Lipscomb Cars Ltd Reviews 

I have a Volvo as my company car and have to say, my dealings with both Lipscomb Canterbury and Maidstone have been fantastic.

Both dealerships are clean, well presented and the staff are always polite, friendly and very helpful. My car also always comes back clean after a service, which is a nice touch.

The experience I’ve had with Lipscomb is actually one of the reasons I’ve chosen a Polestar to replace my Volvo. I know and trust the dealership, and that gives me confidence going forward.

Highly recommended

I visited Volvo Canterbury, not knowing anything about Volvo cars. When we went in, a helpful receptionist met us and found a salesman; he introduced himself. James then went to great lengths to find out what type of car we were interested in, including colour, sunroof, electric or hybrid, mileage, and the vehicle's age. At the end of this process, we found the right car: a 7-month-old CX40. James was very helpful and knowledgeable, taking the time to explain everything; he was patient and polite. On the day we collected the car, we completed the paperwork, and James then went through everything about the car, from opening the doors to the functions of the car. James also went on a test drive with me, which helped me get a feel for the car. Although I didn't know anything about Volvo, I am enjoying driving my new car. Thank You James

I booked my electric Volvo XC40 into Lipscomb Volvo Canterbury after it displayed “Serious issue detected” and “Propulsion system fault” warnings and developed a climate-control malfunction.

Before the appointment, they left me a voicemail saying that, based on fault codes they could see, they might need to lower the battery out of the vehicle to investigate. I therefore expected a substantial technical investigation.

The Volvo app records every movement, journey and locking event, so I was able to see exactly what happened.

After I delivered the car at 08:05 on Wednesday, it received one 12.8-mile test drive and spent only around 10 to 20 minutes in the workshop. It was parked and locked by 10:55 and remained untouched for the rest of the working day.

That afternoon I was told a technician needed to borrow it overnight for a “longer test drive” to reproduce the climate-control problem. I explained that the fault could be reproduced while stationary by running the air conditioning. However, I reluctantly agreed because I felt that otherwise I might later be accused of impeding their investigation.

The supposed longer test drive consisted of a journey of only 3.3 miles, lasting under ten minutes, to a residential address. The car remained there all night.

The following morning, it was driven to Morrisons, parked briefly and then taken back to the dealership. It subsequently remained locked and stationary for effectively the whole working day. Late that afternoon it spent nine minutes in the workshop, after which it was driven to Chartham Post Office, parked for three minutes and returned.

I cannot prove the purpose of the supermarket and post-office visits, but they do not resemble the longer diagnostic drive I had been told was necessary. In my view, the pattern strongly suggests that my car was being used for personal convenience rather than solely for investigating its faults.

It was then left locked and untouched throughout Friday. The dealership did not contact me, and I eventually went to collect it after seeing through the app that no work was being done. By that point, it had not even been unlocked for more than 24 hours.

After three working days, neither reported fault had been resolved. The car had received only extremely brief periods of workshop attention. It had not been charged, washed or cleaned. Charging and cleaning had not been promised, but charging would have been a reasonable courtesy after they had used the vehicle themselves.

I returned their courtesy car with 98% charge, yet their paperwork incorrectly recorded it as having 50%.

I have retained the complete Volvo app journey log, GPS traces and screenshots supporting this account.

What I find most unacceptable is the difference between what I was told and what the vehicle data records. I was told that an overnight loan and longer drive were required for diagnostic purposes, but the actual movements were a very short drive to a residential address followed by brief visits to a supermarket and post office.

I regard those explanations as misleading and the apparent personal use of a customer’s vehicle as improper. This was abysmal aftersales service, and I would not entrust my vehicle to Lipscomb Volvo Canterbury again.

My partner and I had the most helpful and informative attention from Gary Dodd.

Gary made our experience with Limpscomb Volvo really easy.

Not only was Gary very attentive and knowledgeable, he made us feel both at ease and we felt that we trusted him.

