Carbase Reviews 

Steve and Max were great

All the staff I interacted with were great, especially Joe - he was engaging, interested in me and not a pushy car salesman at all. Alistair too, we had common interests, therefore it was like speaking to a friend. One criticism would be the display boards in the car only tell you the price, I think they should include all details....engine size, fuel type, transmission etc. But overall was an easy enjoyable experience. Thanks

Avoid, Avoid, Avoid at all costs. They are not helpful with the after sales service and happy for you to purchase a car that has a historical issues that need resolving. From day one of collection the car has so many issues that I was advised would be resolved. 6-7 months later still waiting for the car to be fixed. They don’t help you when your car has a warranty and drag this out for weeks and months to be fixed to avoid dealing with the repairs under 6 months of ownership under Consumer Rights Act 2015. The customer service for after sales is appalling. Forget about getting your car fixed and do not go through the stress I have experienced and don’t bother with this company. If any thing goes wrong after 6 months of ownership you are not covered nor will they help fix the car.

The worst company I have ever dealt with.
Buying the car was easy enough, but the moment they have your money, you cease to exist to Carbase.
The true test of any dealership is how they handle things when something goes wrong after purchase. In Carbase’s case, the answer is: they don’t. Their after-sales care isn't just poor—it is completely non-existent.
I have sent multiple emails regarding unresolved issues with the vehicle, and not a single one has been acknowledged, let alone answered. It is a complete communication black hole. You can send polite follow-ups, urgent requests, or detailed explanations of the problems, and you will be met with absolute silence. It is clear that once the sale is finalized, customer service is thrown straight out the window.
Trying to get any post-purchase support or accountability from this dealership is like screaming into a void. They are more than happy to take your cash, but as soon as you need them to honor their commitments or resolve basic issues, they go completely dark.
Save yourself the stress, headache, and money. Do not buy from Carbase unless you are comfortable being completely ignored the second you drive off the forecourt. Unprofessional, dismissive, and utterly disappointing.

Very disappointing and distressing experience at Carbase Bristol

I have taken a while to write this review because the experience I had at Carbase Bristol in December 2025 was extremely upsetting and left me feeling very uncomfortable.

I attended the dealership with my nine-year-old daughter to purchase a car outright. I made it very clear to the sales executive, Keenan Spence, that I did not require finance. His reaction was immediately noticeable, and he went to get his manager.

The manager then questioned me about why I did not want finance and even asked where my money was coming from. I explained that I had a good job and did not need finance. Despite this, I felt pressured and intimidated into reconsidering. The manager made comments about me potentially not having enough money to deal with future problems with the car and told me that I would be better keeping my money in the bank and earning interest rather than paying for the car outright. His manner, including sarcasm, tutting and eye-rolling, made me feel very uncomfortable.

I was then told during the part-exchange assessment that my existing car was "unsafe to drive." I had only recently had an MOT, so I was very concerned by this and relied on what I was being told. I subsequently part-exchanged the car for what I now believe was a very low amount. In hindsight, I have concerns about the accuracy and fairness of the assessment.

I was also told that I had to pay £349 for the Carbase Owners Club. I specifically asked whether this was compulsory and was told that it was part of the purchase and that I had to pay it. When I got home, I checked the Carbase website and found that the Owners Club was described as an optional add-on.

When I returned later that day to collect my new car, I challenged this and asked for a refund. I was initially told again that I needed to have it. After a lengthy and uncomfortable discussion with the sales executive and manager, I pointed out the information on Carbase's own website stating that the package was optional. Eventually, the manager agreed to refund the £349.

Although I received the refund, I find it extremely concerning that I had to challenge the matter so strongly to receive it after specifically being told that the product was compulsory.

There were also other aspects of the experience that I found concerning. My driving licence was retained while my car was being prepared, and I was not given a clear explanation as to why this was necessary. I was also told that my new car would take several hours to prepare, so I left in the vehicle I had been told was unsafe to drive, with my nine-year-old daughter, and returned later when it was dark. I found this particularly concerning given what I had been told about the safety of my vehicle.

