Motability Scheme  Reviews 

I'd just charged my 7-week old Niro EV and was due for an important appointment 40 miles away at 11am. Time was 09:15. My Kia Niro would not select drive or reverse, only park initially and then neutral.

I used Jervis's online chat facility around 09:30 for advice and was faced with question after question, one at a time, seemingly slowly. Unusually for me, I became quite rattled, sarcastically offering my inside leg measurement as the questions dragged on. I stressed my urgency and as my stress level climbed, I used FFS in one of my replies. I apologise for that, it's not me.

Anyway, as 10am approached and no sign of a call, I remembered someone with, I think, a Hyundai Ioniq 5 who told me about the small 12v lead acid battery in his car needing a jump start. I dragged out a small battery charger, ripped off the covers from the battery terminals and gave it a few minutes boost. Sorted. I arrived late.

Contact from the Service department by phone was after 11am which I didn't take as I was hastening down very narrow country lanes. On arrival home, later in the day, there was an email from the service manager, after 11am, suggesting I contact Kia Assist.

I did nothing extreme to drain the 12v battery (prior to the Niro I had an Outlander PHEV for some years and was aware of avoiding unnecessary drain on the 12v battery) so my whinge is that I was desperate and yet no-one, between the chat contact and the service department, respected the urgency of my situation.

I think this critique will suffice instead of a formal complaint to the MD.

Updated, 1/8/23
The dealership contacted me and explained that the chat facility, that I used because I couldn't see their phone number, is a 3rd party company and that led to the delay in contacting me.
I explained in detail to the assistant service manager just what happened and what I did to resolve it. My previous experience with a PHEV had been invaluable and he was glad I had an understanding of the vehicle's technology.
The car hasn't faulted since this occasion and although I'm still a little wary, all is now at peace with both the car and dealership.
I hadn't meant this critique to be of Motability, but it was written without noting who I was criticising.
Motability have, in the past and are now an absolutely first class organisation who care for and about their clients. I have adjusted my star rating accordingly for Motability to 5 star, as they deserve it. The dealership gets 4 stars because there were things they could have done better, including having their phone number displayed more prominently on their website. That phone number is now in both home and mobile phones and has been committed to memory, too.

We have been with Motability for years, and up until now I would always have awarded 5 stars with no question. As we have space needs to carry a mobility scooter and wheelchair the only choice we had when choosing a new vehicle was electric. Although we live in rural Cornwall we decided to go for it as we had a home charger installed by Ohme ( paid for by Motability ) All was great we picked up the new vehicle in May and charged it up at home overnight, occasionally charging at public chargers if we travelled further afield. Then it all went pear shaped. The home charger just stopped working. On the Motability website it said to contact Ohme. Phoning them resulted in no answer with recorded message stating press * for ringback, which i did. No ringback. I eventually got an answer and was told a technician would ring back, they didn't bother. I had to contact them again next day. The technician said that there was nothing wrong with the charger, there is a fluctuation in voltage to the property, and I had to contact National Grid and ask for a monitor to be provided to take readings for a week. ( National Grid have no monitors at present ). I contacted Motability and they said the problem is Ohme's responsibility and Ohme say it's the National Grid. Nobody is helping, we live in rural Cornwall with the nearest charger 16 miles away. Chargers everywhere are out of service, we waited 2 hours the other day in a queue for a charger then it took an hour to charge. It is draining our finances most chargers are approximately 79p per Kwh where as we have an ev rate for charging at home of 10p per Kwh. I contacted Motability again, they contacted Ohme and said an Ohme technician would contact me to try and arrange help, nothing ( which is no surprise ). So I contacted Motability again who said I would hear from them by end of day today, and not to worry if I missed the call they would ring again ( I missed call as I was showering my husband, they didn't try again ) just want anyone thinking of leasing an electric car from Motability to think about it very hard before you leap, especially if you live in the West Country which is not well covered by chargers. I care for my husband 24/7 and my daily schedule is non existent due to having to find and spend time charging at expensive chargers, and chase around trying to get it sorted which I shouldn't have to do. ENJOY EVERYDAY FREEDOM Motability say proudly, we don't have any freedom at present. Apparently these voltage fluctuations cause many problems, and surely these things should be checked out before installing. It's extremely stressful and not what we signed up to.
Thanks for reply Motability, but I have spoken again and basically been told “too bad” shocking.
And I rang Motability yet again and was told they will contact Ohme about helping us. Ohme have not contacted me and I am clueless why such a big operation as Motability would associate themselves with such a sham company. Am contacting the financial ombudsman on Monday P.M