Thank you Gary

Ordered roof bars via Polestar's website - not Amazon etc - item arrived damaged - took it back to Poestar @ Maidstone/Ayelsford requesting replacement to be informed its down to me their client to return/obtain refund & re-order - Lipscomb's spare part manager couldn't even be bothered to come out & speak to the me ie the client - we have only just bought this car in August & the salesman stated that Polestar do things differently from the other car manufacturers & as Lipscomb are a family run business they 'look after' their customers - seems to be a big fat lie

I had a fantastic experience buying my XC40 from Volvo in Chartham. Gary was immediately very friendly and listened to me go on about how I needed a car that suited my lifestyle driving round the mountains and helped me choose the car that made the most sense for this! He also went above and beyond to help me find a car and make sure it was ready so that I could drive it home before my trip to the Lakes at the end of the week - which was only a 3 day turn around!

When I went to pick up the car he took the time to make sure I knew how everything worked so I wouldn’t have any issues whilst I was away.

Luckily I haven’t had any problems with the car since the purchase but he assured me if anything comes up to contact him directly and I know he would be happy to help! Great service.

8 calls over 2 weeks to Lipscomb Maidstone Geely and Volvo , I'm trying to spend money not have a fault repaired, despite every single person promising I have not a SINGLE response. Can you imagine if your car really did go wrong, and at some point I'm sure mine will do !!!

Terrible first dealings with the service team at this dealer sadly, the sales team were awesome .

Updated - immediate and courteous response from service and sales management who rectified the issue immediately and we're very apologetic, great to see a response when an issue is raised

Terrible after sales, awful communication, internal processes need a thorough overhaul - or was it all deliberate? The handover of the 1 year old car went ok-ish, after that it all went rapidly downhill. After a couple of days a minor software problem turned into a bigger one after following their advice. After many days trying to get them to resolve it I spent a day on various forums and found a workaround which turned out to be very simple. A long succession of phone calls that no-one would pick up, voicemails not replied to, emails ignored and a conversation on their webchat with a promise to "get someone to call" over many days. Finally (after 2 weeks) the sales manager called, said he had been away, was appalled, and we set a date for a call back the following week by which time he would have looked into what went wrong. Over 2 weeks later this has still not happened. I was warned they would string me along until the 30-day return option had expired, I should have listened. How bad can customer service get?

My wife and I were very fortunate to hook up with the affable and inimitable Mr Gary Dodd in connection with our purchase of a XC90 – Gary is a consummate professional and made the whole acquisition process both enjoyable and straightforward and was so very helpful at each and every stage of the journey. All of the staff we encountered at Lipscomb Canterbury (Mr Michael Alsop also deserves a special mention) were so very friendly, welcoming and helpful to us. Best in class service – In short, Gary is a credit to Volvo Lipscomb Canterbury. We would have given him 10/10 on his performance appraisal but...……as he would not sell my wife his 'dog' then sadly he only rates at 9.99%. Sorry Gazza…maybe next time eh?

I’m loathed to even give one star. As of today,, I remain extremely concerned about the circumstances that led to our son’s injury and the ongoing lack of response regarding the safety of this vehicle. Fiat Lipscomb have confirmed liability of the fault.

We initially informed Fiat that the vehicle was experiencing problems with the locking mechanism. I had a conversation with Lipscomb Fiat Canterbury on Wednesday 11 February regarding this issue.

During that conversation, we were advised that the problem was likely due to the key battery. However, we made it clear that this was not the case. The key frequently had to be physically inserted into the vehicle in order to attempt to operate the locking system, and even then the locking mechanism did not consistently respond.

Due to the closure of multiple Fiat dealerships, the earliest available booking we were offered was Tuesday 31 March, which at the time was more than a month away. This left my wife and our three young children continuing to use a vehicle we had already reported as faulty. Despite clearly explaining the issue to both the Tunbridge Wells and Canterbury dealerships, we were not treated as a priority and there appeared to be no regard for the safety implications this fault presented.

Unfortunately, as a direct result of the locking mechanism failure — and Fiat’s failure to prioritise the safety concerns we raised — our son sustained a serious injury when his thumb became trapped in the vehicle door. The door lock would not release and we were unable to free him. After multiple attempts, the door eventually opened, but during this time he was screaming in agony.