Overall, I completely lost trust in Carbase during this experience. I felt pressured regarding finance, uncomfortable with the way I was spoken to, and extremely concerned about being told that an optional product was compulsory.

I cannot say whether I would have been treated differently if I had been using Carbase finance or if I had not been a woman attending with my daughter, but I was left with the strong impression that declining finance affected the way I was treated.

Based on my experience, I would not use Carbase again and would advise other customers to carefully question anything they are told, particularly regarding finance, additional products and part-exchange valuations.

I'd recommend Carbase Bristol to anyone because I was immediately welcomed in a friendly manner by Joe and his colleagues. Joe especially was great to deal with and made the whole process super easy :)

Where to start,awful sales team,awful after sales.
I purchesed a kia sportage that doesnt have the functions that were sold to me.
33 days later and they are treating me like im non exsistant.
Countless calls,complaint via the correct process.
ENGINE MANAGEMENT LIGHT ON.
VARIOUS OTHER ISSUES.
CAS WAS SENT AWAY WITH TYRE PRESSURES ALL OVER THE PLACE.
KEY FOB BATTERIES WERE NEAR DEAD.
AVOID THEM AND DONT LOOK BACK.
IN THE HANDS OF THE FINANCE COMPANY.
STAY CLEAR AS THEY DONT CARE.
RANG THEM WITHIN 2 HOURS OF HAVING THE CAR!!!!!!
YOUR AUTO GENERATED REPLY IS INSULTING TO EVERY CUSTOMER.
YOU DONT ANSWER ANY COMPLAINTS,YOU DONT RING BACK REGUARDING COMPLAINTS.
MY CAR IS SAT ON MY DRIVE,
HOW BAD ARE YOU TO IGNORE MY ISSUES THAT YOU CREATED.
CONSUMER RIGHTS ACT 2015.
TRADING STANDARDS ARE AWARE,THE FINANCE COMPANY ARE AWARE.
X WILL NOW BE AWARE,SOCIAL MEDIA IS POWERFUL AND YOU DESERVE TO BE EXPOSED
STILL NO REPLY.
TIME TO STEP IT UP.
MY MP WILL BE GETTING MY REPORT AND I THINK NATIONAL PAPERS.
TRUST PILOT NEED TO REPORT THEM TO.

My experience at Carbase, Lympsham was excellent, thank you to Steve and Max who helped me get a great deal on my new, amazing work.

Service was very good . Joe who was dealing with my enquiry was very helpful & informative about my purchase.
The car was well presented & clean when I picked it up . Very pleased with the car I bought.

We chose car on Sunday and drove it away on Monday ! Perfect for us ! The staff were brilliant from start to finish all very knowledgeable too answered all our queries in depth ..very helpful

Bilal has been amazing in the purchase of my new car this weekend . I visited the store Saturday did a test drive on a peugeout 2008 which I had seen online. I was unsure about the car and Bilal wasn’t pushy but invited me to return on Sunday to test drive the car again which I did, unsure about a few technical items on the car Bilal very kind & patiently went through everything with me. I ended up buying the car & wanted to say a big shout out to Bilal you have been a super star , I would highly recommend Bilal

Joe was fantastic start to finish, no question unanswered, showed me every bit of the car & spoke through all the products available to me

Great customer service without pushy sales, making it a more enjoyable experience.

I'd endorse Carbase Weston Super Mare because they're very friendly, straight to the point, explained everything clearly. After my test drive there was a problem with the reversing camera and tyre pressure monitoring system, Neil got the mechanics on the situation and I was still able to drive away within an hour. 😁

Great service from Steve and Max. two hours and we had a test drive,bought the car, taed it for us, good deal on trade in, and two coffees. Brilliant

I'd recommend Carbase Bristol to a friend because Mirgen ZyfiThe person working at this company is a really great guy. I believe that every employee represents the face of the company, and in this instance, it was a friendly Albanian guy. He was polite and welcoming, providing the kind of service and care that every customer deserves. I wish nothing but prosperity for both him and the company. Best regards, Alexanders

Last Sunday I set off from Exeter with one goal: to buy a 2017 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid from Carbase Bristol.

