Went to the far south location for the 6 hour adult driving class. I can't speak for all the instructors, but the one I got seemed to have the wrong idea about what his place was in the transaction. My classmates and I (a group of adults) paid money for a SERVICE. We didn't pay to have some old a**hat talk down to us like a bunch of high schoolers (even if some of us were). I guess condescending is the right word here? Anyway, as I said before, I don't know what the other instructors are like, but I wouldn't chance it. They'll get you your permit, but if you want the experience to be even somewhat pleasant, take your money to a place with better reviews. read more

My daughter is paying for her class. 420.00 got her diddly squat. 4 lessons 90 min long each time. The driver has been a few minutes late every time getting her. No big deal, we can handle that. The problem is she did not get any real driving lessons at all. Today is her last day, and I have no idea if she is actually on the road or not. Yesterday, he had her work on parallel parking. She has only been in parking lots practicing her driving. Really? How do you expect the students to learn how to drive if they are not on the road practicing? The instructors have breaks on their side, so I don't understand why she is not getting the experience she needs? Not happy! She is going to have to do her driving test in a couple days and she is so not prepared for it! read more

I paid over $300 for my son to take driver's ed in July. He was told to call every Thursday during a particular time to sign up for driving time with their instructor. The entire time he was in class, he called and was told that there were no openings. He continued to call after he finished his classroom work and was told that there were no openings. In August, they told him to give them a month and things would settle down and he'd be able to get driving time. He called today and was told there were no openings. There is absolutely no excuse for this! I'm about to go ask for my money back. read more

Un-professional and un-caring. Don't sent your kid here thing they will get the support and education needed to drive. The class room is marginal at best, and the driving is the worst. They will yell and demean the student driver. read more

Austin Driving School is a truly terrible company. Luanne was a nightmare- moody, unprofessional and racist. She said she dreaded her next client because drivers from India were cocky and bad on the road because they come from a place without paved streets (!). Why she would volunteer such an ignorant, unprofessional thought was beyond me but after my 3 sessions with her it all made sense: Luanne allowed her mood to dictate the tone of my lessons. When she had a rough day due to a previous student (which she admitted), she was impatient and rude. She boasts a 95% success rate which she manages by hand-picking which students are likely to pass the test on the first try. If she doesn't think you're one of them, she will tell the driving school- not you, that you are not ready for the exam. So even though I paid to use their car for the exam, I was told I could not. It took a lot of time and aggravation to fix this and only I cared at all about rectifying the problem. PLEASE save yourself the trouble and $500- avoid this company. I ended up learning from a friend and doing fine on the exam. read more

This is not an inexpensive course. Of course, I wanted the best instruction for my child. However, we were put on a wait list for drive time in August and still had not received a single drive time lesson by the time her birthday came in November. I was told there was nothing they could do but that they would give her 1 drive lesson every three weeks. That would add an additional four months before she could get her license. All this occurred at the Burnet location. Westlake has agreed to take her and give her more frequent drive time but we have not yet received a schedule from them and they are literally on the opposite end of town from where we live. I'm still willing to do that though but we will have to see what "more frequently" actually means. I would have been better off doing the parent taught course and saved some money in the process. I had to call the corporate office twice just to get Burnet to return my call and tell me about the four month wait. Completely unsatisfied with the service and attention to scheduling. read more

This was the 3rd child I have put into the Pflugerville location. The first didn't care how long it took to get his license. The 2nd was very proactive and got all of his drive time in what seemed a reasonable time but this time....this time it has all gone wrong! They misspelled her name and punished her by making her wait an extra week to get her permit. Now she can't get drive time or even on the list for that matter. They keep telling her that they will put her on a cancellation list - which means they call you about 30 - 45 minutes before you have to show up at the school for drive time. Uh hello, she can't drive herself!! I am not happy with this school. The staff seems uncaring and very unorganized. I am glad that I am all out of kids now so I don't have to mess with them again, well until she actually gets some drive time. read more

