The AA Smart Care Reviews 16,828

Excellent work service. Came to my house no problems. Sean was very helpful and done the job well in a tidy fashion even in the rain.

It was really easy to book, garage was very efficient and friendly

Not easy to find but first class service

Firstly I have paid twice for the same service. Secondly I paid for a full service and only received the minimum.
Thirdly the MOT was passed in spite of the drivers side screen washer jet not working. This had been pointed out on arrival.

Great job with service, engineer was very helpful

Made to feel welcome by showing us the waiting room and pointing out a coffee machine!!!

Very good and helpful

I chose to use your “mechanic at home” service for convenience due to my work schedule and to avoid arranging transport to a garage. While the initial booking process was smooth, the service I subsequently received was extremely disappointing.
My appointment was booked for 12/05/2026 at 11:30am. By 11:52am no mechanic had arrived, so I contacted your customer service team. I was informed that the mechanic was delayed on another job, which I understood, and I was given a revised arrival time of 1:30pm.
Again, no one arrived at the revised time. After calling once more, I was advised the mechanic was “10 minutes away.” This was frustrating, especially as your emails and messages clearly state that customers will receive a call 15 minutes prior to arrival, which I never received.
When the mechanic finally arrived, he took my keys and returned approximately 8 minutes later stating that he was unable to carry out the brake pad replacement because he “did not want to risk damaging the car, the driveway, or injuring himself.” This came as a complete surprise given that the job booked was a standard brake pad replacement, and I reasonably expected the mechanic to arrive with the correct tools and equipment to complete the work safely as he stated he does not have a jack to lift the car.
I later checked my CCTV footage and, during those 8 minutes, the mechanic simply inspected the wheel and attempted to loosen bolts. No jack or other equipment was even used before deciding the work could not be completed then I contacted your helpline and was booked into one of your garages for the following morning. I dropped the vehicle off at 9:00am, and by 11:30am I had still received no update, so I contacted your team again. I was then informed that further work was required. Although I agreed to the additional work, I was unhappy as I had not experienced any issues with the vehicle beforehand.
 I was subsequently sent a payment authorisation request showing a balance of £0.00 When I queried this, another advisor informed me that an error had been made by the previous advisor. I specifically asked whether, had I authorised the £0.00 payment, I would have been charged no further amount, and I was told that this was correct.
Despite this, and although I could have relied on the error, I acted honestly and ultimately paid a total of £527.19, which included only a £20 goodwill gesture for the inconvenience caused by the failed mobile mechanic appointment.
Unfortunately, the issues did not end there Upon collecting my vehicle, I immediately noticed that the replacement brake caliper fitted to my car was red, whereas the other three calipers are a completely different colour. As a result, my vehicle now looks mismatched and unprofessional. I paid approximately £30,000 for this vehicle, and I find it unacceptable that it has been returned to me in this condition.
I have made several calls to yourselves and was promised a call back on several occasions and nothing, I have now chased this ridiculous company for 48 hours and honestly I advise people to keep away and use a proper garage , customers are led to believe this is convient and a good service its more hassle than its worth its a scam .

Great price quick and easy to book great service by the garage

The service was carried out successfully. I'm happy with the service speed and price. The only thing I didn't like is the AA web sight there is a lot of scrolling involved and I missed the MOT so I had to return later, so two visits instead of one. But good service anyway.

Poor MOT Service Through AA Approved Garage

I am writing to make a serious complaint regarding the MOT service I received through an AA-approved garage. I specifically chose an AA-approved garage because I believed it would provide a higher standard of professionalism, reliability, and customer care. Unfortunately, my experience was extremely disappointing and has left me with very little confidence in both the garage and the AA recommendation process.

I received instructions to drop my vehicle off 10 minutes before my appointment time at 08:00, so I arrived at the garage at approximately 07:50 as requested. However, upon arriving there were no staff present, and I was left waiting outside. I had to call out and look around for assistance before eventually a young staff member appeared.

He took my car key and asked whether I had come through the AA, to which I confirmed I had. I then asked how long the MOT process would take, and I was told it would take “a couple of hours” and that I would receive a call once completed, or that everything would be handled through the AA.

After hearing nothing for several hours, I contacted the garage myself at approximately 11:52 to ask for an update on my vehicle. I was simply told that it was “still processing.” At this point, my car had already been at the garage since 07:50.

What I found unacceptable was the complete lack of communication throughout the process. I was not updated on delays, not informed of any issues, and had to chase the garage myself for information. The overall experience felt very unprofessional, unreliable, and gave me very little confidence in the service being provided.

Approximately 25–30 minutes after my call, I checked the GOV MOT website myself and discovered that my vehicle had failed its MOT. I was not informed directly by the garage before finding this information independently. I later had my car inspected by another mechanic regarding the issue raised, specifically relating to the shock absorbers, and I was advised that there was nothing wrong with them.

Due to the poor experience and lack of confidence in the garage’s assessment, I chose not to return there for a retest.

I am particularly disappointed because I trusted the AA-approved status. I believed booking through an AA-approved garage would provide reassurance, better standards, and a more professional customer experience. Instead, I experienced poor communication, delays, a lack of professionalism, and concerns regarding the MOT assessment itself.

I would appreciate this complaint being investigated thoroughly, as I do not feel customers should have this type of experience when using a service promoted and approved by the AA.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding this matter.

Gordon the service technician was excellent, arrived on time, kept me informed throughout and was courteous and polite. He is a credit to the AA.
The service was excellent value, I will use the AA service again, highly recommended.

Viktor's Auto Care & MOT Centre were brilliant when my Skoda Rapid needed a service and MOT. I highly recommend the whole team.

Good service and contact from the AA and great service from the garage

Took payment from me 5 months later for a job they cancelled. Poor communication, can't get through to the right department to help.

I love the AA smart care pay assist it helps me out so much, I booked my MOT and the service and then additional work was needed, the communication was fantastic from the AA all the way through thank you

Very flawed communication. My MOT had failed, and I was told there were just ‘recommendations’. The AA should clearly state a failure. I only found this out once I’d arrived at the garage and realised I could not take the car home. It’s worth mentioning the garage was great and very helpful, and I am I longtime customer of the AA, so this was unexpected of them as they are usually very good.

Informed of price prior to booking. Contacted by mechanic and given accurate arrival time. All work carried out efficiently and tidally

Because they were on time