advice needed on kwikfit

lihi · 9th October 2007, 22:21

Hi

At the beginning of September my car was not driving right so a friend gave it a test drive and said I needed new discs, so the next day I took it to kwik fit because I thought that they were a reputable firm and had no reason to try and rip me off, or so I thought.

After leaving my car with them all day Saturday and being told my car would be ready at the end of the day I had to chase them then they said they couldn't look at it and try again tomorrow so I took it home brought it back sat there for over 2 hours with an extremely bored 4 year old and was told that the brakes had gone, it wasn't safe to drive and I should leave it with them when they would fix first thing in the morning. 2 pads, 1 disc and changing the brake fluid = £164 approx later I went to get the car. They told me that my wishbones had also gone and it was causing my tyres to wear oddly on the outside rim, as they had cleared me out I vowed to come back at the end of the month. After speaking to a couple of people it seemed to me that kwikfit have a reputation in my area (not just the branch I'd visited) for wrongly diagnosing car faults so made a mental note to take time off for midweek for the car and take to my local garage.

(sorry to go on) Two weeks a go I got a blow out so I took it to my local garage and told him about kwik fit saying that the wishbones had gone and were causing my tyres to wear funny, oh no he told me that's the tracking not the wishbones, he did the tracking and everything's fine. I told him about the brakes and he hit the roof about what they'd said as he mot'd my car 4 weeks before kwik fit got their hands on mine and said the brakes were enough to pass, now this garage failed me first of all on other stuff so I find it hard to believe they'd miss a fail on something so unimportant like brakes.

My car for a week or so has been making abnormal noises so I popped in to my garage today as I was at home and he told me that it's the brakes, he can hear and feel it like me. This garage has a very good reputation and I do genuinely trust them (it doesn't happen often).

I know that kwik fit have 'done me over' as they have with others I have spoken to. When I take my car back to my local garage tomorrow where do I stand about getting a refund back? I do not want them touching my car and as the car has already cost me a third of it's value in 2 months I'm not in a position to hang around waiting for half a refund in a few years.

Help please, what are my rights and how do I go about giving kwik fit a huge kick?

Thank you

shywazz · 9th October 2007, 23:28

Can the garage you normally use provide you with notification that the brakes were checked prior to kwikfit doing any work, and that there were okay and had no fault? Pads as you know, take time to wear down, hence would have been picked up during any check, were there really checked during the MOT or were there forgotten, mine were never checked during my last mot as the tie grips round my hud caps were still intact so know there werent checked, kwikfit would have done a check and hence carried out the work at your permission, it seems garages are getting paid for work not been carried out, and unless we know what we are looking for, us drivers are non the wiser, we pay what there say and drive away, in the hope the work paid for has been done, i'm currantly going through a garage nightmare of my own, so do know how your feeling at the propect of possiblely been ripped off. Get your normal garage to look at the work kwikfit claims to have done for you, there will be able to tell if the pads and discs are new or not. then take matters from there, if your normal garage maintains there checked them and didnt need replacing, then confront kwikfit with your findings and produce the note from the garage stating this.

Chesterexpress · 10th October 2007, 09:16

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that discs were always replaced in pairs.

lihi · 10th October 2007, 16:48

Sorry my mistake, 2 brake discs and 1 pad (according to invoice).

lihi · 10th October 2007, 16:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by shywazz

Can the garage you normally use provide you with notification that the brakes were checked prior to kwikfit doing any work, and that there were okay and had no fault? Pads as you know, take time to wear down, hence would have been picked up during any check, were there really checked during the MOT or were there forgotten, mine were never checked during my last mot as the tie grips round my hud caps were still intact so know there werent checked, kwikfit would have done a check and hence carried out the work at your permission, it seems garages are getting paid for work not been carried out, and unless we know what we are looking for, us drivers are non the wiser, we pay what there say and drive away, in the hope the work paid for has been done, i'm currantly going through a garage nightmare of my own, so do know how your feeling at the propect of possiblely been ripped off. Get your normal garage to look at the work kwikfit claims to have done for you, there will be able to tell if the pads and discs are new or not. then take matters from there, if your normal garage maintains there checked them and didnt need replacing, then confront kwikfit with your findings and produce the note from the garage stating this.

I suppose I don't have much way of checking they really did check the brakes when it was mot'd but I trust them and they've gone out of their way to help me in the past and not charged me a penny, they don't seem to be the sort of garage to cut corners. As you say though, unless I know what I'm looking for who can be sure?!

