Charles Hurst Kia Belfast
4.7/5
4.7 /5
879 Verified Reviews
ABOUT US
At The Lookers Group we are proud to represent more than 30 of the world’s leading car manufacturers, offering our customers the widest choice of new cars and approved used cars in the UK. We also have motorcycle dealers throughout Northern Ireland, making the Lookers Group one of the UK’s most established automotive retailers.
879 Verified Reviews
how people can do that and i havent time to take of work and costing me money

4.0/5
4.0 /5
The sales rep was very informative and helpful

Hello,I am William Browne and am writing this complaint on behalf of my father Samuel Browne. My dad suffered a stroke and prefers emails/phonecalls to be handled by me but is aware of all the details.Following the stroke my dad was medically retired and became eligible for a Motability vehicle. We test drove vehicles from Charles Hurst/Lookers at both Kia and Nissan because of the high profile of Charles Hurst in Northern Ireland and our perception of their trusted reputation.In the end we selected the Kia Sportage, paid the top up fee and eventually received the vehicle DMZ4978 in mid September 2025. Needless to say we were excited and initially very happy with the car when we got it home.We almost immediately encountered a serious fault with the car after less than 70 miles and by the time the car went back to the dealership the total mileage was still below 130. While driving back from an appointment the car went into limp mode and lost all power with no check engine lights coming on. I drove the car home as we were very close and it knocked itself back out of limp mode. I immediately called Charles Hurst for advice on what to do and was advised to book it in for the mechanics to have a look but to continue to drive the car if there were no check engine lights.I did try to drive the car to essential appointments over the following 2-3 days covering very few miles perhaps less than 10 but the car went into limp mode faster and faster each team including dangerously cutting out in the middle of a roundabout.Although I called on Monday 27th of October 2025 with the issue we were told an appointment for the car was not available until the 12th of November 2025. The car was recovered to the dealership on Monday the 10th November 2025 and has been with the dealership since.We received an initial call from Mechanic Declan in Services who called to say he was shocked at the car having less than 150 miles and coming back for repair so quickly and told me he’d get to it asap or on our appointment date. I believe we received a call from a kia call centre saying a wiring issue had been found around the 12th of November 2025.I believe I next called on the 28th of November enquiring about the car and lack of updates. I believe in this call I spoke initially with Declan again who pretended not to have ever heard of the vehicle or me. I was then passed to another member of staff and informed that no work would be taking places because they intended to move workshops and didn’t want to put it on the rack. The service mechanic was also quite abrupt and rude with me stating, “well you have a car anyway” in reference to the RAC providing a courtesy car. The mechanics also rebooked the car in for a separate appointment in December DESPITE THE CAR NEVER RETURNING TO US. I believe this was an attempt to muddy the waters as well because Motability seemed to initially believe the car had been “Back and forth” for repairs.We then heard NOTHING from Charles Hurst until I called on January the 7th. I asked why we had received no updates and was told there was no updates because no work was done on the car but rudely told I could have daily updates about no work being carried out if I wanted and that they might begin work on the car next week. Months after it had went in.We again received no updates until the 30th of January when I was told a part needed had arrived and the car would be repaired “next week”Finally I was called by “Katie” at 5pm on February 11th advising me the car had been repaired and was available for pick up. She in fact asked if I would be there to pick the car up within 20 minutes. I called again the next morning to confirm they were in the same plot at Boucher since we had been advised they had moved showrooms and was advised the new location and told I was able to pick the car up.Im sure you can imagine the relief at the idea of getting our car back after the nightmare start and poor service we had received but when I got my dad ready and went to Charles Hurst Kia we were almost immediately confronted by an employee and when I told him we were there for our Sportage he immediately told us it wasn’t ready and it was being shipped “overseas” for repairs. I told him we called twice to confirm, and he asked who told us to come and pick it up and then left for a moment and came back with the same information.My father was understandably upset and I was very annoyed. It felt like the staff had just spat in our face. We asked to see a manger and were immediately told he was in a meeting likewise other members of staff seemed to be in hiding. If it was a simple misunderstanding, why didn’t someone come to apologize to us or explain that?To summarize my main complaints;- A brand new car should not have a catastrophic failure within 70 miles of purchase.- Communication from service staff has been non existent or rude and surly- Charles Hurst Kia refused to repair the car within a reasonable time frame while they allege, they were moving showrooms we are talking 100 yards here not any great distance- We were told various stories about the car having a wiring issue, needing a new electric motor and then backtracked to the electric motor just needing a part replaced.- We were told to come to the showroom and then lied to and insulted by staff.We have begun the process of returning the vehicle with Motability for the obvious mechanical fault and feel like our patience and kindness has been taken for weakness by the KIA dealership. Personally, if I sold a £40,000 product that immediately had a catastrophic issue, I’d be at least apologetic as opposed to rude and nasty. While we may receive a pro rata refund the difference in inflation, lost interest and the increased price of 2026 cars means that not only have we been messed about for months we are also financially losing out. Additionally, Motability have indicated the paint protection and cleaning kit we paid for at Charles Hurst will not be refunded. The whole ordeal and the fact we will have to hunt for a new car has been an incredible strain on my father and as I’m sure you can appreciate, he shouldn’t have been put under any undue stress while recovering from a stroke.I am happy to provide any additional information and look forward to your swift reply.

