Oliver C

I Do Not Recommend

I purchased a car from GBI Cars slightly over a year ago, and the experience has been awful. The vehicle had a faulty airbox and a broken AdBlue emission system — neither of which were picked up during the AA pre-sale check, and both were only discovered after the sale. This one-star review is not because the car had faults, but because of how GBI Cars handled them. Take the airbox issue: parts had been glued together, and these failed soon after purchase. GBI Cars did cover the cost of repair but later appeared to argue that they’d been misled into doing so. They focused on the idea that Halfords, who helped identify the fault, had caused the damage. They claimed to have proof, apparently in the form of a pre-sale photo under the bonnet. However, the image was low resolution over the airbox region. I compared it with a post-fault photo and, in my opinion, it was reasonably clear that the glue was already present at the time of sale. I shared this with GBI Cars — and heard nothing further. No reply, no apology for the statements against me and Halfords. Then came the AdBlue emission system fault. GBI Cars initially dismissed this as a wear-and-tear issue. I had it properly diagnosed and was told the system was effectively broken, at a cost of around £1,400. From first report to final repair took about six months. Through AA mediation, GBI Cars explored various ways to avoid acting. Eventually, they simply withdrew from the AA mediation process entirely. At that time, they had offered to repair it using a cheap part sourced on eBay. I accepted, hoping for resolution — but the part turned out to be incorrect. Then followed a month of no response from GBI Cars, and so I began preparing court action. Only then did GBI Cars agree to proceed with a proper repair, using a part sourced by the garage carrying out the repair. Buyers should be prepared for long, time-consuming disputes if issues arise. 5-star reviews from people who have just bought a car and are happy with the sales process won’t give you the full picture. Really you need to hear from people who have been driving for a while. The real test is how a dealership responds when things go wrong. In my view, GBI Cars repeatedly tried to avoid their legal responsibilities to carry out repairs. Based on my experience over the past year, I would not recommend GBI Cars.