Review Time
I bought a Golf from them in November 2025, I travelled the nearly 300 miles to collect the car from them. I was very pleased with the car, in amazing condition for the age and mileage and well presented. Initially there was a problem with a rear brake caliper, which I had replaced locally and the dealer paid for. Then as the weather got colder, I realised the heater wasn’t blowing any warm air, I reported this to them (within two weeks of collection)
and they said was probably the heater matrix and to get a quote, which I did. They said the quote was too much and it was fine when I bought it, and wasn’t covered by warranty. I asked where they would like me to take it, no reply. After contacting the finance company for support, they said to return the car for repair to them which wasn’t going to happen as it’s a 12 hour round trip. They offered no other solution, no contribution offered for repair and no further contact, so I eventually had to have the repair done at my own cost. A shame really, a great car but the experience definitely spoiled by poor after sales service.
Judging from the other reviews here I guess we were just unlucky, but we have had a series of problems since we bought the car a couple of months ago. 1. The infotainment centre wasn't working properly when we picked the car up. This was sorted out by Southwest motors within a week or so.2. A sidelight wasn't working. This was supposed to have been sorted out at the same time as the infotainment centre, but it is still an intermittent fault.3. A sensor failed after a couple of weeks, meaning we had no ABS etc and several lights lit up on the dashboard. Southwest motors advised us to get the work done elsewhere and send them the bill. It took them three weeks to pay us back.4. At about the same time the water pump failed. Southwest motors couldn't book us in for two weeks. Because they couldn't offer us a courtesy car for that time we had to top up the coolant every time we took it for a drive.Now, these things can happen. But it's how the dealership deals with them that is important. I feel that we have been seen as a nuisance - with some quite unprofessional comments from the sales person along the way. Emails haven't been replied to and I've had to pressure them to get things sorted. There has been no offer of recompense for all the time I've spent dealing with this. There was a perfect opportunity for them to change the cam belt for free when the water pump was changed, but it never even crossed their mind.Part of the problem here may be that they provided a third party warranty with the car, Because of this they might not have felt the need to check the car properly before putting it on sale - as any major issues would be paid for by the warranty company. The water pump and infotainment centre are known problems with the VW Tiguan and should have been looked at.All in all it's been a disappointing experience.Addition:Following on from their reply:It seems Southwest motors has a completely different view of what happened. Just to put the record straight:1. I never ‘threatened’ them with a bad review. I gave them an opportunity to read what I was going to publish so we could agree on the facts. Needless to say, I had no response so I published my review as I had written it. 2. I was never abusive. That’s laughable. I pointed out that I had paid a lot of money for a car that I couldn’t drive without topping up with coolant - and I wanted it fixed, or at least a courtesy car until the work could be done. I also told them my partner was driving over so they could sort something out. Of course they are upset that they messed up, but owning up might be a better approach than accusing a customer of being the problem.
I bought a Golf from them in November 2025, I travelled the nearly 300 miles to collect the car from them. I was very pleased with the car, in amazing condition for the age and mileage and well presented. Initially there was a problem with a rear brake caliper, which I had replaced locally and the dealer paid for. Then as the weather got colder, I realised the heater wasn’t blowing any warm air, I reported this to them (within two weeks of collection)and they said was probably the heater matrix and to get a quote, which I did. They said the quote was too much and it was fine when I bought it, and wasn’t covered by warranty. I asked where they would like me to take it, no reply. After contacting the finance company for support, they said to return the car for repair to them which wasn’t going to happen as it’s a 12 hour round trip. They offered no other solution, no contribution offered for repair and no further contact, so I eventually had to have the repair done at my own cost. A shame really, a great car but the experience definitely spoiled by poor after sales service.
My son needed a change of car and following a long search of the internet he found a Ford Focus that met all the criteria we had set. The Southwest Motor Company was not exactly on our door step but their reviews and own advertised standards of trading meant it was worth pursuing. Due to my sons work schedule I was entrusted with the task of checking the car was as it was advertised and worth considering. An appointment was made and my wife and I attended.Our first impressions were that the company has a professional appearance from the tidy display of cars on sale outside to the very clean and comfortable reception, car showroom and workshop that has service and MOT facilities. The salesman, Dale Salt, greeted us and had the Ford Focus ST-Line X ready for our inspection. It's fair to say that the car was beyond my expectations looking like it had just rolled off the assembly line being perfectly clean inside and out and also under the bonnet, it looked brand new. We were accompanied on the test drive by Dale who had a good knowledge of the car and model. On return to base we discussed the conditions of sale including service, warranty and payment methods. A private call to my son was followed by the deposit and agreed collection date.On the day of collection Dale provided an excellent service the whole experience of buying the car the best I have had. He explained everything clearly and had met all the conditions of the sale including a service and new MOT that was carried out by an independent garage for full transparency. The final point that just added to the experience was that there was plenty of petrol in the car when we drove off so no need to rush to the nearest petrol station on our way home.I feel that Southwest Motor Company is a very professional car sales business with high standards and can fully recommend it to anyone.
Great service from the team here at south west motor company , from the first enquiry to the deal done.From emails requesting more info, phone call asking stuff and was never a problem , returned everything as requested and showed me everything I wanted honestly great team down there.Very happy with my purchase and would highly recommend, thanks again to Scott, Zoe & Dale.
Would recommend southwest motor company to anyone, could not fault from start to finish . Zoe is so helpful ,she finds what you are looking for ,her knowledge about cars is second to none, everything is done so quickly trouble free .The whole team is brilliant.
Well what can I say ! My brother and myself went to view a car at southwest motor company and omg Amazing what a lovely friendly place and nothing was to much trouble, I asked questions and they were answered by Dale who made the experience so nice, no looking down his nose when we walked in, not like some garages!! My brother bought the car and we went up again to collect it and were again made to feel welcome. Lovley friendly place with amazing staff. We highly recommend Dale and his staff at the southwest motor company. Well done guys fantastic place ❤️
A first class buying experience, I recently purchased a fiat 500 from south west motor company.I couldn't be happier with my entire experience from the moment I stepped on the lot I was greeted with a warm welcome a lovely cup of tea and a professional service.Dale was incredibly knowledgeable and patient he took the time to answer all my questions and concerns I never felt pressured into making a decision Dale was very transparent about the car's history and condition.Which gave me peace of mind The entire process was smooth and efficient Dale even arranged for a service.mot and new battery ensuring that I was purchasing a reliable car as I needed a car in a hurry I highly recommend south west motor company to anyone looking to buy a used car The commitment to customers satisfaction is evident in every aspect of their business.Overall a fair deal and a hassle free experience.Thanks from Julie
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Welcome to Southwest Motor Company offer a wide range of quality cars at affordable prices from our state-of-the-art facility in Tavistock on the Devon/Cornwall border.
Over 24 years experience in selling quality used cars with a professional service, based in Tavistock on the Devon/Cornwall border.
We strive to go that extra mile to make buying cars a more friendly and enjoyable experience for all of our customers.
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