I am reviewing the 7113 BURNET DR. LOCATION. It was not listed as a choice so I selected this one. Wow! what a professional and exceptional business for teens to frequent for 6 weeks when the secretary is covered in HICKIES.....boy... I want my 16 y.o. to see that day in and day out! I finally called management and they sent the secretary home to put on a scarf or turtleneck.....and to think .....It only took 3 phone calls! Imagine plunking down your hard earned money , walking in and seeing a HICKIE COVERED SECRETARY as the face of Austin Driving School where teens spend a good portion of the day in the front where her desk sits. I would give it a negative set of stars if i could. ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING! It's a recession , call a temp service and hire someone professional and presentable!!!!!!!!!!!! -Disgusted mom read more

Ditto all of the other reviews. Horribly run and managed business. Extremely difficult to get your required driving hours because the booking system is ridiculous and they are understaffed. Aren't you tired of having people call and complain on a daily basis? I feel sorry for the lady that answers the phones because she must be getting grilled at everyday multiple times a day. I guess they are making so much money there they just don't care? After you call and complain and If you happen to get a phone call for driving time and you're not available at that moment to take the call, well you're out of luck. You may get lucky and get another call several weeks later for one available spot after you've called and complained again but if you aren't available on that one day at that one time than you're screwed and have to wait another 2-3 weeks. Ridiculously frustrating read more

This business is the most under staffed for the service they offer. Out of the 4 times my son has had a driving appointment they have called 3 to reschedule. 2 of those times on the day of the appointment. They called to reschedule a wed appointment that I scheduled for Saturday on a Friday afternoon and as it turned out my son didn't bring his permit home from school. When I called to let them know I was told I would be charged $15 cancelation fee. I would not recommend this business to anyone. Also they do not typically have openings that are not more than a week to 2 weeks out. read more

Don't Spend your money here. Very unorganized. I used the Cedar Park Location & the classroom part went well but when it came time to schedule the drive times it is utter chaos. I was told a different time to call every time. I scheduled an appointment for 2pm & the rude lady on the phone insisted I scheduled it for 9am. Since I'm at work at 9am I am 100% sure I scheduled it for 2pm. Forget about "the paying customer is always right" They charged me $15 for a no show which is insane since I never missed the appointment, they scheduled it wrong. read more

TLDR: if you live in or near Austin, you have other choices, so AVOID this one. I took most of my lessons in Aggieland via the Bryan office, and the teachers were good or great. Unfortunately, I took the exam _after_ moving to Austin, because the Bryan DPS had a 6-week wait time. On the day of taking the test with the ADS car, I had a lesson -- the last of 4 lessons I had prepaid for. It took a _long_ time -- weeks? -- to convince ADS Austin that I had paid for this in Bryan and that they still owed me one. In her defense, the instructor from ADS Austin _did_ teach me how to parallel-park, which the Bryan guys basically did not. However, she was also yelling at me the whole time, sharply barking orders to do this and do that. NOT good for self-confidence! So of _course_ I failed the test due to driving un-confidently. The company isn`t a disaster overall, but if you _must_ use them for some reason then use their Bryan-based teachers, then take the test in a car that is preferably not an ADS car and _definitely_ not one from the Austin office. read more

Last week I took the 6 hour Adult Beginner's Driving Course and received my license in the mail just yesterday. Luann R. is a fantastic teacher. She was calm and reassuring, and made me feel comfortable behind the wheel. Luann brought me quickly and painlessly from hesitantly driving on empty neighborhood streets to driving on the highway with confidence. She was also extremely perceptive when it came to noticing where I needed improvement or times that I was nervous. Hands down the best driving experience I have had with someone teaching me, and my mom, dad, two friends, grandma and grandpa have all given me instruction at some point or another. Luann is an absolute gem! Ask for her! read more

All four of my children went to ADS. The eldest 2 were at the Westlake location and the youngest 2 were at the Burnet Rd. location. All four had a good experience and learned to drive well. They all received their licenses with no difficulty. I would send a 5th child here if I had one. read more

The management of the classes at the Slaughter location was extremely poor. First of all, the instructor allowed the students to vote on whether they should alter the schedule during my son's session. (These students aren't old enough to drive, obviously, so you would think the parents, who must provide them with transportation, should have a say in this.) Additionally, if your child must miss a class due to an after-school conflict, know that the driving school does NOT keep clear records of missed classes (and they have no idea how to determine the corresponding day your child must make up). Also, the woman who answers the phones at this location is very rude and intolerant toward students and parents!!! read more

