What began as a purchase of a BMW 1 Series in December 2024 quickly spiraled into a nightmare involving serious safety concerns and evidence of dealership misconduct.Pre-Existing Faults and Managerial NegligenceWithin a month, the car's motor starter failed. I took it to my local garage, and they were shocked to find 14 problems with the vehicle. Crucially, I had been smelling coolant through the air conditioning and constantly having to top it up. Despite bringing this concern to the Service Center (SSC) months prior, they failed to diagnose the problem.When the coolant completely emptied overnight, I called the manager. I explained the urgency and that I would be traveling with my five-month-old daughter on a three-hour drive to the dealership, necessitating frequent stops to refill the coolant. The manager, claiming extensive BMW experience, advised me to fill the system with water and drive the car, assuring me it wouldn't cause a problem.Motorway Breakdown and Zero ApologyI followed his negligent advice. Just 10-15 minutes onto the motorway, the car went into limp mode, decelerating from 60 mph to 40 mph, and overheated with my daughter and boyfriend inside. Thankfully, I was in the slow lane and managed to pull off safely.When I called the manager livid, he showed zero concern or apology for the dangerous situation he put my family in. He simply demanded a picture of the mileage. When I asked him to put his advice about using water in writing (which I've repeated in every subsequent email), he stalled, knowing their calls aren't recorded.Misuse and Dishonesty Regarding RepairsThe car was collected at 6 AM, but thanks to an Apple AirTag I had installed, I tracked its movements. It only arrived at the SSC at 2 PM, having been parked outside an area for hours. When I questioned the manager about this delay and the car's changing location, he simply brushed off the question.The tracking revealed continuous dishonesty about the repairs:1. My car was repeatedly driven around the local area and even parked for hours in the town centre car park, near the local garage, when I was told they don't work weekends. The car was broken and was clearly being misused.2. In the third week of having the car, the AirTag showed it finally went into a garage for repairs, which the manager confirmed only after I provided the exact date.3. Even more concerning, the AirTag showed the car was driven to a private residential address (including the house number/name) and parked there for an extended period.When I complained to the finance team about the extra miles racked up, I was told it was for "road testing." If it weren't for the AirTag, I shudder to think how many customers this dealer and their local garage are doing this to.This dealership is not only guilty of negligence that endangered my family but also of misusing a customer's broken vehicle. Avoid at all costs.
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