Coastline Academy Reviews 1,041

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.7

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 1,031 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers frequently highlight the staff's professionalism, patience, and ability to build confidence, making the learning process comfortable and effective. Many appreciate the clear instructions and helpful feedback provided, which significantly improved their driving skills and reduced anxiety. The overall service, including the user experience and customer support, is consistently praised for being streamlined and efficient. However, some customers reported issues with certain instructors, describing experiences that included aggressive tones and unsafe driving instructions. A few also mentioned difficulties with the website and a lack of transparency regarding lesson recordings and certificate requests.

What people talk about most

Staff

Clients share positive opinions on staff. Many reviewers highlight the kindness, patience, and... See more

User experience

Users describe positive interactions with the overall experience. Many customers highlight the patient,... See more

Service

Consumers find service to be positive, with many recommending the driving school for its fantastic experience... See more

Instructions

Customers had positive experiences with instructions. Many reviewers praised instructors for being patient,... See more

Customer service

Reviewers mention positive feedback about customer service. Customers appreciate the support and expertise... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Donny D. has been a fabulous driving instructor for my daughter. He has made her feel comfortable and confident from the first lesson on. Highly recommend him to anyone who is feeling overwhelmed when... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

As someone that hasn’t been behind the wheel, and had a ton of anxiety, my instructor Lucifer C. was fantastic! He let me know what I was doing well and how to improve in the areas that needed adjusti... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Had an awesome first lesson with Stephen D. today. He pushed me in a good way because he saw that I was capable. I drove on the highway for the first time and reverse parallel parked. Stephen was kind... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My experience with coastline is good especially with the instructor Lilli, she is a great teacher who brings confidence in you and also ease to relax to mind. She keep saying the rules which often peo... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Driving School

Written by the company

Coastline Academy is the largest driving school in the country and the 6th fastest-growing education company in America according to Inc.com. Coastline was founded with the mission of eradicating car crashes and has provided top-quality education to over 250,000 driving students across 500+ cities, receiving a 98% 5-star rating. The company combines modern technology with rigorous safety standards to deliver a learning experience that is personalized, safe, and efficient.


Contact info

4.7

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

1K reviews

5-star
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Replied to 87% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Super easy process

Super easy process. Richard was nice and explained the process.

May 3, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're glad the process was easy and Richard explained everything well.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Love Daniel he’s amazing

Love Daniel he’s amazing
Great company as well

May 2, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

We deeply cherish your kind words about Daniel and our company. Thank you for recognizing his amazing work!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Patrice was amazing

Patrice was amazing! She made me feel so comfortable and calm. Wouldn’t be able to do it without her.

May 2, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

Thank you for sharing your experience with Patrice. We're so glad she made you feel comfortable and calm.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Donny D

Donny D. has been a fabulous driving instructor for my daughter. He has made her feel comfortable and confident from the first lesson on. Highly recommend him to anyone who is feeling overwhelmed when it comes to teaching your teen to drive.

May 2, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

Thank you for sharing your experience with Donny D. We're thrilled he made your daughter feel comfortable and confident.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Russel C

Russel C. was very kind and understanding, I highly recommend this driving instructor.

May 1, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

Thanks for recommending Russel C! We're delighted he provided kind and understanding instruction for your driving experience.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Remaining Calm And Collective Behind The Wheel

I learned so much from listening to Rhonda's directions despite being nervous with getting behind the wheel she taught me well with deep breathing and taking my time as I was properly operating the vehicle and I'm not only grateful for being instructed by her but I look forward to her instructing me in the next driving lesson.

May 1, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

Thank you for sharing your experience with Rhonda's deep breathing techniques and patient instruction during your driving lesson.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Awesome!

Learned a lot, had a great time, and came out more confident :)

April 30, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

We are grateful you learned a lot and gained confidence! Thrilled you had such a great experience with us.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Helpful

Helpful, instructive, and kept it fun.

May 1, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

We greatly appreciate your feedback! Thrilled we kept learning helpful, instructive, and fun for you.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Our instructor (Mark L.) was fantastic

Our instructor (Mark L.) was fantastic. Prompt, professional and very kind.

April 30, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with Mark L. We're delighted he was fantastic, prompt, professional and kind.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great instructor!

