Forge Garage - www.forgegarageonline.co.uk

I called Forge on Tuesday and was put through to the parts guy who was very helpful and suggest I call in sometime today 6th. July 2023 suggesting about 11.00 hrs when they had a specialist in media centre’s who could tell me why I couldn’t get car play on my media centre. I told him it was coming up with message “Activation key required”. He said it should already be activated.

I called in at 11.10 hrs and service desk guy took my car keys and asked me to wait while they found out if in fact the media centre had car play and why it was saying “Activation key require”.

I was offed a coffee by a very nice lady which I accepted.

They took car into an mot bay - left drivers door open - looked at number plate then left it there till gone 12 with NO further action - I observed from the mot viewing window in their waiting area above.

After 12 I asked what was happening- to be informed that it was on diagnostics machine and they were checking with factory.

I was also told they were checking to see if a later than 2020 sat nav update was available and that it was presently on the diagnostics machine. I told him that I did not want an update as it was too expensive and that I did not want to incur any costs without prior notice in order to make a decision with regard the “activation key requirement” as stated on the media unit.

With that he informed me I would only incur a diagnostics charge today so far - however he seemed to get agitated and just promptly told me he would fetch the car which he promptly did without further explanation - I observed him getting in the car and just reversing it out of the mot bay - no unplugging of a diagnostics machine or any other action. Next think I know he is leaving the car in the internal garage roadway with the engine running and drivers door open and returning to his desk with me patiently waiting. I said I didn’t see him unplug any diagnostics machine to which he replied that it was a wireless connection.

I can’t comment on the validity of this explanation- however those in the trade will know if that is correct or not - all my previous experiences of these machines is they are plugged into a diagnostics port on the car.

I was then told to contact another Seat dealership and I left having thanked him for returning the car. NO further conversation took place and no mention of the diagnostics charge was made. I got into my car with drivers door already open and engine running and drove home.

A very close escape from a charge for diagnostics (which may or may not have taken place?) or may have resulted in my being told that my media centre require an “Activation Key” which I had told them upon arrival at the service desk.

ABSOLUTELY FIRST CLASS SERVICE. MY WIFE AND I are over 80 NOW AND NEEDED HELP IN CHANGING OUR CAR. We recommend this garage for the following reasons----

The help and advice in choosing a car

The help with all the documentation

The quality and condition of the chosen vehicle

ALL the stress of doing a transaction was removed as the sales team did everything

and gave us complete trust in what they were offering and doing.

WELL DONE FORGE GARAGE

If I could give half a star I would. this is possibly one of the worst garages I have ever bought a car from. They do not care about after sales service if something goes wrong - which it probably would - with the car they sell. I would avoid this garage at all costs - I know I wouldn't ever go back or recommend to anyone I know - AWFUL

I put my car in to the forge garage for a service and mot. Also asked they fix my handbrake. When I collected my car was told there was nothing wrong with my handbrake despite me continuing to have to keep in gear

as otherwise you can just push it or it rolls. My car also broke down 3 days later. AA informed me the car was leaking oil out of my engine and had been for possibly months, and head almost blown up. The state of my engine when I looked at it was horrific and obviously not a recent problem. Aa informed if a garage had even lifted my bonnet they would of seen this and prevented the problem. Without a doubt then never completed a service that I paid £200 for! Ripped off and disgusted is how I feel! Shall never return and let everyone else know!

This garage is the worst I've come a cross only interested in making money once sold a car to you not interested in the car or customer I would recommend to all people interested in getting a new car to steer clear of the company the management are rude and uninterested in customers !!!

We brought a Vauxhall Corsa from Forge Garage Hintlesham have had it for 18 months now and it has never let us down, we took it for it's next MOT when we had to put 2 tyres on it that's all. The salesmen did not pressurise us when we were buing the car, and overall I felt very pleased with the service we revived. The only bad thing I say is we had to take the car bk in the warranty period for a knocking noise which to be fair was sorted out very quickly. Overall I would recommend Forge Garage and I would look their for out next car.

I have recently purchased a used Renault Modus for my wife from the Forge Garage at Hintlesham, Suffolk. I took the car for a test drive prior to purchase and all was well. I'm afraid to say that the first time my wife drove the car it pulled away with a very bad clutch judder. It soon became apparent that as soon as a mile or two had been driven, the problem went away, i.e. when cold the car's clutch had a very bad shudder, when warm an insignificant, sometimes non-existent, problem. We took the car back to the Forge Garage twice but they refused to acknowledge there was a problem. To quote "it's not a bad enough problem" to warrant any action under the 3 month warranty. In the end the garage were very unpleasant, implying it was our driving, and refused to do anything to solve the problem. I cannot prove it, but I suspect the car had been warmed-up prior to my test drive so that the problem was hidden.

Be aware if you use this garage.