I really wish I could give negative stars! I don't get frustrated easy, but this place has exhausted me. We enrolled our daughter in the Cedar Park location and the classroom portion went well, but once we got to the drive times it's been an absolute disaster. They've cancelled 3 out of 4 drive times at the last minute and then said they couldn't reschedule each of them before an additional 3 weeks. The office administrator admitted there simply aren't enough drivers and that it's been that way forever. If you have any sense at all you WILL NOT USE this company. It's literally the worst experience I've ever had. read more

I was so happy with Austin driving school. Extremely professional they know what they are doing! My instructor Luann was such a delight to learn with. She was helpful, professional, and knew exactly what would be tested. She worked on problem areas and also ensured I had good experience on the road not just to pass my test but most importantly to be a good driver. She knew when I was ready and had a lot more confidence in me than I had on myself. I could get some practice off hand with my husband too but I'm glad she perfected my parking, freeway driving, downtown driving and a lot more. I would highly recommend Luann and Austin driving school if you not only want to pass your test but also learn how to be a responsible driver. Way to go! read more

Horrible customer service. Completely manual booking process for in car portions of the course. Very surprised they are still in business.

I thought Austin Driving School was working to remedy miserable phone communication, and I was holding out before posting a negative review, but I was just hung up on for the second time by a phone representative 5/5/18, 12:45, Anderson Mill location). It happened 6 mos ago too. I am trying to help my son schedule the final two already-paid-for driving classes prior to his driving test but have found the year-long scheduling process frustrating and blood pressure raising. Forgive any poor grammar because I am very upset. I think the classroom portion of this program is great, but save your money on the driving portion of this program - it will take years off your life in the time it takes to schedule driving times and the toll the stress causes your body. Hey Austin Driving School, why not get with the advances in technology and create an online signup system. read more

I have had the same experience as the other 1 star ratings. The office staff tries but are horribly understaffed. I am so sorry I spent the money on this driving school because I do not know that my son will ever be put on the schedule for the driving times required to get his license. Poor thing.. he just says he hopes he can get the 7 lessons sometime in the 12 months. Really?! The owners should be ashamed taking people's money knowing they cannot fulfill the student's needed driving times. read more

My niece signed up to take the class. (she is less than a month from 18) We were told she'd need to do it all, were told she didn't need to do the driver's part and just go get her license. Problem...they neglected to tell her that the learner's permit would expire as soon as she turned 18 and there was ZERO way she could have gotten the driving hours done before the permit expired. Went to DPS and they essentially told us she wasted $400 and should have waited the month as it would have cost her less in DPS fees. The instructor she had treated the girls like they were stupid, told them he didn't care if they got into a wreck after they were no longer in his class, etc etc. Even told them if they sneezed more than twice in class he would kick them out. Avoid this place or do all your research before going there. Ohh I should also mention that as of today the State of Texas Comptroller shows that Austin Driving School's Francise tax license is expired and they don't even have the right to do business in the State of Texas. read more

I had an amazing experience learning to drive with Luanne at Austin Driving School. I took the 6 hour Adult beginners course over four days and was able to pass the driving test with almost a perfect score on the fourth day. Luanne was very helpful and her 30+ years of drivers education experience was obvious from the very beginning. I am so grateful to her and Austin Driving School for assisting me in getting my license FINALLY. Luanne prepared me for exactly what would be on the driving test and the day of I was able to use Austin Driving School's vehicle. If you are an adult who has been putting off getting your license I highly recommend this program. read more

Don't waste your money! This business is run horribly. It is very difficult to get driving lessons and when you do teachers don't show up. My experience is with the Round Rock location. You pay up front so there is no going back. read more