Great instructor!

April 30, 2026
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Reply from Coastline Academy

We are so pleased to hear your instructor provided a great experience! Thank you for sharing your review with us.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

My experience with Coastline’s Fort…

My experience with Coastline’s Fort Worth location was unacceptable and, at times, unsafe.
One instructor (“Coach K” / JL) consistently used an aggressive, raised tone and created an unnecessarily intimidating environment. More seriously, there was physical interference while I was driving - my leg was pushed to force acceleration on the gas pedal. That is a blatant safety issue and should never happen in a driver training setting.
That is a serious safety concern and should never happen in a driver training setting. I was also given inconsistent and questionable guidance, including being told to accelerate during turns.
During my road test, the issues continued but with a different examiner, Patricia. I was given confusing instructions near a traffic light, which created an unsafe and unclear situation. I was then marked as driving in the wrong lane - an allegation I strongly dispute, as I did not drive in the wrong lane at any point.
What makes this worse is how the situation was handled afterward. I was never informed that I was being recorded during lessons or testing. Only after raising concerns did they acknowledge recordings exist, yet they refused to provide access and instead offered only an internal “summary.” That is not transparency - it is a one-sided process with no accountability.
While I did have positive experiences with a few other instructors, that only highlights the inconsistency in standards at this location.
Between unsafe instruction, physical interference during driving, a disputed road test evaluation, and a lack of transparency around recordings, this experience raises serious concerns. I would strongly caution others before choosing this location until these issues are properly addressed.

April 29, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We take all concerns seriously, especially those related to safety and communication.
We connected with you directly to review your experience, provide clarification around instruction, testing outcomes, and recording policies, and share information on how to pursue a formal review through the appropriate state agency if desired.

A refund has also been issued following that conversation.
We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Greg. H was a Great Instructor

Greg H. was a fantastic instructor. He guided when necessary and I felt comfortable the whole time. He also had a lot of funny stories so that made the time entertaining. I also got to go by the beach which was awesome. Thanks Greg, 5 stars for sure.

April 30, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

Thanks for the fantastic review! We're thrilled Greg H. made your experience comfortable and entertaining. The beach location is special!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I cannot book driving lessons

I cannot book driving lessons. Was told that there was just an "influx of students" and I should sign up to get alerts. For the price I pay--I feel that I should be able to get lessons and not have to watch like a hawk for available times. Additionally, the customer service is slow to respond and inaccurate. For my first child I got several different inaccurate response to the very simple question of how many lessons he still needed to pass the certificate to the DMV...for my second child, I couldn't get them to really help at all.

April 30, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

Thank you for your feedback. We understand how frustrating this has been.
Lesson availability in your area is currently booked through August, and new appointments will open as schedules allow. We apologize for falling short with booking difficulties and slow customer service
Your feedback has been shared with our team.

If you’d like help reviewing your student’s lesson status or next steps, we’re here to assist.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My teen had a great experience and…

My teen had a great experience and really enjoyed Matthew as a teacher.

April 29, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

We are privileged to hear your teen enjoyed Matthew as a teacher. Thank you for sharing this positive experience.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I strongly caution anyone considering…

