advice needed on kwikfit

[lihi]

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]

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]

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

[lihi]

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

[lihi]

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]

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]

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]

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:D

 

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[brittone05]

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

[skbuncks]

A word of advice, never ever ever use kwik fit. I know of no-one who has a good story to tell about them, myself included. The warranty for life on brakes and pads might sound tempting but the constant hassle and brazen attempts to rip you off certainly arnt

 

For advice for properly bedding-in your brakes see here.

 

Note that if you dont do it right your brakes are more likely to squeak and brake unevenly

 

skb

[kwikfitman]

skbuncks - it amazing people like you can post comments like that!!!

 

 

maybe you should come and visit my centre for a week and watch how 30+ people a day leave happy:)

 

this is not just my centre but across the whole country - don't you think if Kwik Fit gave such bad service to every customer - then why would they have amazing repeat business and fix 1000's of cars daily???

 

 

p.s how does one persons view of brakes make Kwik Fit into the bad boys????

 

before Kwik Fit do any Brake work - a full inspection report is filled out measurements taken and recored and a copy kept on file for 1 year

 

which other fast fit company/main dealer can offer this service - free of charge vbmenu_register("postmenu_1195831", true); vbmenu_register("postmenu_1195831", true);

[Goldlady]

I have to say that I cannot say a bad word about Kwik Fit. I have used them many many times and years ago when they offered the £6.95 Oil and Filter change I used to do the dumb brunette bit and take along an air filter and set of plugs and get my car serviced at the same time for nothing;). Recently I had an exhaust fitted and when a problem developed they put it right in ten minutes. And the staff are always really friendly and helpful.

 

I think as a company they have pretty much got it right - although there will always be some flies in the ointment.

[lihi]

With all due respect KF it's our opinion and we're entitled to it, since paying out at my local kwikfit on my last car I've since found out that the centre has an appalling reputation from a high number of individual cases, my only regret is that I'd found this out after paying out half of my shopping budget for the month.

 

I hope that this particular centre really is an individual case. It's not my intention to run down kwikfit though if we've had a bad experience it's our right to share this and ask for others views and opinions to establish whether or not our own case is an isolated incident. I'm pleased that at your centre customer satisfaction is important, unfortunately though it's not at mine.

[chasin sunsets]

Kwik fit, yeah, had a problem with them. Got an offer of 50% off for an MOT, so I took my Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i for her MOT. Flew through year before and only covered about 2000 miles annually. HAd a call saying the car had failed on braking. SHock, horror and disbelief as a young lad tore in the car park with another staff member, laughing their heads off. I was with my mate at the time and I was going to tear them apart! They had been for a jolly and the new tyres had been well and truly tested, also I had made a note of the mileage prior to leaving the car there. 26 miles later I asked for an explanation. The tester had put the car on the rolling road for a brake test (this happened while I was there) as he was explaining to me about the brake test, i asked if they were going to throw in new transmission and a new diff? MOT man asked why, I suggested he looked at the V5 and details of my vehicle. Permanent 4WD on a rolling road..not a good idea...the road test had been used for thrashing my beloved classic car (still have her) and I complained to the depot. Got an apology and compensation for the hammering of my car..(4 brand new Pirellis!) for the car which lasted for the next few thousand miles (ahem!)..lol

[chasin sunsets]

ps my Range Rover broke their rolling road..oh dear!