This place is only getting one star because I have to. We started our daughter off on parent taught driver's ed. This went amazingly well until we got to the behind the wheel portion. My husband and I both drive standard transmission 4x4 Jeeps. We decided that these were a little too much vehicle for our daughter to start on, and decided to transfer her to a driving school for the second half of her driving education. I called Austin Driving School on a Saturday, and the woman who answered the phone told me that in order to accomplish this goal, I would have to go to the DPS office on Monday and get a 'transfer form'. No problem. Monday rolls around, and we all pack up and head off to the DPS office. And that's where the problems started. First of all, the guy at the DPS office looked at me like I was soft in the head when I asked for a transfer form. He told me that I should have gotten that when I received her DE-964 form (for her permit). I told him that I printed it online, since she was taking an online PTDE course. He basically said that there was nothing I could do and that was that. So, I went home and called ADS back. THIS time, the woman that I talked to said NOTHING about a transfer form, just told me that all I needed was to cancel my daughter's PTDE enrollment and bring in the cancellation form and the DE-964....but she wasn't really clear on everything, so I called the DPS office back. They directed me to the PTDE office, and we got THAT part taken care of. The THIRD time I called the school (to verify documentation, cost, etc) the THIRD different person answered the phone and tried to tell me that my daughter would have to take the ENTIRE course over again!! She interrupted me twice when I was telling her that it was a block course transfer and that all I needed was the behind the wheel portion. I finally just asked her for the address of the school nearest to me, (she gave me the wrong address) and I went to the school in person. The one person in the office took a look at my paperwork and decided what I had wasn't what I needed, and said I needed a transfer form A TRANSFER FORM!!! So, I told her that apparently those didn't exist, because NO ONE that I had talked to today knew what the hell they were. SO she pulls out a binder and shows me one. Ok, fine, they exist....I asked her where or how I am supposed to get one. Her response was "Well, I don't know." Seriously? You are running a driving school, and you have no idea where to get the information that you are requiring me to have before I can enroll my child in your school?! This was the culmination of 4 hours of frustration, aggrivation and near panic on my daughter's part, since we had already cancelled her PTDE enrollment as per the instructions of the first idiot we had spoken to today. I had to call her online school to get the information that was necessary, and finally enrolled her in a totally different school. The one we went with cost $30 more for the class she has to take, but I will gladly swallow that, if it means that she is being taught by people who know what the hell is going on. The second driving school knew exactly what I needed and how to get it. I would not recommend dealing with these idiots if you can help it. read more

Seriously bad customer service. My son has been taking lessons here since last summer and has still not finished. They don't tell you anything you need to know when you sign up (like what forms need to be filled out, what the requirements are for getting a license, that an appointment is needed at DPS for the test, etc). As a parent working through the system with our first teen, this information would have been hugely helpful. The main problem, though, as stated by many reviewers, is that the behind the wheel sessions are ridiculously hard to schedule. They don't tell you when you sign up that your child will drive one time every 3 weeks but that seems to be the norm. Had I known that, I would have gone somewhere else. You can have your child put on a waiting list to call if someone cancels but it will still be once a week, max. Additionally, they have misplaced some of my teen's appointment records so now we'll need 2 additional appointments when my records show we're finished. For a kid who has a car waiting with a bow on it for his birthday, that's going to make for a very anticlimactic event when he has to wait for 2 more driving lessons (6 weeks, according to their schedule) before he can drive it. I would be on the phone handling all these issues right now but the office hours are ridiculous as well. They open at 2:00 in the afternoon! In summary: 1- Tell your customers what will be required to get a license, start to finish, step by step so that they don't have to discover it for themselves, 2- keep better records, 3- hire additional driving instructors (one lesson every 3 weeks because your schedule is full is ridiculous) and 4- change your office hours. **Addition to my initial review- my son failed his first attempt at his driver's license test because they had never taught him to parallel park! During his last behind the wheel session, the instructor gave him the choice of either learning to parallel park or driving on the highway without ever telling him he would be expected to parallel park during his test. In other words "Do you want to go fast or do you want to spend 2 hours repeatedly backing up and pulling forward? Your choice!" I spent an hour or so teaching him in the parking lot of the driving school where they have posts set up just for learning to parallel park while the staff watched from inside the office. He passed on the second try. read more