Please see below also sent to servicing department, I await a response.The first staff member I spoke to by phone when reporting the issue at around 5pm on Friday 6th February was rude and dismissive and seemed indifferent to the fact my less than 4 year old car has been rendered undriveable.I would appreciate if my requests below can be considered in response to this complaint. I would also point out that I have now had to pay £120 for recovery of the vehicle which is undriveable through no fault of my own.I am contacting you regarding my Kia X-Ceed registration: LA71 UFJ purchased from your dealership and now experiencing a significant gearbox issue. I have been advised by Kia UK (Case Reference: KMUK2448553) that the vehicle must be diagnosed by the selling dealer in order for warranty obligations to be fulfilled.I appreciate that your workshop may be busy, but a three week wait for a diagnostic from the date I first contacted you by telephone (6 February 2026) is not reasonable in my circumstances. The car is only four years old and approaching its first MOT, and this type of fault should not be occurring at this stage. More importantly, we live in a semi‑rural area with no access to public transport, meaning we are left without any practical means of transport while waiting for an appointment, this includes transport to work, to our Daughter’s school and to appointments for our son who has additional needs.Given that you are the point of sale and therefore responsible for my consumer rights, I am requesting the following:1. A priority diagnostic appointment at the earliest possible opportunity, or placement on a cancellation list so the vehicle can be assessed sooner.2. Mobility support (courtesy car or alternative arrangement) as the vehicle is off the road and unsafe to drive, as the lack of transport has a significant impact on our daily life.3. Clear communication regarding expected timelines for diagnosis and repair once the vehicle is with you.I am not seeking anything beyond what is reasonable for a vehicle of this age and under warranty. I simply need the issue to be addressed promptly and to have access to transport while the car is being assessed.I would appreciate your assistance in resolving this matter as soon as possible and look forward to your response.

Subject: Motability service complaint – wasted journeys and lack of reasonable adjustmentI am a Motability customer and I’m writing to raise a complaint about my recent service booking at Kia Belfast, Boucher Road.Following your recent move, the location and entrance were unclear, with multiple buildings on site. This resulted in a wasted journey last week, particularly difficult as it was raining:windy and I was unable to walk around the site.I attended again today for my service. On both occasions when booking, I clearly stated that I would be waiting while the vehicle was serviced. At no point was I advised that the service would take two hours or that waiting would not be appropriate.On arrival today, I was told it would take two hours and no alternative support or reasonable adjustment was offered. When I explained I could not wait that long , I asked is minimum wait 2 hours ? He replied yes we do air pressure etc . Therefore i said would need to rebook, the matter was handled with no effort to assist. “I’ll call you “I have now made two unnecessary journeys, incurring fuel costs and travel time I cannot afford. As a Motability customer, I rely on clear communication and reasonable adjustments, as I do not have the option of dropping the vehicle off or using public transport.I am asking for this to be escalated and for a reasonable solution to be offered — such as collection and delivery or priority servicing — to prevent further inconvenience

To whom it may concern,I had excellent and very courteous service on my recent visit. Indeed Declan went above and beyond on a very wet, windy day to ensure I was as warm as possible, in the waiting area.I’m replying by email as I’m unhappy with your company pushing me to go onto google or trustpilot. Maybe you would like to review this practice.Kind regards,Louise DonaldSent from my iPhone

My car is due to be repaired under warranty on 16th Feb, due to an issue regarding over usage of oil. However in the time I’ve had to wait for this appointment there are other issues arising. The DPF warning has come on 5 times in the last week, something that I don’t believe should be happening under normal circumstances because I don’t travel short distances. I travel to and from Belfast at least 4 times a week, a total of 68 miles each trip. The result of this is that the check engine light is now permanently illuminated on my dashboard, and the car goes into limp mode. I understand that I have to wait for this appointment, but I am afraid to drive the car because there is clearly more damage being done in the meantime. I have been advised that I can leave the car in, in the hope that there may be a cancellation, but I also require a car in the meantime. The problem is that I have been advised that a courtesy car will cost me £36 per day, and if I was to leave the car in today, that would amount to a £360 charge for me, which is absolutely unsustainable. I am hoping that someone could arrange a replacement car for me in the meantime, as driving my own car, which is unavoidable, is clearly doing further damage. I have made countless calls in relation to this, and on many occasions have been assured of a call back, only to find that I have had to call back in myself because no one is communicating with me.

5.0/5
5.0 /5
Chatting to Katy and feeling really comfortable about getting a car and driving again was a good experience.

5.0/5
5.0 /5
Sales person, Stephen McMahon great person to deal with and very informative understood the query and gave it to me straight with no sales tactic, that's honest business right there.

Good morning .Dear Sir/Madam,I am writing in relation to my appointment with Kia Belfast, which was arranged by telephone for 8:15am today.In order to ensure I arrived in good time and was ready for the appointment without delay, I attended the location at approximately 8:00am.However, upon arrival I was unaware that the location had changed. I attempted to locate the new premises by driving around the area but was unable to find it.I then proceeded to Charles Hurst used , as I believed this may have been the correct location. I arrived there at approximately 8:00am; however, no staff were present at that time. I also attempted to make contact by telephone but was unsuccessful.As I was unable to confirm the correct location within the available time, I had to leave in order to attend my hospital appointment scheduled for 9:00am.I was also unaware that the appointment time had been amended to 8:30am until I later reviewed my text messages.I would appreciate confirmation of the correct location and the arrangement of a new appointment at a convenient time.Yours faithfully