My wife immediately took him to hospital, where he was assessed and underwent X-rays. We were informed that he had suffered a subungual haematoma and a fracture. Due to the severity of the injury, we were advised that treatment could not be completed there and that he would need to be transferred to St Thomas’ Hospital, London, to be seen by the trauma plastics team to determine the next course of action. I had to leave work immediately to support my wife and son. Following specialist assessment, surgery was deemed necessary.

Our son is now heavily bandaged and required to wear a sling. He faces a long recovery period and we have been advised that his recovery may take up to a year. This will have a significant impact on his daily life, including school activities, sports and normal childhood activities.

Upon returning to school, he will be unable to fully participate in the curriculum for several weeks due to the risk of further damage and infection. This has not only affected his educational progress but has also caused him significant emotional trauma. Additionally, I have had to take emergency time away from work to support my family during this extremely distressing situation.

Given that we had previously reported the locking fault and were left without timely resolution, we remain extremely concerned about the safety issues this vehicle presents.

On the advice of Fiat Lipscomb Canterbury on 17 February, before contacting Customer Services, I informed them of what had happened. They advised me not to drive the vehicle and to contact Fiat Recovery, which we did at the time.

As of today, we have still not received any communication from Fiat confirming that safety checks or investigations are being undertaken to determine whether this fault could affect other vehicles, or whether this incident is being treated as a wider safety concern rather than an isolated case. This lack of response is deeply worrying given the seriousness of what has occurred.

We would therefore expect an urgent response outlining what investigation is being undertaken, what support Fiat will provide to our family, and what actions are being taken to ensure that no other family experiences a similar incident.

I urge anyone considering a purchase from Lipscomb to be aware of the issues with Fiat Customer Services and that there are serious safety issues that need addressing.

Very poor customer service for new sales. Determined not to go out of their way to get you the information you need "everything is on the website, just check on there".

Puts me off the process of buying a new Volvo.

Requested quote for work on our Volvo, nothing heard, despite following up! Finally response received after making formal complaint through Volvo UK.
Quote was sent with errors, plus a load of excuses as to why they hadn't replied sooner.
Had a similar situation in 2022, when 'improvements' were to be made!
It would appear that Lipscomb do not
- Take customer satisfaction seriously
- Offer a quality service which befits a high quality brand like Volvo
- Monitor performance and quality of service, through metrics and routine reassessment (audits) of systems and procedures, to ensure standards are maintained.
- Undertake periodic reviews of complaints, to see where improvements can be made.
Basically, Lipscomb are not fit for purpose to provide a Quality Customer Service for Volvo Cars, buyer beware!

In February 2025, having previously bought a second-hand Jeep from the Canterbury branch of this company, I was misled by them into buying a brand new Jeep Renegade hybrid. The purchase was part-funded by Stellantis Financial Services (see separate review)
In March, I discovered that the digital speedometer in the car was faulty and couldn't be reset. I registered my concern only to be advised that this was a generic manufacturing brand defect but that a "kit" was being developed by Jeep whereby the fault could be rectified remotely. Despite repeated calls to Lipscomb over the course of many subsequent months there was no progress and no sign of the new technology. Meanwhile, I grew increasingly concerned about the dangers of driving (particularly in the dark and/or with children in the car) where the advised speed limit fluctuated alarmingly, (e.g. showing 30-35 mph for a 60 or 20mph zone). The speedometer was all over the place. Eventually, in September, I took the car to a firm of mechanics (Wilson's) utilized and recommended by Lipscomb and Stellantis - a journey of 100+ miles to Epsom from my home in Stratford-Upon-Avon - only to be told that there was nothing which could be done until the famous "kit" was forthcoming. Needless to say it still doesn't exist.
Despite regular conversations with both dealership and co-financier in which I made various suggestions for dealing with the matter, e.g. swapping a new model for an old one which was fit for purpose, I was repeatedly stonewalled and fobbed off.
In December, I woke up to find a crack in my windscreen which I was unable to fixed locally. The next day it had spread right across the glass and I was required to drive it in a dangerous state to be repaired by AutoWindows in Tewkesbury where the diagnosis was that as the car was less than a year old and the damage had not been caused by any external factor it was a pressure crack attributable to poor installation during manufacture and was a fairly common defect found in Jeep models.
I fed this into the Lipscomb and Stellantis conversations but this only led to further delay, prevarication and pathetic excuses, including each firm blaming the other for the poor internal communication between them.
Eventually, after another two months of chasing, I have been offered a pathetic compensation package which I'm not prepared to accept.
In short, Lipscomb tempted me into buying a new car by misrepresentation in the knowledge that it was defective and not fit-for-purpose and refuse to adhere to their (or to enforce Jeep's) warranties; and Stellantis have been complicit in supporting Lipscomb's position.
Both have behaved appallingly. They have left me significantly out-of-pocket and lumbered me with an expensive dud - but more critically - a dangerous product and neither give a damn. I hope no other consumer has to experience what they have put me through over the past year.
DON'T TOUCH THEM WITH A BARGEPOLE !

