Lookers Ford Braintree
4.2/5
4.2 /5
739 Verified Reviews
Rayne Rd, Braintree, Braintree, CM7 2QS, GB
01376 321202
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.
739 Verified Reviews
We have bought 3 cars from you before however the last experience was a disaster mainly1. We were told the headlight unit would be changed on the day of changeover but got a call when we were 40 miles away from home saying it wasnt in. We needed the car for work so had to pick up and return today for a replacement head light (150 mile round trip and 4 hours driving). This has been replaced.2. Stop Start we reported this not working during the test drive, but were told there was nothing wrong with the battery as it was charged and tested OK. We proved this was faulty 50 mile drive on Motorway without air con or heavy electrical usage and then we stopped it didnt come on. The battery has now been replaced.3. We did not take up GuardX due to a poor previous experience but we were reassured it would be professionally applied by an external company and were shown before and after photographs of a black BMW showing the quality of the work. We were informed paint correction would be completed prior to application however were are many paint defects still there after the coating had been applied. Its not been applied professionally, all the sensors were covered in the product and lots of residual coating on the car where it hasnt been wiped off. This is not what we expected and certainly not worth £499, we would like this refunded so we can have a proper coating applied, something that you have not provided. We have photographs, the windows were coated and this has already failed with permanent water marks that cannot be removed.

Hi Carli,I think there may still be an issue with the truck and wanted to get ahead of it before anything went wrong.Please pass on to a technician:"Hi, I’m noticing a slight burning smell and a high-pitched whirring noise after the engine swap. Crucially, the noise only happens when the truck is revving/moving and goes away at higher speeds. It doesn't do it when idling in neutral. Since you have to remove the under-shields and drop drivetrain parts to swap the engine, is a check required for any rubbing plastics, loose heat shields, or propshaft alignment issues?"If further inspection is required, please arrange a time for me and a courtesy vehicle for the period I am without one.RgdsKris