I have placed an official complaint with BBB, we signed up my son for both the classroom and driving lessons. Classroom time went well, he got his permit, a different story when trying to schedule driving time. I called weekly for 3 weeks, to preschedule him and no returned calls, very unprofessional. I am asking for a refund for the remaining driving classes, do yourself a favor do not use their services, big headache! read more

Horrible! Do not waste your money paying for the drive time instruction! This company is a rip off and should not be allowed to have a state license. I paid for my son for the Burnet location. Both the Burnet location and the main office would not give a drive time for anything more than once every three weeks, and would not offer training spots at other locations. Their response is "every three weeks is what we can offer right now." Getting instruction only once every three weeks would be 21 weeks to complete the 7 drive classes that I paid for my son. Find a better driving school or do it yourself, but do not pay these folks because they will take your money and tell you that once every three weeks is fine for a beginning driver. read more

First things first, listen to me, not any of the parents. I took the classes, not them, I did the behind the wheel instruction, not them. I'm sorry you had a terrible experience but it doesn't mean your child did. I personally had the best experience ever! I took the in class instruction over the summer and I t was truly wonderful. I'm a teenager and I could have been doing so many other things but instead I decided to go to drivers ed, and I learned so much from Mr. Reyna; he created such a fun and welcoming environment that was easy to learn in. Next over the course of 6 months I did the behind the wheel instruction with Ms. H. The first thing you must do is be persistent, the secretary won't do well with people berating her and asking for driving time, be patient and make sure to call because she has so many people to call back and she won't remember to call every single person back. Ms. H was a terrific teacher, she helped me gain confidence in my driving and I am finally to the point to where I am comfortable in neighborhoods, and on the roads, and even on the freeway. Everyone has a different experience it it seems that mostly parents are writing reviews about THEIR experiences and not their kids who actually attended the class and behind the wheel instruction. Be patient with the Austin Driving School, they allow for kids and adults to have a different experience then of the parent taught and online classes. I 100% as someone who attended the school recommend you go here. read more

Once the class portion was over, and my teen was able to do the behind the wheel driving portion, I was surprised to find that the 2 hour sessions only let my teen drive for one hour each time. I could not get my teen in to even drive for that long for several weeks. No one would call me back, and when I would go in to ask why I can't get on the driving list, the lady would promise to call on friday, then i would hear nothing. After complaining to corp. my teen was put on the list only to be left waiting for over an hour past the set time! this is the worst run company I have had to deal with in Austin! I am not happy with the service, and would not send anyone to this company. They are only there to take your money, and your child gets left on a lost list in hopes you give up and teach them yourselves. read more

Ok. I did send my youngest son there. It is very hard to beat the location as it is near home and school. It seems they have streamlined some of their systems. The 2nd time around was better than the first, although I would not call it stellar, but definitely better. read more

There really needs to be an option for NO STARS. This is by far the most horrendous business I have ever seen. The service is HORRIBLE. You cannot get scheduled for lessons EVER. They put you on a list and NEVER call you. We left at least 10 voice mails and NEVER got a return call. I would never recommend this school to anyone who lives in Texas let alone Austin. The corporate office is just as horrible. They have no clue how to speak to the CUSTOMER who paid ALOT of money for this. Its been an horrible experience. DO NOT USE THEM. I repeat: ITS HORRIBLE read more

Worst customer experience and scheduling ever. You call the office to request drive time, but instead of assigning then, they say they'll call you back later with a slot. Sometimes they call back, sometimes they don't. When they do, it can be two weeks or more. If you aren't home, they leave a message, but you have to start the whole process again. The drivers are fine, but I would not recommend this company to anyone. They are a pain to deal with and clearly have no understanding of how stressful they make it for parents. Stay away read more

Too bad there isn't an option for zero stars. This place doesn't even deserve one star. Making drive time appointments are IMPOSSIBLE. Save your money, time and effort. I wouldn't recommend this place if they PAID me. Obviously, they enroll way more students than they are able to accommodate. This place needs an overhaul, it's not worth it, go somewhere else or teach them yourself. The website advertises that you can get schedule 'drive times - anytime' ----such false advertisement. Very disappointing experience. read more

