Formula One Autocentres - Derby Reviews 34

Certainly doesn’t live up to its name was booked in for 1500 turned up couple of minutes before took best part of an hour to change just one tyre

Took my daughters wheel/tyre in early this morning for a puncture repair as it had a screw through the tread. The guy I saw said if I left it with them he'd fit it in and I could collect around 3pm.

When I went back the tyre was ready for me as promised and he wasn't even going to charge me (I insisted on paying something)

I went to Formula One after a very well known tyre company slightly closer to home had told me "No chance today, maybe tomorrow or Tuesday"

Thanks for a great service and for your fantastic helpful attitude.

Great guys who are knowledgeable & got my hybrid car sorted within 48 hours, new MOT , happy days.

Thank you !! Would recommend!!

Booked in for 10am Sunday morning for two tyres, sat in waiting room waiting and could here the tyre fitter swearing because he was struggling to remove the wheels, he ended up using a mallet on the tyre and rims of both wheels to get them of the vehicle, when refitting them he didn’t torque the wheels correctly, he used the nut gun and then torqued the wheels and as one who knows these things one would expect as soon as you use a toque wrench to check the tightness it’s going to click straight away as they are over tight, turn out it was the apprentice who did my tyres without anyone checking his work. A formal complaint will be going in to formula one and as my car is in for a ful service next week. Will be asking them to check the alloys for signs of damage on the inner side.

Within minutes of speaking on the phone to Stuart about the issue with my car, he diagnosed the likely problem with my battery and invited me down to have it tested to confirm; I duly went down his meter confirmed that my car battery was indeed at the end of its life! Stuart immediately ordered me a new battery and it was fitted by him today, within 18 hours of my first call to Formula One! This service is nothing short of exemplary and I would like senior management to know just how grateful I am to Stuart for his beyond-reproach service at Formula One on Ashbourne Road in Derby! A+++++++++++++

I took my partner’s car to Formula One Autocentres - Derby for 4 budget tyres. They fitted the tyres by brand side to side, meaning the front left was a different model to the front right. I was told on the phone this was fine, which is incorrect advice. The front tyres must match each other as a pair because they handle the main steering and braking forces. Different tread patterns and compounds left to right can cause uneven grip, pulling, early wheel lock on the weaker side, longer stopping distance, and reduced stability, especially in rain. Car safety systems like ABS expect both sides of an axle to behave the same.

Luckily the MOT technician at another mechanic spotted the bad practice and the car is now having the front pair matched properly by being swapped over at a different garage. This should never happen on a car that carries a 10 year old child daily.

Brilliant quick efficient service! Picked up a slow puncture on motorway whilst travelling to Derby. They repaired it straightaway for me good price too!

I was a regular customer. Unfortunately on this occasion, during a regular MOT my car's interior was damaged. F1 autocentres denies responsibility.

Prompt and efficient MoT on our VW Up.

Absolute rip offs. Had a mot with these guys and they failed it which is understandable if it didn’t meet the standard. Went to another mechanic for the work to be done as they quoted me £120+ for a £40 job (which was done by another place for that price (£40) ). They then said they can’t do a retest in the ten day time limit because they don’t have enough mechanics to do the check, saying they need to charge for a full retest due to another mechanic doing the work. They purely make you have no option but to go to them for massively overpriced work to be done otherwise screw you over so you have to pay out regardless. Also stacked out the advisory list yet previous year only had 3 advisories. Never using these people again. Disgusting service

Good service, good staff great prices

I booked a full service and MOT at the Derby branch of F1 Autocentres and I would advise no person takes any vehicle to them until there are some fundamental changes to their customers services and work practices.
I would also advise anyone who has recently had work undertaken by them that could affect the safety of their vehicle to take it to a reputable garage for the work to be checked.
I have taken several cars to this particular branch half a dozen times in the last ten years and previously have not had a complaint to make but given the danger that have put me and my passengers in, shunned responsibility for their work and left me as a self employed man unable to work, I urge you to focus on the other negative recent reviews of this place and go elsewhere.
My issue has been raised with their customer service team/area manager already, it has not been taken seriously or taken any responsibility only making claims as to why it couldn’t be down to them. Their single offer is for me to get an undriveable car from the north of the county down to Derby for them to see what they can do. Me paying further to the to make the corrections and they would "apply discount", an amount or per centage that remains to be defined. Or as I see it, good money after bad.
Something has gone wrong at this branch and/or company.
With my car having failed its MOT I decided to have my break disc and pads replaced. The rear both needed to be done, the front were advisories.
The works took place in March 2024. I drove the car to the branch in August 2024 highlighting a problem had been developing and I was unsure if the car was safe to drive and asked if they would be able to have a look for me to give their opinion (visually). This was request declined as "they were very busy". I was unsure what the problem was but made suggestions that it could be wheel bearings, wheel nuts etc. The last time my wheels were off was when my car was in their hands. My MOT shows the tyre tread depth on all 4 tyres as a 7 rating and legal. The same tyres remained for the near 5 months after as have the pads and discs they installed despite their suggestion other wise.
I was offered an appointment the following week which took. Having driven via the motorway from Derby to my home in Chesterfield, not realising the seriousness, the driveability of the car reduced. I did not then drive the car again until the morning of the appointment. Upon its inspection as I was about to drive to the garage I saw that no locking wheel not was present, on wheel nut had snapped off and one wheel nut missing. Essentially me having driven for some unknown distance with down to 2 wheel nuts on my passenger side front wheel. I could have easily died had the wheel come off. As could my son who regularly sits in the front seat as well as possibly pedestrians other road users.
In an attempt for assistance I walked to my local Halfords to see what they would advise me on how to get the car back on the road. First of all they were appalled that it had happened and offered more knowledge and assistance a short 10 minute conversation at that there branch, with a mechanic coming out specifically to explain to me, than F1 have done in my two interactions with their customer service. Halfords did this for me when I’m not even a customer of theirs or it their responsibility. They explained to me that had they undertaken the same works ie MOT Services and repairs, on the same dates with the same outcome, they would have; sent someone out to my nominated location to recover the vehicle, investigated how it occurred eg over tightening etc, tested the other wheels for safety, then completed all correction works free of charge along with an apology.
Now, I have previously never been a big fan of Halfords due there high pricing but at least they take my safety seriously and take responsibility for their work. Human error can occur, parts can be faulty what can be controlled is your companies approach to when bad things happen. Halfords approach is what you expect from a professional garage with an acceptable customer service.
F1 Autocentres have advised they are members of The Motoring Ombudsmen if I wish to make a complaint. I will be doing as well as fully exploring are legal/civil actions I may take against them.
If the company had taken this seriously the regional manager would have got back to me, he hasn't.
They will take your money and not take responsibility when things go wrong.

