rude and just got a mouthful of abuse.

Had van booked in for over 3 weeks while we waited for the part to get a phone call day beforehand to say the mechanic was on the sick so they couldn't complete the works terrible service surly they have more than 1 mechanic

I took my Childs bike to the Redhill store and a very helpful man named Graham adjusted handle bars ,seat, pumped up the tyres and checked the bike over. I was really pleased with the service. Thank you

Took my car into Shrewsbury for an MOT and a full service. The team delivered great customer service and kept my informed all the time.

I am extremely disappointed with the service I received.

The experience started with a serious safety issue. Just five days after purchasing a bike for my son, it literally fell apart while he was riding it, causing him to fall off. Thankfully he wasn't seriously injured, but it could have ended much worse.

Despite this, I gave the store the benefit of the doubt. I visited the store and was assisted by Ethan, who was professional, apologetic and extremely helpful. He arranged for a replacement bike and asked me to return the following day to collect it.

Due to my own commitments, I returned seven days later, only to be told the replacement hadn't even been built because the store had been too busy. While frustrating, what happened next was completely unacceptable.

I asked to speak to the manager and was met by Cole, who provided one of the worst customer service experiences I have ever encountered. Before listening to a word I had to say, he insisted that I had already collected the replacement bike, repeatedly telling me, "I saw you." I calmly explained several times that he was mistaken and was confusing me with someone else, but he refused to listen.

He then walked away with my receipt, leaving me waiting for around 20 minutes without any update. I eventually had to leave the store without any resolution.

After contacting customer services, Cole later phoned me and claimed he had reviewed the CCTV and that it showed me leaving with the replacement bike. Once again, I explained that this was simply not true, but he continued to accuse me rather than investigate properly.

Being wrongly accused of taking something I never received is incredibly upsetting. Not only was my integrity questioned, but I was effectively accused of dishonesty without any willingness to listen to my explanation.

This is no longer just about a faulty bike. It's about a dangerous product that failed after only five days, putting my son's safety at risk, followed by a manager who dismissed me, failed to investigate properly and made serious accusations without evidence.

The only positive part of this experience was Ethan, who treated me with professionalism and respect. Unfortunately, Cole's behaviour completely overshadowed that.

I sincerely hope the company investigates both the faulty bike and the way this complaint has been handled, because no customer should be treated this way.

Have now logged this as an official complaint but totally discusted with the attitude of this member of staff today.

Had a mot booked paid £800 odds pounds then discovered they charged for 6 brake discs £510 so my refund should have been £184 and odds because clearly 6divided into that !! They now have refunded £84 saying that they used dearer discs but clearly you charged and I paid for 6 unbelievable the personel in Hamilton and head office never herd such stupidity

I’ve been using the services of the Mountbatten branch of Halfords for many years and I can honestly say that rob and his staff have always been professional, honest and reliable when dealing with all aspects of my car care.

Took my money. Cancelled the order. Not refunded. No care, wait 7 days. 7 days have gone. There's still no refund.

APPALLING. Read on!

So they take my cash and so far it's taken an hour and a half to not get it back. Their solution??? Chat online....again.

A mechanic came to check my car Fiat 500 done all the checks and said that my battery was dead but don’t worry it was under warranty at Halfords let’s go and get a new one. Went to Halfords in Cromer took the battery in . Thought it would be a simple process of just swapping but no. The young girl behind the counter believe her name was Leanne said I have to check it . Said the was a fault, but it’s because I didn’t charge it enough. It needs a charge of six hours who is going to run their car six hours every day to charge their battery. It was absolutely ridiculous. My mechanic couldn’t believe.what he was hearing and said that’s not right but no, we could not a replacement . So I had to spend another £150 on a new battery but I certainly didn’t buy it from them and I never will buy anything from them again. I spent thousands over the years taking my car sin for MOT and everything. I am not going to spend one more penny in that shop . They don’t honour there warranty and they have people untrained that know nothing about cars. so take my advice go somewhere else use a good independent knows what they’re talking about car shop?

I had my brakes checked (free) and wheels balanced at the Northallerton branch. Very friendly and helpful staff that know what they're on about.