Picked up a new car on the 29/01/2026 overall the salesmen Ben was great, but 4 days later the I had a fault with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and the GPS stopped working followed all the steps in the user manual nothing.

So left it 48hrs to see if it sorted itself which didn't work either, so called up on the 4/02/2026 and I was told someone would call me back nothing so called up the next day told the same thing.

Still waiting on call back, ended up solving the myself by search on a Volvo online forum.

My partner and I left this shocking showroom because we could not drive the car we wanted as the sales manager does not want there car driven a used vehicle was offered. We have purchased another Landrover this afternoon. We will be contacting Volvo what a shameful experience never again.

Bought my XC40 a few years ago (2021) and had an amazing aftercare service for several years. I don't know what has happened in the last year in the Canterbury branch but the whole system seems to be broken. Paperwork from my service at Lipscomb wasn't sent through to Allianz, so when I broke down I was told I couldn't be rescued from the side of the road! 3hrs with my child in the dark and we had to be rescued by Highways and spend money on train tickets to get home on the last train. No company car offered for the week it took to fix or even an apology for not sending the paperwork, with a nearly £300 charge for a new tyre on top. Despite complaining at the time it hasn't been dealt with and I suspect they are hoping I have forgotten. Very shoddy "service" over the last year or so.

From start to finish this company really looked after me well. I was looking for an XC40 and James steered me through it all in a most professional, pleasant and enthusiastic manner. He got the balance between being friendly but not too familiar and he coped fine with the whole process in person and online. If you’re after a Volvo then I wholeheartedly recommend this dealership and if you get James Mac you’ll be fine. In fact it may be a bonus. Many thanks.

Absolutely unacceptable experience at Lipscomb Volvo Maidstone.

I booked my Volvo S40 well in advance for an ignition switch repair and an MOT. Instead of fixing the ignition switch properly or even providing a quote for a permanent repair, they carried out a bodged temporary fix with a screw and charged me £180 for it.

They then refused to carry out the MOT and presented me with an outrageous £2,600 repair estimate with little explanation. This felt like nothing more than an attempt to push unnecessary and overpriced work.

I took the car to a local garage afterwards, where all required repairs were completed for less than one third of their quote, and the MOT was done without any problems. That alone speaks volumes about the accuracy of their assessment.

I also drove 26 miles from London to this dealership, making the entire visit a complete waste of time, money, energy, and fuel.

I would strongly advise avoiding this dealership altogether and checking their Trustpilot reviews before even considering booking.

Lipscomb, Canterbury.

We initially arranged with Gary Dodd, to view a Volvo V60 for my wife, but despite loving the car, it didn't meet all her needs.

Having previously had a XC60, we decided to see what was available, and Gary not only went above and beyond, to fill our requirement's, meet our budget and specification, he showed extreme professionalism and patience, to both myself and my wife.

We had three visits overall, travelling from London, each time.

Would highly recommend them, and thank Gary for his efforts.
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Extremely disappointed with this Volvo dealer. I had booked my car for a new thermostat to be fitted. I said to the service department that I would wait and they told me it would take around 3 hours. I took my car in at 0900 as agreed only to be told that it probably wouldn’t be ready until late afternoon. I couldn’t wait so took it elsewhere to be done. When I phoned them just recently and asked whether they could check my car, they weren’t really interested . They just wanted money. I was thinking of changing my Volvo but I shall never go back to this company. I would not recommend this company.