5.0/5
5.0 /5
Good service

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. I have listed below the sequence of events. I have supporting emails to date (156 regarding the Volvo - FH21LKF & 97 emails for the replacement Ford Kuga - BT72FJD).31st October 2025 - we bought the Volvo.1st November 2025 - ABS sensor warning light on the dashboard and subsequent auto handbrake issues.10th November 2025 - car taken in and courtesy car given.20th November 2025 - car fixed. (full tank of petrol given and car cleaned which was a nice touch).21st December 2025 - Emailed James about boot strut failure.7th January 2026 - Chased James as no reply.8th January 2026 - James emailed and apologised that it had slipped his mind to respond.15th January 2026 - Volvo in to repair struts.23rd January 2026 - car repaired.25th January 2026 - got home car not pulling forward or backwards (this is only 2 days after we got it back and was the last time we drove the car…). Emailed James who said to do a RAC recovery of vehicle to Bishops Stortford.26th January 2026 - Given courtesy car whilst the car was with garage.27th January 2026 - James confirmed the car had been received by Bishops Stortford.9th February 2026 - Emailed James for an update on the complaint.12th February 2026 - Rob Clifforth called and said we could either wait for the repair or be given a full refund and take another car. We chose the latter.14th February 2026 - James spoke to us at the dealership and said that we needed to wait for the Volvo to be repaired under warranty before swapping the vehicle (not explained by Rob Clifforth).23rd February 2026 - Chased James by email for an update. Told in so many words that there was no update and I will be told if there was one. A little abrupt to be honest.26th February 2026 - Claim submitted under warranty (why did that take 1 month to progress?)4th March 2026 - Warranty people rang me about the claim. I gave them my understanding of the fault and that I believed it was sensor issue originally and different fault now. I emailed James to advise of the same.5th March 2026 - went to look at alternative cars for the Volvo. Looked at a Ford Kuga but was tatty as anything and evidence of a leak / failed part by the thermostat (I have pictures). James said paint protection would be given as free for the issues encountered (but it wasn't given when we chose an alternative car also a Ford Kuga - BT72FJD).11th March 2026 - saw a better Ford Kuga at the Sudbury dealership so drove over to take a look. Explained everything and was still asked to pay £250 deposit. They spoke to the Braintree Lookers who were quibbling that it wasn't a big financial gain on the sale (but we are still valuable customers nonetheless).James called and asked why we had gone to Sudbury. We explained that is where the car we wanted was held. He said that he would get it to Braintree to transfer over.13th March 2026 - Car arrived at Braintree. James sent a short video by text.22nd March 2026 - Chased James for an update on the warranty claim.24th March 2026 - James apologised for the delay in replying. He stated that the Bishops Stortford garage had bent over backwards to get the claim through or so we thought.31st March 2026 - James emailed that I had given the wrong information to the warranty company that had delayed the claim which again was borderline abrupt (I made a complaint to the warranty company and a data subject access request). The warranty company upheld my complaint and wrote an email to the garage (James and Rob) with me in copy that the delay was not due to me. It was confirmed that the delay was actually because of non-response by the garage at Bishops Stortford.8th April 2026 - went into the dealership and spoke to James and Rob. Explained that I just got off the phone with the warranty complaints team who said Bishops Stortford were delaying the claim and we were both stuck in the middle. I followed up with an email when I got home giving them until 17th April to resolve or, we would be bringing the courtesy car back and want a full refund in accordance with the Consumer Rights Act 2015.10th April 2026 - spoke to the warranty company who said it wasn't my fault there had been a delay and it was due to the garage. See screen print attached.10th April 2026 - Rob Clifforth called me that he was sorry and what did I want (he was nice and seemed sincere). I explained the new car ready to take regardless of the old car being repaired which isn't our problem (I think the claim is ongoing still!!!).13th April 2026 - picked the new car up. No mention about the outstanding recall on the Ford Kuga or not to charge beyond 80% due to risk of damage / fire! We had been charging to 100% and I have a young family who were regularly in the car. There was no mention of honouring the paint protect as previously by James. Also, we were charged an extra £450 for the warranty as the hybrid attracts more risk than the Volvo. Also, the car insurance was £275 dearer. So that is over £1000 I had to pay for the transfer of vehicle which isn’t great. Also, the car was not ready and roadworthy (see ongoing problems with the sensors below).19th April 2026 - realised that the parking sensors on the car had been turned off at point of sale. These were on during the 3 test drives prior. After turning this on the sensors were lighting up like a Christmas tree (linked to when it is raining). See attached screen print.21st April 2026 - Chased James by email as no reply.22nd April 2026 - James messaged that he asked John from servicing to ring me.23rd April 2026 - no reply from John so called the garage myself and made an appointment. I emailed James to confirm the same.24th April 2026 – The Braintree Looker garage determined that a new front right sensor was needed on the car. They ordered this and said they would call when it was ready. Noticed after picking the car up they had scratched the inside doorframe paintwork on the driver’s side of the car. I contacted the garage on the Saturday and mentioned this and they said it would be looked at when the sensor was fitted.29th April 2026 – Emailed James to check if he had cancelled my tax on the Volvo as not done at the point of sale of the Kuga. He hadn’t but was apparently waiting for the end of the month. Still unclear why when we bought the new car on 13th April…The Kuga has been in on 3 separate occasions since then and due to go back in on 15th June 2026 still for the same issue of the parking sensors. That will be 8 days in total in the garage which is a long time to fix such a problem surely...19th May 2026 – Car booked in without a courtesy car as not available. The senor was fitted but didn’t fix the car and they didn’t fix the paintwork as apparently the paint team were allegedly not available. That was an hour walk to drop off and pick up the car. Told on collection by John they would take it for 3 days next time and make sure the issue is identified and fully resolved*.*26th May 2026 – Car taken back in and called by John the same morning to ask if the issue arose when it had been raining. Advised yes, that might be right. Three days later chased up for the car as going away to Lake District on that Friday and needed my car back. I was told they wet the bumper and couldn’t replicate the issue. They had repaired the paintwork though (after checking it wasn’t a great job). Told to watch and see and, come back if it reoccurred.28th May 2026 in Lake District and it had rained and the fault with the sensors occurred again. Why hadn’t the garage wet the whole car? They had it for 3 days (5 in total!).1st June 2026 – Emailed James and Rob that I had installed the Ford app on my phone and noted the recall on the car and that I wasn’t made aware of this at point of sale (no reply to this).8th June 2026 – Emailed James and Rob again to ask what I need to do in respect of the recall. Emailed back from James that he did get the previous email and to wait for the fix by Ford. Another example of no apology or recognition of any wrongdoing.10th June 2026 – Spoke to Ford directly about the issues with the recall on the car and what is the situation. I also mentioned that I wasn’t happy it wasn’t made clear to me at the point of sale. They said it is a franchise arrangement and to contact the garage directly. I emailed Rob directly with James on copy and to date I have received no acknowledgement whatsoever. It is all radio silence.15th June 2026 – Car now due in again for another 3 days to investigate. Understandably I have no confidence whatsoever in this being repaired and equally I am worried about more damage being done to the car in the meantime.Overall:It has cost us over £1000 to change the Volvo which we only got to drive circa 2 months we owned it (6 months owned in total)We needed to drive over to Bishops Stortford at our own time and expense to pick up our belongings. The garage were unresponsive to calls and emails it took real effort. That is consistent with what the warranty people were saying.We have been given a swapped car and that was not fully checked before it was sold as that would have picked up the parking sensor issue.The recall was also not mentioned and that it outright dangerous. We likely wouldn’t have bought the car if we had of known of the issue with the car and gone for something else.I have no faith in either your Braintree dealership or garage customer services or competency to either sell me a car that works fully or, to repair the one we have which is still not right.I also worry now that I have made a complaint with Rob Clifforth that this will be used against us for the car of the car and ongoing service, including through the warranty.I have literally spent multiple days proactively trying to resolve the issues with the 2 cars (this email has taken me over 2 hours to compile alone) and we are entirely faultless in our efforts and after all we are customers. We certainly do not feel that we have been treated fairly and we have very little trust or faith in matters going forwards. That is not presumed to be deliberate but, it cannot be denied based on the majority of information provided above. I held back with some of the information as it too onerous and convoluted to include but can be provided on request, we have been let down completely.We are both vulnerable and new to the area. We were relying on trust and integrity. Where is this services that is allegedly provided as implied by the Google reviews.In honesty, I am also doubtful that this complaint will be taken with any credibility or with any material recognition of the absolute nightmare we have lived the last 8 or so months. Many sleepless nights without a clue what is going on.We are utterly exhausted of the whole affair and it would take something astronomical to change our minds about Lookers going forwards.Thank you,David Stuart