Had wheel alignment and anti bacterial air con clean booked and paid for at Beckenham garage. Told job was done come collect your car. Arrived and they wouldn't give me proof or evidence to show anything that had been paid for had been done. They had no wheel alignment print out or photos of work carried out, i questioned this with the person behind the desk who reassured me they do not charge if they do not do the work. Went for family drive to box hill the car was making a noise that was not there prior to Halfords Beckenham having it in for the above work mentioned. I needed to back this up, so got free wheel alignment check at kwik fit,all reading showed in the red area, meaning the work wasn't done and not aligned in a green area. They have lied to me as a customer. I contacted head office who wanted me to take it back to Beckenham, after their dishonesty and they issues they created, I asked Halfords head office to put this right at another Halfords branch. Now I have another print out of an alignment from both kwik fit and another branch of Halfords showing the wheels had not been aligned as I expected. Got home and phoned Beckenham to explain the facts I had in front of me, I was on the phone with the Beckenham manager, this person attitude was not nice and was trying to create a reaction from me. They were trying so hard to make me become angry so they could tell me they don't want to deal with me. Even said we cant go by a kwik fit report its different so i said okay what about this reports from another Halfords garage? The tone in her voice changed was not so confident, tried more word twisting and I had to hand the phone to my partner as i was going to blow. My partner arranged with the manager that we return the car to Beckenham, I reluctantly agreed, poor work bad attitude both from the manager and the other who lied to me. about charging for etc., Booked in for 08:30am yesterday arrived 08:10am asked to speak to the manager in a private environment, the reply with an attitude was why do I need to discuss this privately, I said what's with the attitude? the manager then replied i don't need to put up with this leave at this time in the morning. They've been caught out lying with more lies to follow. I blew and started shouting swearing, I feel this was to provoke me and I feel stupid for taking the bait. The person who initially lied about charging for work was calling the police and secretly filming the incident. I will be taking further action for the this and reporting the false allegations as perverting the course of justice. This person is a natural liar as she told the police that I had a weapon ,and another person alleged I made racial comments which neither were true. I was then arrested for an alleged offence, from which I was released with no charge, and was shown the video recording they had as evidence. This video not only shows what really went on but shows that this employee also lied again, by having the police remove me from the premises so they think the situation will go away. I can assure you this is only going to get worse for the false allegation, the filming of me without consent and perverting the cause of justice from false allegations. The safety of my car and family are at risk because of the incompetence of this Halfords branch. Another review will be posted on google as photos can not be posted here.

EDITED this is a review on the whole issue i will be leaving separate reviews for every bad service I've received interactions, attitude customer service, false allegations taunting by staff at this branch, any evidence i gather from the police reports that highlight your dishonesty. to sink as low as you did to make false allegations to cover and deflect the issues you have caused back at me is disgusting, are you even human? decent people do not do this.

for the member of staff filming me without consent who was also the one who lied to me in the first instance, slammed my car door and reversed it into a curb and told me to FK off you also lied to the police, the phone recording to the police will be obtained as part of my complaint, i will be looking to have you investigated by the police i will also be forwarding any evidence i obtain and sharing that with Halfords. also i beleave the manager made false allegations in relation to me then being arrested this is also going to be investigated. in the same way. as your employee, for the guy behind the decsk with light coloured hair macked provoking gestures this is going to head office, for the other member of staff in my face, who appeared from the back office you will also be reported to head office for your confronting aggression towards me and if found to also give a false witness statement to the false allegation this will also be forwarded to the police. lying to customer and the police is very poor tactic to have a buisness.

I went to Halfords in Kingston to get my wheel checked as it was punctured. They said the tyre was irreparable and instead suggested that I have both rear tyres changed for a cost of over £500! I took the car to another tyre shop 2 mins away and they not only managed to repair the puncture but also quoted me half of the price that Halfords did to have both my rear tyres changed. I think big companies like Halfords should be ashamed of themselves for trying to rip of customers when they are in a desperate situation! Disgusting customer service. Will not use their services again!

I was so happy with the support I received from Halfords Autocentre Sumner Road staff from the time I rang to book my MOT to dropping off and picking up. Happy with the support given as a regular customer !!!

Took my bmw to one of their centres to get air con refill cost was £74.99 which i thought was good but when i returned to centre i was told it couldnt be done as there was a leak so i was jusr charged a flat fee of £34.99 for check over i was told the cost of the repair was£549 so just laughed and took car away i then bought a air con kit online for £30 and did it myself NO LEAKS IN CONDENSER HALFORDS ????

I ordered a headlights alignment on line via halfords online for the autocentre at Smithdown Rd, Liverpool. Collected my van later in the day. After arriving home I received an email stating the work completed.
It showed the right headlight had been aligned. These are new headlight units and this is why I wanted them adjusting. I thought the left headlight must have been OK
Out of curiosity I contacted the garage and was told I had only booked for the right headlight to be aligned. I pointed out this is impossible as there is no option to choose on the order.
They kept insisting I had chosen, but couldn't/wouldn't explain how to choose one side or the other. I was told they would send their work sheet that shows "I" had "chosen" just the right headlight to be adjusted. But again they couldn't/wouldn't show me how to choose left or right when ordering. They sent me a receipt for the work completed and not a worksheet stating this is what they receive...A receipt for the work completed and not a work sheet...REALLY?
The so called manager accused me of being argumentative and told me not to come back. As if I would ever go back to these cowboys!
I have just challenged them to show me where to choose left or right on their website, even sending them a link to make it simple for them.
I await there reply! Later received an email informing me there is no choice of left or right, and couldn't explain how only the right was placed on their work sheet. The "manager" said it must be an IT error!!! But still refused to complete my order, and I'd have to reorder to get the left headlight aligned. Not a hope in hell would I go back to these cowboys!

CS, I have contacted customer service agents via chat and phone. They seem to be as thick as the autocentre manager. One of them was explaining I had to choose left or right when I ordered my "bulbs"!!! I despair. What a joke of a company.