I have been with Motability for over a decade, they used to be fantastic but now offer such a poor level of service they need to be replaced. How can they pay their boss millions when the cars on offer are now such poor value it is cheaper to lease or buy privately.

They sent out an email telling customers to consider switching to an EV, whilst slashing the cars available. The only EVs now on the scheme are vans, minis or superminis. MG has even removed the ZS, VW removed the ID3/4.... Kia the E-Niro... Who are the negotiators at Motability!!! They use the chip shortage as an excuse but other lease companies are offering the cars at cheaper prices! Fair enough you might have to wait... The choice is just appalling and getting worse week by week.

Disabled people have various needs and the choice of vehicles is essential to cover these needs. They used to understand this! They really are not fit for purpose any longer, which is really sad.

Avoid this or you will seriously regret it.

So I got a brand new Renault Arkana and it only did 945 miles before it was returned to the main dealership and then I was told that I’d get a replacement car and they turned up with a car so low down that it was impossible for me to even get into it.
So it’s not fit for purpose and should be handed by a new company altogether.

They are still taking my £256 a month and Renault still have the car for the last 6 weeks and they are saying that it’s going to be another 6 to 8 weeks before they either replace the battery or replace the car as they are still waiting to find out from Renault in France. It’s absolutely ridiculous and not fit for purpose. This is what I wrote about Renault Uk and the problem with the car.
Avoid the Renault Arkana at all costs.

I only got 945 miles from my brand new one and then it developed 4 different faults, the worst being that it’s a hybrid and my battery wasn’t even charging and in the end the battery totally died on it, and a made a horrible screaming sound that me or my neighbours weren’t impressed with when the battery was going flat and I couldn’t lock it because it also made that horrible screaming sound and then the lights were on lighting up the whole driveway and going into peoples bedrooms, because I couldn’t lock it, so I took it right back to Marshmills in Plymouth and there the salesman was so rude, I was fuming and then passed the key to him and then said that it’s there problem now and that me and my neighbours had had enough of it going wrong.

Whilst I had the car I thought there was something wrong with it, because the engine was running all the time and every time it switched over to EV mode the engine just started up again after about 2 to 3 minutes of being in EV (electric vehicle) mode and it’s been there for 6 weeks nearly, as long as I actually had the car for and at first the service guys they argued that there was nothing wrong with it, until they took it back around to the front of Renault and then the service guy went inside and said that it was all fixed, so Abby the receptionist walked back outside with him and it was ear piercing screaming so badly that she made him take it away from the front of Renault right away, because it was not a good advertisement for them and then they had a customer walk away from looking at one, but the worst thing is that they can’t supply me with a suitable car whilst it was being replaced or repaired, but more than likely a replacement because of the battery and then they said it’ll be another 6 to 8 weeks, before I would receive my car back, so I’ve asked for my money back from them and that’s taken another 5 weeks so far and I’m left with no car and no way of getting anywhere in the mean time. AVOID RENAULT AT ALL COST, VERY RUDE, EXTREMELY OBNOXIOUSNESS AND TREATED ME LIKE YOU WOULD’NT BELIEVE, ACTING LIKE THE CAR WAS MY FAULT, BUT NO THEY ARE NOT FIT FOR USE AT ALL AND I WOULD NEVER GO TO RENAULT AGAIN IN MY LIFE.