Formula One Autocentres Reviews 

44,383
TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.4

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 5,525 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers frequently mention that the online booking platform is straightforward, remarkably easy to navigate, and offers very competitive prices compared to other options. Many consumers also highlight the exceptionally helpful staff who provide honest advice, clear communication, and efficient service when handling vehicle repairs and maintenance tasks. However, some people mentioned experiencing frustrating delays, long wait times at the centres, or unexpected issues with appointments not being properly honored. A few reviewers additionally encountered unhelpful staff attitudes, poor communication, and disorganized scheduling when attempting to complete their scheduled car services.

What people talk about most

Service

Clients share ambiguous opinions on service, reflecting a mix of strong praise and severe criticism. Many... See more

Booking process

Reviewers highlight positive aspects of booking_process, frequently praising the straightforward and... See more

Staff

Users describe ambiguous interactions with staff, highlighting both commendable assistance and severe... See more

User experience

Reviewers mention positive feedback about user_experience, highlighting that the website is easy to use,... See more

Price

People report positive experiences with price, often highlighting reasonable costs and competitive rates... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

very straightforward to order and book online. However, I would have preferred to have available calendar to be viewable earlier in the process. Good prices when compared to other local tyre centres

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

We are an older couple and we had a few issues where we had to take the car back . We received very polite and understanding service . The man on the reception , not sure if he is the manager but he a... See more

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

I like the prices, and local centres, with suitable appts. Would have preferred next day but 2 days is good. I would prefer all the prices to be shown upfront. It would be better if you didn't show BM... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I arrived on speck to have two new front tyres fitted along with tracking etc. Although they were under staffed, they were able to fit the tyres within two hours whilst i went into Hinckley to shop. V... See more


Company details

  1. Tire Shop
  2. Car Inspection Station
  3. Car Repair and Maintenance

Written by the company

Formula One Autocentres currently boasts over 170 state-of-the-art autocentres located throughout the UK. With over 1000 highly trained staff working seven days a week to provide a full range of services including tyres, exhausts, batteries, brakes, clutches, MOT's and servicing. Formula One Autocentres has always been fiercely independent and, as a family-owned business, not been tied down to any single manufacturer or supplier which means that we are free to offer the biggest deals on the widest range of top branded products. By offering a real alternative to the big national chains, Formula One Autocentres provides cost-conscious motorists with a professional, reliable and affordable answer to maintaining their vehicles.

Formula One Autocentres

Written by the company

Trust Formula One Autocentres to bring you the best value in your town
We promise to beat any competitor's substantiated quote for comparable products and services. Even if you buy from us and then find a lower price locally within 7 days, we guarantee we'll refund the difference, PLUS 10%.

Contact info


4.4

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

44K reviews

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4.4

All reviews

(44,383)

5,284 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Chelmsford. Terrible service

Took my son's car into the Chelmsford Branch for a MOT. It failed and they said it would be around £600 to fix it !!!!.
Took the car to another garage and got them to check everything on the list was warranted as a failure.....IT WASN'T !!!.
The brake pad they failed it on, you couldn't see so how could they fail it..... I asked but the guy at Formula One said he didn't do it so couldn't answer and he was from another site so dont know how they work, but he would ask the Chelmsford Manager to ring us on Monday, but yep you guessed it HE NEVER DID ! !.....An MOT is a MOT and ALL the guidelines are set by the DVSA. All MOT trained techs go by this (well they should do).
They have been reported to the governing body so hopefully they will spot check them and catch them out lying.
Customer service is terrible and they over charge for repairs. WILL NOT be going there again and will spread the word to everyone i know to stear clear of them.

16 July 2026
Unprompted review
Formula One Autocentres logo

Reply from Formula One Autocentres

Dear Mike, I'm truly sorry to hear about your experience at our Chelmsford Branch. We strive for honesty and reliability in our service, and it's disappointing to learn that we fell short. Your feedback is invaluable, and I will ensure it is addressed with our team to improve our customer-centric approach. Please feel free to reach out to us directly if you'd like to discuss this further. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Poor payment functionality

Poor payment functionality. It tried to auto populate but then froze.

