New Brake Pads needed

CrazyChemist_2

Wig wrote:

Crazy chemist,

I can't believe you can't find a back street garage cheaper than kwik fit. You said "their low prices"!!! 110 pounds to fit brake pads is a rip off!

As someone just said - pads from a motor factor for your vehicle cost 25 pounds, you will easily find some small garage who will fit them for around 20 - 40 pounds personally I wouldn't pay more then 25 for fitting.

As for Kwik fits lifetime gaurantee, I just read the t&c's and one thing is clear, they haven't used "plain english". Another thing is clear they will use any excuse they can find during their inspection to find something else that needs changing, and there are plenty of reports of people being ripped off by Kwik fit with a recent thread in Vent board where someone nearly lost their car to kwikfit because kwikfit tried to say he needed new discs front and back & pads costing hundreds of pounds. When the car was finally inspected by an area manager he decided it didn't need discs all round, (well it had just passed an MOT 2 weeks earlier!).

And handbrake shoes are not covered. What's the bet that if & when OP goes to KWIK fit on Monday they somehow find lots of other things that need replacing as well as the pads?

Something they don't make clear in the t&c's is whether you have to pay for the report if you decide not to agree with their assessment. OP I strongly suggest you ask before you let them look at your car, if after they have inspected your car and you disagree, will there be any cost to you before you can drive away?

Plus most cars don't go through many sets of pads, on most cars they will last for donkeys years. If you drive 50,000 a year up and down motorways your pads will not be used much because you don't brake on motorways much. The only people who use lots of brakes are taxis and other commercial vehicles, these vehicles are of course excluded.

I made a mistake with the price - they quoted £60.80 for front brake pads. I'm not going to them on the basis of the lifetime guarantee as at my last brake inspection (Sept. 05) the guy said that next time the pads need replacing the shoes may need doing too. So the lifetime replacement isn't one of the plus points.

Also, I have an MOT on Monday morning and would like to get the brakes done before that, as I have a free MOT for Life voucher with my car but if it fails, I have to get the work done at the dealer for a free retest . I'd rather avoid it as they are charging around £90 for front pads.

I know that Kwik Fit do price matching too so if I can find a cheaper garage by phone I could get them to do a pricematch perhaps. I'm stuck for ideas and considering that the all in price of £60.80 is around what most of you have estimated for buying at a local motor factor and then getting them fitted, it's looking like ok... isn't it?

Btw, someone said that Mintex pads weren't very good, is there a site anywhere saying which are good and not so good brands??

Wig

CrazyChemist wrote:

I made a mistake with the price - they quoted £60.80 for front brake pads. I'm not going to them on the basis of the lifetime guarantee as at my last brake inspection (Sept. 05) the guy said that next time the pads need replacing the shoes may need doing too. So the lifetime replacement isn't one of the plus points.

Also, I have an MOT on Monday morning and would like to get the brakes done before that, as I have a free MOT for Life voucher with my car but if it fails, I have to get the work done at the dealer for a free retest . I'd rather avoid it as they are charging around £90 for front pads.

I know that Kwik Fit do price matching too so if I can find a cheaper garage by phone I could get them to do a pricematch perhaps. I'm stuck for ideas and considering that the all in price of £60.80 is around what most of you have estimated for buying at a local motor factor and then getting them fitted, it's looking like ok... isn't it?

Btw, someone said that Mintex pads weren't very good, is there a site anywhere saying which are good and not so good brands??

60 quid expensive, but ok for an outfit like Kwik fit I guess. I'd still be phoning a factors to find out what the price would be. And I don't go along with all these others about pads from this manufacturer or that manufacturer, I have never had any bother with pads. If you are concerned ask for ferodo they will do fine assuming they do your model.

What will you do when they lie to you and say you need new shoes, new discs?

btw they may say you need new shoes but really you don't need new shoes until your handbrake stops working, if it passes the MOT it will be fine, how will you know if your hand brake will pass the MOT? You will know if your handbrake is strong or not, it's not something you can miss. Your handbrake must engage at a point where there is sufficient potential in the hand brake lever for further brake wear, so if it only engages up at the top it may fail.

The lifetime gaurantee, I have a habit of replying to other people on the thread within the one post.

CrazyChemist_2

The handbrake seems firm, but can't this be easily adjusted?

Also I thought the shoes were the parts which the pads wear out against?? My car uses the front brakes for footbrake and rear for handbrake, as far as I can tell... and it's the front ones which are due to be replaced although in sept they only looked at the front ones. The handbrake seems fine though so I won't agree if they say the rear pads need doing.

Wig

shoes are the rear handbrake pad things

the things your front pads are against are discs, it is these that Kwik fit is probably going to lie about needing changing and I'll bet they charge a whack for these at Kwik fit.

So how did it go today?

CrazyChemist_2

It went ok - £53 all inclusive for front pads :cool: He didn't 'inspect' the rear brakes and I wasn't bothered about them as the handbrake is fine.

He actually said that there's around 1mm of pad left on the front which should be ok for another 1000 miles and would I like to leave it a bit or do it now. Seeing as I had the discount I did it today anyway as I'd already made time for it. MOT went without a glitch too and they even gave the car a wash, although I had washed it myself last week so I'll need to wax it again :rolleyes: well I suppose it's the thought that counts

But thanks for all the advice I really appreciate all of it. :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D