Arnold Clark Stoke-on-Trent Motorstore Reviews

***PLEASE READ BEFORE BUYING A VALUE RANGE CAR FROM ARNOLD CLARK*** I bought a Vauxhall Corsa from Arnold Clark (Winsford) in 2021. Within the 60-day warranty, the brake pads and discs failed—they were replaced. But just after the warranty expired, the clutch failed. I argued it must’ve been faulty at the time of sale, and they begrudgingly replaced it. I chalked it up to bad luck. But the problems didn’t stop: coolant leaks, more brake issues, faults here and there non-stop. I’d been sold a patched-up car. Fast forward to now—I reluctantly returned to Arnold Clark (Stoke-on-Trent) after struggling to find a smaller car within budget. They seemed helpful and found a 2017 Ford Fiesta (SG17 WVP) that fit the bill. But I sent an independent mechanic to inspect the car before test driving it—and that saved me from a costly mistake. Here’s what the mechanic found: • Coolant tank nearly empty, despite claims the timing belt was changed. He couldn't extract a sample to test—he suspects a major leak or serious error, both costly to fix. • Dirty brake fluid – needs replacing (£50–£80) • Heavily corroded anti-roll bar (driver side) – passenger side looked new. Why weren’t they replaced together? Mechanic heard knocking when steering fully right. Est. repair cost: £150–£250 • Clutch biting point unusually high – likely near end of life. Replacement est: £300–£500 • Body damage never disclosed – Deep scratches to metal on both sides. Will rust. Cost: £400+ to fix properly I raised these issues. Their reply? “The water required topping up due to the new water pump. All other points fit within our Value Range criteria... cosmetic damage stays.” They failed to address the likely coolant leak, and glossed over the mechanical faults, hiding behind vague “criteria”. As for the scratches, they were NEVER shown in the listing photos. This is misleading and dishonest. The bodywork damage is down to the metal something they failed to mention, that will only get worse over time. This is now the second poorly prepared, unreliable car Arnold Clark have tried to sell me. It’s clear they use cheap parts, do the bare minimum, and take zero accountability. Their so-called “checks” are superficial at best. You’re taking a huge gamble especially with a Value Range car. Getting a pre-purchase check saved me from buying a car that would have cost hundreds if not more in repairs. I highly recommend getting a pre-purchase inspection if you’re even considering buying from Arnold Clark. Also, check the car’s MOT history on the gov.uk site—don’t trust what the dealer tells you. Based on my experience, you’re likely to inherit a long list of issues within months. The car is the 2017 Ford Fiesta (SG17 WVP), given their response they are happy for this information to be distributed because they are satisfied that this represents ‘high company standards’, their words not mine, justified for a ‘value range’ car. Bottom line: I wouldn’t buy from Arnold Clark again if they paid me. Avoid the Winsford branch (sold me the Corsa) and Stoke-on-Trent (tried to offload the Fiesta). Dodgy dealer. No transparency. No accountability. Not worth the risk.