Great experience at Derby Brad helped me so much when it came to my tyres got told by another garage that my tyres was illegal and i should not be driving so went there for another opinion. when I got there Brad was so friendly and willing to help checked over my tyres and showed me there was 5mm left on the tread and that i just needed a puncture sorting. He got his tyre fitter to sort it straight away at a great price
Thank you guys

Just have to say this was one of the best experiences I've ever had with a garage I highly recommend this place the staff are brilliant and the Manger i think he said his name was Brad went above and beyond to help me get back on the road and explain everything to me felt so simple

Took my car for mot, didnt do it apparently down to major oil leak, fair enough i thought untill i took it to another garage theyve looked my car over done mot and said no leak and didnt understand why they said it awlful experience with f1 in derby tried to rip me off as a woman on my own, well you shouldn't be able to get away with that as i will take it further, standoffish staff and requested refund as no work was done and had to pay upfront, if your thinking of taking your car here think twice... took to another garage no oil leak and passed the mot, f1 tried to complety rip me off.

I came to the derby f1 the man I dealt with was Chris he went above on beyond trying to help me with my car I've always taken my cars there and have had nothing but positive experiences there needless to say ill be back. Thank you Chris for all your help

This place is a disgrace. Absolutely disgusting service. Not calling the customer back as agreed earlier. Not sticking to the appointment time and not completing the job in the time agreed. Double booking customers. Excuses of a tyre fitter "walking out on him" used by a manager. If I didn't notice they would have kept my spare set of wheel nuts. Chaotic and unreliable place with no respect for customer's time. AVOID.

This service was shocking from start to finish,I book four tyres for my X5 from tyresavings to be fitted by formula one on Saturday ,the tyres arrived on the Friday and told them I'd be back on Saturday morning to have them fitted.when I arrived I drove round the back and they brought my car in .the removed to two front wheel and removed the old tyres I I hadn't been looking out the window they were trying to fit the rear tyres on the front rims which were the 315 35 20 instead of the 275 40 20 .the manager went out and shouted at them you are making us look like fools or words to that affect the apologise to me saying his tyre guy had let him down .so who were the two guys fitting tyres to my car if they hadn't been trained.this should not be happening!! .After they had fitted the tyres and I paid I notice 3 of my rims were damaged which I reported to the manager who said my guys didn't do that ,but if they hadn't been trained how the hell would her know .I didn't want to argue with him so walked away .two miles up the road it didn't feel right so I checked the tyres pressures on the screen only to find they put the rear pressures in the front tyres and fronts In the rear.I had to take it back to have this sorted and the lad that fitted them said its correct I showed him the label on the door post which proved me right .never again will I come here and want to know who is paying to have my rims to be repaired.

Regards Mr josephs

This was the first time I had used Formula One for my MOT. The staff were welcoming and said it would take 1 hour to complete. They were true to their word and I left knowing I would return next year.

In May 2023 we had a problem with the power steering on our vehicle which was making a lot of noise when turning the steering wheel.
Someone looked at it for us and said the pulley is loose and required attention, but they were not able to fit us in for a fortnight.
As we hoped to get the vehicle fixed sooner my wife rang Formula one garage, Ashbourne Road, Derby and explained the situation to them, and booked the vehicle in for us.
When the vehicle was with the garage, they called us to say how much it would cost and we agreed as the vehicle is used every day and needed for work.
We then received another call saying we don’t know how much you were quoted but it would be more expensive, so we agreed again as we just wanted the vehicle back.
We were told it would be ready at the end of the day but received another phone call saying Ford had delivered the wrong part so it would be ready the following day.
I called later the following day and was told it would be another couple of hours. We later received a call from them saying it was ready to pick up and the cost was £395 but the noise was still there, and the problem had not been solved.
A bit puzzled I asked why the vehicle wasn’t fixed and was told the problem is with the pump, so I asked if they could sort it out for us and was told they don’t work on hydraulic systems so we would have to pick it up and take it.
We went to collect the vehicle and my wife was upset, again she asked why it hadn’t been repaired.
We were told that my wife had diagnosed the fault and they had repaired what she had asked for.
Amazed we said, “you are the mechanics why didn’t you let us know when replacing the pulley and belt”, and we were told because we hadn’t asked for a diagnostic and my wife had told them what was wrong with it, so that is what they fixed, and they don’t work on hydraulic systems anyway.
We took it to a reputable garage and had it repaired the same day.
This is an honest and true record of what happened, so you make your own minds up who was right and who was wrong, but I can say it’s the last time we ever visit Formula one again and would never recommend them to anyone.