Academic Driving School — Local services in San Diego

My experience with the lessons here was extremely unpleasant. The instructor who handled the first two of my three lessons was precise in his teaching and very kind. However, the instructor for the final lesson was by far the rudest and most awful person I have ever met. He repeatedly made insulting remarks that had nothing to do with driving, such as referring to me and the area I live in as a “ghetto-ish.” Throughout the lesson, he mocked my driving and would smirk whenever I made a mistake, eventually going so far as to tell me to “use your brain” in a condescending manner.

He also made several negative comments about my previous instructor, boasting that he was better. While it’s true that he pointed out more flaws in my driving and offered potential ways to improve, his insulting comments and attitude severely undermined my focus and motivation. His constant mockery of me as a person, not just my driving, was unprofessional and a reflection of his poor character, far beyond just being a bad instructor.

I had sent an email directly to the school detailing my experience, but since I haven’t received a response, I am leaving this review here. This is the first time in my life that I have ever written a review online. The fact that I created this account and am writing this review for the first time should give anyone considering lessons here serious pause. I deeply regret paying for such an experience.

Most of the reviews posted here are positive, and I believe that the majority of the instructors, like the one I had for my first two lessons, are good. I feel sorry to leave such a negative review, especially when I consider those instructors. However, the system doesn’t generally allow students to choose their instructor. While there’s a high chance you’ll receive excellent service, I urge you to carefully consider the possibility that, like me, you might be unlucky enough to have the worst two hours of your life and lose all motivation to drive due to a...

My wife took their 10 Hour Driving Training course. Three issues:

Every time my wife scheduled a two-hour lesson using their website, they would charge our credit card the entire ten-hour course cost ($815). This happened twice after the first and only authorized payment. They claimed they would refund us for the two erroneous charges but they never have after three months.

They assigned different driving instructors throughout the course. These driving instructors do not follow a uniform lesson plan and have completely different teaching styles. One of the instructors was great but the other was terrible. The latter instructor had no structure whatsoever. He simply told my wife to drive wherever she felt was right and had a blunt and rude personality most of the time.

One of their vehicles had broken air conditioning. My wife took the course over the summer so you can imagine how uncomfortable that was. She would come back from her lessons sweating profusely.

This review managed to avoid receiving only one star simply because of the pleasant experience my wife had with one of their instructors (Jose). He earned them the additional star. Other than that, I suggest avoiding this place if you want to spare yourself...

This driving school is poorly organized and seems more interested in taking customers’ money than providing reliable service. They canceled my behind-the-wheel DMV test appointment without notice, and I nearly missed my driving test. The only reason I was able to take the test was because my instructor, Felix, genuinely cared and advocated for me. He managed to get the school to switch the schedule back at the last minute so I could make it.

The school also refused to give me a refund for the canceled appointment. Instead, they let my instructor take me to the test by canceling another student’s appointment, leaving her behind—even though she had already taken the day off for her test, just like I did. They also canceled one of my driving lessons without any explanation and didn’t even inform the instructor.

The only good part of this experience was Felix—he’s the best driving teacher, and I wouldn’t have passed without him. I wish I could have taken lessons with him directly, without dealing with the...