As an adult driver who not much driving experience and none at all driving in the US, I recently took a set of driving classes with Luanne at the Austin Driving School. The staff at the School were professional and helpful in terms of setting up the appointments and working around my schedule. But the greatest asset ADS has is Luanne. She is an extremely capable, competent and confidence instilling instructor. I took 6 hours of driving classes with her (a basic package) and each of these was devoted to reinforcing with sensitivity and skill the fundamentals of a good driver. Her motto is that it isn't about just passing the test but being a 'safe driver' and this is something that I will continue to practice thanks to Luanne. read more

I would never recommend Austin Driving School. I had the unfortunate experience of signing my younger sister up at the Burnet location. It took them nearly 2 full months to schedule the first practice drive. During that wait we called every week, and never received satisfactory call backs or information. Finally I called the central office and was on the phone for 26 minutes to get clear information. The office was unapologetic and inflexible, said that I was only being difficult because they weren't doing "exactly what I asked" and that it's all because "you misunderstood"... . No stars for customer service. Unfortunately it would cost more to transfer to a different school so we're stuck here for now. read more

I had to be persistent about calling them to get my driving class scheduled and I can't vouch for the school as a whole, but I had a GREAT experience with my instructor Luanne. She's really professional and knows exactly what the DPS looks for in a good driver. She gave me a lot of great tips including a really great technique for parallel parking. She made me feel really at ease and was really encouraging. read more

It was unorganized, at best, and they were not very professional. It seems as if they are taking advantage of the fact that they are the "only game in town". Each time my child would go out driving, it was with a different instructor who had a different style of how they wanted the driving done. This caused confusion for my child and the others in the car. They are also not very patient and understanding of kids who have never driven before. The 3rd day out driving, they were taking the kids on I-35!!! This is not safe and we objected strenuously but pressure to go on the highway persisted so we pulled our child out of the course. We are now doing the teaching ourselves and our child will get a license at her own pace. Austin Driving School is concerned only about the cash and not the safety or well being of the kids in their charge. I'd love to see them get shut down but, as I said previously, they are the only game in town. Be smart and teach your child yourself if you can. read more

I received a driving lesson from Austin Driving School at the North Lamar DMV, and then I took my road test. My lesson was great, and I passed my driving test right after. Mrs. Luanne Reyna was a wonderful instructor, and she gave me many tips as she took me through the route the test would use. She arrived exactly on time at the DMV for my lesson. She was very supportive, and her advice was extremely helpful in helping me pass. :) I highly recommend her as a driving instructor. I'm ecstatic that I passed, due to the fact that it was my second time taking it, and I really didn't want to take the test again. Overall, I would really recommend their services. Thanks, Austin Driving School!! :) read more

Same experience as all the other bad reviews. I am disappointed more in myself for continuing on with taking my son to this school even though I read the bad reviews. They don't call you when they cancel driving lessons; drivers quit without a word to anyone; Burnet location only had one driver and scheduling an appt was basically a lottery; each scheduler schedules differently and they come and go from the company; no compensation or even acknowledgement of wrong doing on the part of management; outdated materials (I had to order a current Driver's Manual from TXDOT); and so much more. It's been more than a year since my son took the class and he still can't get scheduled to finish the driving. They say they will do things and call you and then you never hear a word. If you STILL want to go to them, make sure you document every date/time you speak with someone and the name of that person. Even with that information, you most likely won't get anywhere because the person you spoke with probably left. I have friends who have used on-line parent taught programs for cheaper and a lot easier. I didn't think I had the time but I definitely don't have the time to put up with this business. read more

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY...I signed my son up for classes / driving at this location. The classroom time was fine but when he had to start actually taking driving sessions my frustration began and only got worse as time went on. My son started his driving portion in June and it's September and he is barely half way through. When you sign up they don't tell you that the driving session will only be every other week, which is also not generally true...in reality be prepared to wait 3-4 weeks between driving sessions, I would have to constantly contact the school about driving sessions because they don't seem to keep any kind of track of their students or scheduling them, more times than not they would already be overbooked on the driving so it difficult to get driving time even if you called when they told you, or before. I would highly recommend that you check around and try to find a different company if your want your kiddo to qualify for their license before their 21st birthday as this one has been nothing but a drawn out and overbooked headache. read more