Hi Ann,The dealership the conducted the MOT is Ford Lookers Braintree. Please see my complaint below can this be forwarded to the service manager at the branch.​I am writing to formally raise a serious complaint regarding an MOT test carried out at your Lookers Ford Braintree branch on 19/02/2026 for a vehicle, registration KT67BDO. The mileage at the time of the MOT was 88972.​Recently, at a mileage of 90179 about 1200 miles since your garage issued the MOT pass—the vehicle was inspected and found to have severe, dangerous defects that were completely missed or ignored during your test:​Brakes are 100% worn: As a franchised dealer and approved MOT testing station, you are fully aware that brake pads do not degrade from a safe, passing thickness to 100% worn in 1200 miles of normal driving.Under Section 1.1.13 of the DVSA MOT Inspection Manual, brake pads worn below 1.5mm constitute a "Major" or "Dangerous" defect.​Leaking shock absorber: A fluid leak on a shock absorber is a clear "Major" defect under Section 5.3.2 of the DVSA manual. A leak severe enough to be identified now would have undoubtedly shown signs of misting or leaking at the time of the MOT, which legally required a failure or, at the absolute minimum, an advisory.​By issuing a pass for this vehicle, Lookers Ford Braintree has breached the standards set out by the DVSA. More importantly, you have compromised my safety and the safety of other road users by allowing an unroadworthy vehicle back onto the road.​I expect a prompt and satisfactory resolution to this matter. Specifically, I am requesting:​​To be reimbursed for the cost of the remedial work required to fix the brakes and suspension that should have been identified.​I will retained the heavily worn parts and the independent inspection report as evidence. If we cannot reach an amicable resolution within 5 days, I will escalate this matter formally to the DVSA (formerly VOSA) under their "Complain about an MOT" procedure, which can result in an investigation into your testing station and the specific tester who issued the certificate.I will also forward this complaint to Motor Ombudsman and Ford UK Customer Services.​I look forward to hearing from you by no later than 17/06/2026 with your proposed resolution.​Yours sincerely,