I strongly caution anyone considering this driving school, especially the Fort Worth location. What I experienced was not just poor instruction, but a pattern that felt predatory, unsafe, and deeply unprofessional.
I initially booked 10 hours behind the wheel (five 2-hour lessons) and had three solid instructors, Charles, Victor, and Gator, all of whom indicated I was ready for my road test. However, just before my scheduled test, a different instructor suddenly claimed I was “not ready,” directly contradicting the previous day’s feedback. She suggested I reschedule the test (knowing it would cost $100) and pushed me to book five additional lessons for another $1,000. This completely undermined my confidence right before the exam.
She then strongly recommended a 1-hour prep session with “Coach K,” who was also supposed to be my examiner. This turned out to be the worst decision I made.
During that session, his behavior was unacceptable:
1. He introduced arbitrary and unnecessary rules, such as restricting hand placement on the steering wheel to four exact points, claiming I would fail otherwise. He rushed through this without allowing time to process and immediately escalated to yelling.
2. He repeatedly instructed me to press the gas during turns, which directly contradicted prior instruction and is unsafe.
3. He physically pushed my knee down to force me to accelerate, which caused the vehicle to lose control. This is completely inappropriate and should never happen.
4. He continued yelling and pressuring me throughout, saying I would fail if I did not follow his commands. This pressure contributed to me hitting the curb, which he then used as justification to fail me.
Immediately after failing me, his tone changed. He encouraged me to book another 2-hour session and a retest with him the following week, clearly pushing additional paid sessions.
Unfortunately, it got worse:
In the follow-up 2-hour lesson, he escalated the same behavior - constant yelling, continued physical interference (pushing my knee), and forcing unsafe driving techniques such as accelerating into turns.
At one point, he was yelling “gas” while simultaneously applying the brake himself.
He again pressured me to reschedule my test (another $100 fee) and book more lessons.
At this point, I spoke with others who confirmed this was not normal. I reported the experience to the academy and requested a different examiner. Shortly after, my test was reassigned, but it was clear the examiners communicate closely.
The second examiner, Patrice, appeared hostile from the start. During the test:
1. She claimed I did not perform proper shoulder checks (SMOG), which I did - I clearly looked over my shoulders every single time, this comes naturally to me.
2. She criticized my parallel parking, stating the tire should be on the red line rather than 6 inches inside, contradicting all prior instruction.
3. She claimed I failed to check over my shoulder during a lane change, which was inaccurate - I did check over my shoulder.
4. Near a red light, she instructed me to change lanes at the last moment, creating a confusing and unsafe situation.
5. Ultimately, she failed me for “driving in the wrong lane,” which is simply not accurate.

By this point, it felt predetermined.
In total, I spent nearly $1,500, was put in unsafe situations, and had my confidence significantly impacted. This experience raises serious concerns about:
1. Unsafe instruction practices
2. Physical interference during driving
3. Pressure to purchase additional lessons
4. Potential bias in testing
I strongly recommend that oversight authorities such as the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation look into this location and require in-car cameras during instruction and testing to ensure accountability.
This is not just about money, it’s about safety and fairness. No student should be put in this position.

April 24, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

Thank you for sharing your experience. We’ve reached out to you directly to better understand your experience and work toward a resolution. Our goal is always to support our students in building the skills and confidence needed to succeed, and we’re committed to making this right.

Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I had an excellent experience with Coastline Driving School Fort Worth

I had an excellent experience with Coastline driving school Fort Worth and especially with my instructor. From the very beginning, everything was handled in a highly professional manner, which immediately put me at ease.

My instructor is very experienced and knowledgeable, and his guidance throughout my lessons was truly invaluable. He created a calm and supportive environment, never making me feel nervous or pressured, which helped me build my confidence behind the wheel.

It was also very clear that he is an exceptionally skilled and experienced driver, and his ability to teach in such a patient and reassuring way made all the difference.

I would highly recommend this driving school to anyone looking for professional, high-quality instruction. It was a fantastic experience, and I’m truly grateful for the support and expertise I received.

April 29, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

Thanks for the excellent feedback! We're thrilled your instructor created such a supportive learning environment and helped build your confidence.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Gerald H is such a cool instructor

Gerald H is such a cool instructor. He noticed I had some confusion and he corrected me in a way that didnt make me feel bad. When he was correcting me, he had some humor. He’s a very fun instructor and I hope somebody gets him as an instructor.

April 29, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with Gerald H. We're thrilled he made learning enjoyable and supportive.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Had an awesome first lesson with Stephen D.

Had an awesome first lesson with Stephen D. today. He pushed me in a good way because he saw that I was capable. I drove on the highway for the first time and reverse parallel parked. Stephen was kind, patient, and confident. He put me at ease and was great at explaining road rules, maneuvers, and test expectations. Thanks Stephen!

April 29, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

We deeply cherish your feedback about Stephen D. Thrilled you felt confident driving on the highway and parallel parking!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My experience with coastline is good…

My experience with coastline is good especially with the instructor Lilli, she is a great teacher who brings confidence in you and also ease to relax to mind. She keep saying the rules which often people ignore. I am only disappointed with the scheduling it’s too a long wait time.

April 28, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Coastline Academy

We are absolutely thrilled to hear about your positive experience with Lilli! Her patience and clear explanations make all the difference.

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