4:43 pm, May 18, 2026
Four car dealerships have been awarded diamond status in the first Carblah Index of the best performing car dealer groups based on customer reviews.
The website Carblah uses AI analysis of consumer reviews and this dataset is built on nearly a quarter of a million customer reviews posted over the last 12 months.
Howards Motor Group placed top of the list, followed by JCT600, Holdcroft Group and Vantage Motor Group who all received diamond status.
The top four scoring dealer groups were awarded this top status and the following 25 received gold.
However, the index revealed that size doesn’t necessarily mean great service. Only three of the UK’s biggest 25 biggest groups ranking as diamond or gold.
Carblah also revealed that when it comes to what customers complain about, communication was their biggest problem. This featured in 16% of all reviews analysed.
Following this was feeling misled, pressured or sold to dishonestly, with 15% of reviews mentioning this.
Michael Yeates, managing director and cofounder of Carblah, said: ‘The Carblah Index is designed to bring clarity, fairness, and transparency to one of the UK’s most important consumer industries.
‘With nearly a quarter of a million customer reviews informing the rankings, the Index provides a national benchmark that cannot be gamed or unduly influenced.
‘Our aim is to inform consumers of the best performing retailers for customer experience, and support those businesses that want to see an improvement in their satisfaction scores.’
Steve Fowler, Carblah cofounder, added: ‘Customer service is one of the biggest battlegrounds in the automotive industry, yet for years the industry has lacked a single, trusted benchmark for consumer satisfaction.
‘Carblah is all about real reviews by real people, and the Carblah Index is based on what buyers and owners are really saying about their experiences, not just star ratings.’