7 August 2026
Formula One Autocentres logo

Reply from Formula One Autocentres

Thank you for sharing your experience, Chris. I'm sorry to hear about the poor payment functionality and the freezing issue you encountered. We appreciate your feedback and are committed to improving our service to ensure a more reliable and customer-centric experience in the future. We hope you'll give us another chance to provide you with the quality support you deserve.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I don't recommend here for an MoT test

I took my car for it's annual MoT test (to F1 Autocentres, St Phillips, Bristol). The car failed on emissions. On checking the results I could see the numbers recorded (1st & 2nd fast idle test) were erratic and implausible. 1st test Lamda 62.12 (limit 0.97 - 1.03), CO 0.00% (limit 0.20% max). 2nd test Lambda 0.99, CO 0.27% - Fail. I questioned the readings but my concerns were brushed off by one of the staff, saying my catalytic converter was probably the cause. When I advised it was replaced only last year for the MoT I was told it was probably somehow defective.
Three miles away on my way home I stopped at Crown Garage, Hanham and asked for their advice. They agreed the results looked odd and offered to check. All readings were comfortably within limits.
I decided to leave the car with them and get the car fully tested again. It passed the MoT test with a couple of extra advisories that had been missed by F1.
Of course I had to pay again for the new test but now feel confident it was done professionally.

28 July 2026
Unprompted review
Formula One Autocentres logo

Reply from Formula One Autocentres

Dear Ray, thank you for sharing your experience with us. I sincerely apologise for the issues you faced during your MoT test and understand your frustration with the erratic readings. We strive for honesty and reliability in our service, and I will ensure your feedback is addressed with the team to improve our quality and support. We would love the opportunity to regain your trust, so please feel free to reach out if you have any further concerns.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

5* Customer Service

Gavin and the team were absolutely brilliant, diagnosed the problem I was having and fixed it within 48 hours.. I was also given a very good price. 5* customer service all the way.

7 August 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Getting the job sorted.

I arrived on speck to have two new front tyres fitted along with tracking etc. Although they were under staffed, they were able to fit the tyres within two hours whilst i went into Hinckley to shop. Very friendly staff and appreciated getting the job sorted without a booking.

4 August 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 3 out of 5 stars

GOUGING

Have EVIDENCE (plenty) that Formula One OVERCHARGES by a Huge Margin, e.g., THREE TIMES as much for a Brake Job, which I REJECTED...This is called Gouging!

15 July 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This centre have some excellent men on…

This centre have some excellent men on site in particular one gentleman who helped me after my tyre blew out as I had just got to Newport Pagnell. They didn’t have the tyre in stock and he agreed to take his time and fit a temporary spare to allow me to get back to where I was coming from to get a new tyre put on at no cost . Thank you very much you don’t understand how much you helped me that day to the person with such kindness thank you you are a true asset to any organisation

15 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Poor communication, broken promises, and chasing a refund for undelivered tyres

***Update after feedback***
I will not be using your business again, dishonesty goes no where in my world.

I placed an order online with Formula 1 and called to ask if I could collect the tyres directly. I was told they had to be fitted on-site, and an appointment was set for 12:30 PM the following day.

I called the garage directly to ask if I could bring the car in earlier because my MOT was due. Ryan advised me that one of their tyre-fitting machines was broken, but said he was happy to make an exception and let me take the tyres away if I signed a disclaimer. The next day came and went, and nobody bothered to call me with an update.

Fortunately, my car passed its MOT elsewhere, but I then had to go into the branch in person just to chase up my refund. I was told the store manager Ryan wasn't available because he was supporting another branch though even that seemed questionable. A new member of staff assured me I would receive my refund. But what boggles my mind is why the refund wasn't processed automatically the moment they knew the tyres hadn't even been delivered on my collection day!

This entire experience comes down to poor communication lead by Ryan, weak management, and a total lack of accountability.

It’s sad because large chains like this give garages a bad name, while smaller, hard-working independent garages do a much better job looking after their customers, but have to work hard to build the loyalty of customer due to bad experiences.

4 August 2026
Unprompted review
Formula One Autocentres logo

Reply from Formula One Autocentres

Dear Nick, I'm truly sorry to hear about your experience with our service. Your feedback about the poor communication and lack of accountability is invaluable, and I appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We strive to be a customer-centric and trustworthy service, and I assure you we will address these issues to improve our reliability in the future. Thank you for your understanding, and I hope you'll consider giving us another chance.

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