I think a Heines book for KA's would be a wise investment for the next week! Girl power!! I am totally uneducated when it comes to cars and if I don't wise up some of these garages will see a huge pound sign hanging over my head.

pt2537 · 10th October 2007, 17:07

i do seem to remember a case which was reported locally where KwikFit had told a motorist that their suspension was leaking and what had happened was the mechanic had sprayed WD40 onto the shockabsorber, the way they got caught out was thatthe shockabsorber in this instance was gas filled so it wouldnt have oil leaking form it.

next time you deal with these sort of people, get them to show you what the faults are and i always ask for the parts they take off so that i can look at them to asses the wear myself.

a Haynes manual would be a good idea, although for a Ka? nah im only joking, i would also suggest taking soemone who knows about cars with you next time
regards
paul

lihi · 10th October 2007, 17:29

oooooooo that's so harsh PT but you're right, I'll probably get laughed at in Halfords and kicked out

.

I did think the next day maybe I should of asked for the parts when I collected the car to take back to my garage but thought as it was kwikfit they would be one of the firms that I could trust - WRONG.

I'll take this one of the chin this time, I'm def stopping at Halfords on the way home though! It's all he said she said so I can't see me getting anywhere anytime this century if I start world car war 3.

pt2537 · 10th October 2007, 17:37

sorry, just had to say it. my sister in law has a Ka and we keep ribbing her about it being a roller skate among other things

but no, seriously, a Haynes manual is worth having especially if your knowledge of cars is not upto much. have you though about joining the RAC or AA, they will come out and diagnose whats wrong and it only costs around 30 for basis cover

anyway good luck with the ka

regards
paul

LancerQRL · 10th October 2007, 21:14

wheels are NOT removed during a mot, a visual inspection of brakes only is carried out, however the brake effiency is checked by a rolling road type machine. hence wheel trims do not need to be removed as more can be seen from under the car

lihi · 10th October 2007, 23:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by LancerQRL

wheels are NOT removed during a mot, a visual inspection of brakes only is carried out, however the brake effiency is checked by a rolling road type machine. hence wheel trims do not need to be removed as more can be seen from under the car

Hi and thanks Lancer. Is it possible for a car to pass it's mot on brakes and then 3 weeks later they be completely worn down to the metal? According to Kwikfit that is.

pt2537 · 10th October 2007, 23:04

That would entirley depend upon a lot of variables, how many miles the car had done since the MOT, how much use the brakes have had over those miles and how much "meat" was on the pads in the first place at the point of the MOT

i hope this helps

regards
paul

mrmix · 14th October 2007, 13:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by pt2537

i do seem to remember a case which was reported locally where KwikFit had told a motorist that their suspension was leaking and what had happened was the mechanic had sprayed WD40 onto the shockabsorber, the way they got caught out was thatthe shockabsorber in this instance was gas filled so it wouldnt have oil leaking form it.

next time you deal with these sort of people, get them to show you what the faults are and i always ask for the parts they take off so that i can look at them to asses the wear myself.

a Haynes manual would be a good idea, although for a Ka? nah im only joking, i would also suggest taking soemone who knows about cars with you next time
regards
paul

Maybe worth a read regarding gas filled shocks.
http://www.supersprint-uk.com/

pt2537 · 14th October 2007, 13:24

Hi,

from memory there was more to this than i have posted but i distinctly remember the article i read saying that it was found out due to the fact that the shocker in question was a gas filled one and there was some question raised as to the leak and it came to light that WD40 had been sprayed on to the leg of the shocker and it was stated that it would not have leaked from that location

anyway my point was that you should never trust what you are being told by garages based purely upon their sayso i always ask that they show me what is wrong and i always ask to see the parts that have been taken out as not everyone is trust worthy. youve only got to look at tv programs like rogue traders and house of horros to see that

regards
paul

mrmix · 14th October 2007, 22:08

I worked at KwikFit many years ago, bonus system in operation for the managers, trips abroad for the top sellers.

Dubious procedures at times, I never stayed long.

Surfer01 · 18th October 2007, 15:32

We got well and truly ripped off by them in Cardiff! Never used them since.

brittone05 · 20th October 2007, 14:23

My hubby is a garage owner and won't even change pads singly - pretty pointless seeing as you pay for them form any supplier as a pair!!

I would contact Kwik Fit and tell them your brakes are faulty afte htem fitting them - unless they can prove it is a wapred disc and a fault of the manufacturere, they have an obligaiton to correctt heproblem within your warantee.

Be aware thoughthat they should have advised you no harsh braking for a minimum of 200 miles (may only be my hubby who does this though) and could tryt o sayt he brake fault is yours for braking excessively while the surfaces were wearing in

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