All good ThanksG.Goodchild

We purchased our Ford Kuga from you at Lookers Braintree the beginning of April (registration NG22 PFN, now X321 GRN), and unfortunately we have been very disappointed with the vehicle and the service we have received since the purchase.When we collected the car, it had not been professionally valeted to the standard we expected. We also paid extra for the GardX treatment, but we do not believe this was carried out at that time.On our journey home, we noticed a knocking noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. We contacted you and were asked to return the car a few days later for inspection. As we live approximately 1.5 hours away from your garage, we were told that a courtesy car would be available. However, when we arrived, no courtesy car had been arranged, leaving us waiting around for nine hours while the vehicle was repaired. We were informed that the issue was a faulty drop link, and that the GardX treatment had been reapplied.After collecting the car and setting off home, the oil warning light came on. The following day, when the engine was cold, we checked the oil level and found it to be very low. As a result, we had to purchase the correct oil from our local Halfords and top it up ourselves.During that journey, it also began raining and we discovered that the windscreen wiper blades were badly deteriorated and ineffective, severely affecting visibility. We had to replace these ourselves as well.I was under the impression that the vehicle had undergone a comprehensive inspection before being handed over, and issues such as low oil and worn wiper blades should not have been overlooked.As we do not regularly drive on dual carriageways or motorways, it was not until we went on holiday last week that we discovered another significant issue. At speeds of around 70 mph and above, the vehicle develops a severe vibration that can be felt throughout the entire car.Upon returning home, we contacted your service department and arranged for the vehicle to be inspected on 8 June, again with the understanding that a courtesy car would be provided. After making the 1.5-hour journey to your garage, we discovered that no courtesy car had been booked. We then had to wait a further four hours while the vehicle was checked.We were subsequently told that the issue was due to wheel balancing. We also raised the issue of a scratched reversing camera and were informed that we would need to return again to have this addressed.Unfortunately, after leaving the garage and driving back on the dual carriageway, it became immediately apparent that the vibration issue had not been resolved and remains exactly as before.Given the number of problems we have experienced, the inconvenience caused, and the repeated need to return to your garage, I am extremely dissatisfied with both the vehicle and the overall experience. At this stage, I would like to discuss the possibility of exchanging the vehicle for an alternative car or a refund. The car has been booked in for next Monday 15th but I'm bringing back today as I've had enough as I feel I can't drive it around like this because of safety issues. Causes could be shaft bearing on front diff or the carrier on prop shaft from front to rear diff according to a ford mechanic. Everything need to be sorted while it is there including the battery charging issue and rear camera.I look forward to hearing from you and hope we can reach a satisfactory resolution.Kind regardsJane and stan green 07867582150

I am extremely disappointed with the level of service I have received since purchasing my vehicle from your garage.I purchased my vehicle from you on 02-05-26 and was delivered it in a dirty unclean condition on the 05-05-26 also noticing that the parcel shelf clip was broken and also the tyreAs a gesture of goodwill, you offered a full tank of fuel and a valet, which was initially booked for 13/05/2026. At the same time, the parcel shelf clip was due to be repaired. However, I received a call cancelling the appointment because the required part had not arrived. During this conversation, there was no mention of the tyre issue I had previously raised.A new appointment was then arranged for 03/06/2026. You had my vehicle for almost six hours, during which the parcel shelf clip was repaired and the vehicle was provided with a full tank of fuel.Following this appointment, I received the vehicle health check report regarding the tyres. I was shocked to discover that the tyre I had previously reported as damaged had been marked as a red alert item requiring urgent replacement. When I mentioned the tyre not long after I received the car. This raises serious concerns. As part of the preparation process before selling a vehicle, I would expect essential safety checks to be carried out, including inspections of tyres, brakes, and fluid levels. How was a vehicle allowed to be sold with a tyre in such a dangerous condition?This has led me to question whether the vehicle was properly inspected at all before being sold. A red-alert tyre is a significant safety issue that should never have been overlooked. I have two young children who regularly travel in this vehicle, and I am extremely concerned that the car was sold in an unsafe condition. As a result, I now have doubts about the accuracy of the information I was given regarding the overall condition of the vehicle.In addition, when the vehicle was booked in for the tyre replacement, I was informed that the complimentary valet would also be completed. To my surprise, I arrived 10 minutes before closing time only to be told that the valet had not been carried out because the staff had already gone home. This is simply not acceptable.I returned again today, and once more you had the vehicle for most of the day. Although the tyre was finally replaced, the valet was again not completed. This is now the third occasion you have had possession of my vehicle, despite repeatedly assuring me that the valet would be carried out.The after-sales customer service I have received has been appalling. I have had to continually chase updates and arrange appointments myself. At no point was I proactively updated while my vehicle was with you. Nearly five weeks have now passed, and I am still pursuing issues that should have been resolved long ago.The level of service I received during the purchase process was excellent, and it seemed that nothing was too much trouble while my payment was being secured. However, since taking ownership of the vehicle, the experience has been completely different. I have been left dealing with unresolved issues, broken promises, and serious concerns regarding the safety checks carried out before the vehicle was sold.I would appreciate this matter being investigated as a priority and would like a response outlining how you intend to resolve these concerns.

Very pleasedSent via BT Email App

1.0/5
1.0 /5
No response