Autotrade Birmingham Reviews 4

CON ARTISTS! They've wound the odometer back on the car so is looks like it's only done 65k miles. Manipulated the readings they've entered on DVSA MOT by entering as km rather than miles, so the numbers appear to follow on, but there's a 40,000 discrepancy. Only been flagged now I'm trying to sell on. WILL NEVER USE THEM AGAIN!!

I purchased a Skoda Fabia from Auto Trade Birmingham, trusting the dealership to provide full and accurate information about the car. Unfortunately, when I attempted to sell the car on the personalised registration, I was informed that the vehicle was listed as Category N, meaning a complete write-off, and therefore could not be absorbed or sold by the dealer.

Following my initial review, the dealer responded by suggesting that I should have contacted them directly and implied that the blame lies with me for not exercising due precaution. I anticipate that they may continue to shift responsibility back onto me and even portray my complaints as slanderous or false. This approach, in my view, only reinforces the lack of professionalism and transparency I experienced.

Because of this, I was forced to swap back to the original registration plate to ensure a clean history when reselling. This process cost me £80 in DVLA fees and £55 for new plates, and even after doing so, when I listed the car on a the dealerahip webpage, the initial purchase price of £3,900 was dropped by almost £500.

It was extremely difficult to sell the car, as I had to explain repeatedly to buyers and dealers why the personalised plate carried a Category N status, despite the car itself being unaffected. This made the entire resale process unnecessarily stressful.

Because I was informed by Auto Trade Birmingham that the Category N was tied to the number plate, I was constrained to remove my initial review. I am now reposting this updated review in the interest of clarity and transparency, so that future buyers can see the full facts.

I do not see this as a simple oversight — in my view, it was intentional. The dealer was fully aware that the private number plate carried a Category N status and chose not to disclose this to me at the time of purchase.

If you are considering buying here, please do not rely solely on the dealership’s word. Run your own HPI check to avoid going through the same costly and frustrating experience that I did. It will be well worth the hassle and doosh.

I recently enquired about a Vauxhall Mokka (reg EJ65ARX) listed on Autotrader and spoke with Conrad at the dealership. As a serious buyer, I asked several questions about the vehicle before committing to travel. During our phone call, I sensed that Conrad was becoming frustrated with my questions, which made me uneasy but I decided to proceed. I made a 3 hour and 30-minute train journey (one way) from Windsor, Berkshire, to view the vehicle in person. Upon arrival, I was met with an unwelcoming reception — Conrad handed me the keys with minimal conversation and left me to inspect the vehicle alone.
While the Engine Management Light was not illuminated, I brought my diagnostic machine to check for hidden faults. The following fault codes were identified:
ECM (Engine Control Module)
P0101 Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor performance
P1101 Intake Air Flow System Performance

EBCM (Engine Brake Control Module)
C0800 (Control Module Power Circuit)
PACM (Parking Assist Control Module)
U0073 CAN Bus Communication
B325 Control module Power Circuit

I phoned my mechanic, who advised me to request a price reduction to account for the cost of repairs. When I brought this up with Conrad, his immediate response was, “So the vehicle is not for you.” He didn’t ask to see the fault codes or express surprise — suggesting he may have been aware of the issues beforehand.
I asked to sit down and discuss the matter, but Conrad said he was too busy. 40 minutes later, he made time to talk. He eventually offered a small discount — but only if the car was sold without any warranty. This was a complete reversal from the original offer of a 3-month warranty and 30-day return policy. After speaking with the director, Conrad informed me that they were no longer willing to sell the vehicle to me because I had found the faults. Their justification was that they did not want to be liable — essentially implying that their warranty is meaningless if a buyer performs due diligence. To add to this, the vehicle was advertised as having undergone a “multi-point inspection”, but it clearly did not include any form of diagnostic scan, even though the dealership charges £84 for diagnostic scan when returning a car under warranty. I had no choice but to buy a return train ticket home and endure another 3 hours and 30 minute journey and £90 out of pocket.
Conclusion
If I hadn’t brought my own diagnostic tool and taken the initiative, I could have unknowingly purchased a vehicle with underlying faults, under the false impression that it had been properly inspected and came with a reliable warranty. This experience has been highly disappointing, and I would strongly urge any prospective buyers to perform their own checks before trusting advertised claims or warranties.

⭐ Review for Autotrade Birmingham Ltd
Extremely Disappointed – Warranty Ignored, Logbook Withheld, and Legal Threats Instead of Support
My 17-year-old daughter bought her first car from Autotrade Birmingham Ltd — a car she worked incredibly hard to afford. We paid a £3,000 cash deposit and the remainder by bank transfer. The garage agreed to prepare the vehicle with a new MOT, a valet, and a cambelt replacement (which we paid extra for). We collected the car on 7th June 2025.
Just four days later, the engine warning light came on and the car began hunting and cutting out. My brother — a qualified mechanic and forensic vehicle examiner for the police — carried out a diagnostic scan which showed that both camshafts were out by one tooth, likely caused by incorrect cambelt fitting. He also found a blocked engine breather and a wheel arch liner missing clips and screws.
When we contacted the garage, we were shocked to receive a screenshot of their terms sent from an iPhone — with no words, no apology, no explanation. That was the only direct communication we received. After that, they referred all responses to David Ward of Lawdata Ltd, a solicitor.
In one of his emails, Mr Ward stated:

> "Our client denies the findings of your mechanic brother... there may be an issue that will require some minor rectification in respect of the timing... our client is now prepared to only issue a full refund upon a satisfactory inspection and the vehicle return."

We were not asking for a refund — we simply wanted the fault resolved properly, and without extra cost to us, as it was caused by their work. But the garage refused to deliver the car back, insisting we collect it ourselves (despite living in Bicester). They even said delivery would cost us £130, placing the burden and inconvenience on us — even though the vehicle was still under warranty and the fault clearly originated from their cambelt job.
In the end, we had no choice but to fix the car ourselves at a cost of £240, just to make it safe and driveable.
We then discovered that the V5C logbook had never been sent to DVLA. When we called, the DVLA confirmed no record of the vehicle in my daughter's name. We contacted the garage again and spoke to Nick (the salesperson), who admitted they held onto the logbook because we reported a problem. But the car had been fully paid for, and we had already confirmed in writing that we were keeping the vehicle. This is unjustifiable and appears retaliatory.
Autotrade Birmingham Ltd claims to offer “exemplary customer service” and is listed under the AA Dealer Promise, which includes:
Handing over all essential documents (including the V5C)
Professionally preparing vehicles
Delivering strong after-sales support
They failed to meet every one of these obligations.
Today, my partner called the garage and asked to speak to the owner. He calmly explained our experience and said that we had written a review — but were offering the opportunity for them to reimburse us for the repair cost as a gesture of goodwill. The owner accused him of blackmail, mocked his role as a parent, said “good luck with your review”, and then hung up.

Instead of helping a first-time young buyer, they stonewalled us, dismissed a qualified diagnostic, pushed us to their legal representative, withheld legal documents, and refused to take meaningful responsibility — all while telling us they have a "5-star reputation.”
For the sake of avoiding one return delivery, they’ve shown just how little they actually care about customers once a sale is complete.
I’m sharing this review to warn others. If you're looking for a dealership with integrity, compassion, or even basic professionalism — we urge you to look elsewhere.