I'd reserved the vehicle with the £99 refundable reservation, read the advert carefully and, because Carbase is an RAC Approved Dealer, expected it to have been prepared to a very high standard. This wasn't a casual Sunday outing. I'd already arranged my finances, had the outstanding balance sitting in my bank account ready to transfer, and fully intended to drive home in the RAV4 if it matched the advert.

Unfortunately, that's not how the day unfolded.

To be fair, the RAV4 drove very nicely. The hybrid system was smooth, the engine felt healthy and mechanically it seemed perfectly respectable. The disappointment wasn't how it drove. The disappointment was how it had been presented.

The overall impression was simply... grubby.

Not "well used". Not "needs a quick wipe over". Just grubby.

It certainly didn't look like a vehicle that had been professionally valeted before being shown to a customer who had travelled nearly 100 miles to see it.

We found cracked trim inside the boot, a chunk of paint missing from the rear spoiler, fogged rear lights, a missing undertray clip, all four alloy wheels heavily scuffed, and dirt still sitting in the door shuts, seals and panel gaps.

None of those issues alone would have stopped me buying the car. Together they suggested very little attention had been paid to preparing it.

For an RAC Approved Dealer, that was the biggest disappointment. My expectations hadn't been set by wishful thinking, they'd been set by Carbase's own advertising.

The advert proudly mentioned one owner, Toyota dealer service history, an RAC Multi-Point Inspection and RAC Approved status. What it didn't mention were the cosmetic defects that became obvious within minutes. The photographs certainly knew how to pick their angles. Unfortunately, they didn't tell the whole story.

Before I'd really decided whether I wanted the car, the conversation moved onto finance, extended warranties, alloy wheel insurance and paint protection.

Ordinarily that wouldn't bother me, but considering the condition of the car, it felt rather like being offered an extended warranty on a toaster that was still covered in crumbs.

Another surprise was my part exchange. Before anyone had even looked at my Citroën C3, I was told it probably wouldn't achieve the online valuation. I completely understand an online valuation is only an estimate until the car is inspected. What seemed odd was reaching that conclusion before anyone had actually inspected it.

Ironically, Tracks Suzuki in Exeter later looked over the C3 properly, commented on how clean and well maintained it was and offered me a very fair part exchange.

When I explained why I wasn't proceeding with the Toyota, I got the impression my feedback wasn't of much interest. Meanwhile, while I was deciding whether to spend over £16,000, several members of staff were chatting about the previous evening while browsing their phones. It didn't exactly create the impression that customer experience was a priority.

To be fair, there were positives. The £99 reservation was refunded promptly, the RAV4 drove well and the staff were polite.

However, buying a used car is about more than how it drives.

Preparation matters. Presentation matters. First impressions matter. Most importantly, customers matter.

Looking back, Carbase didn't simply lose the sale of a Toyota. They lost a genuine buyer who had travelled nearly 100 miles, had the money ready to transfer that day and intended to buy the car if it had matched the advert.

One thing businesses sometimes underestimate is the power of word of mouth. When I returned to work, several colleagues asked how the trip had gone. Instead of recommending Carbase, I found myself explaining why I'd walked away. That's not the conversation I expected after visiting an RAC Approved Dealer.

The irony is that Carbase actually did me a favour.

Driving home disappointed led me to visit Tracks Suzuki in Exeter, just ten minutes from my house. A few days later I bought a 2022 Suzuki S-Cross Ultra ALLGRIP from them.

The difference in vehicle preparation, attention to detail and overall customer experience was remarkable.

So, in a rather roundabout way... thank you, Carbase.

Without that disappointing Sunday in Bristol, I probably wouldn't have ended up buying the car that was actually right for me.

Sometimes the wrong dealership leads you to the right one.

Tony was great got everything and answered every question I had! Not too pushy either!

Fantastic experience with Neil today from start to finish best experience I’ve had from carbase! Neil made the buying of my new car the best smoothest there could be thankyou neil

Excellent experience