Kwik-Fit

fannyadams

Don't get me started on KrapFit or Nationwide Autocentres!
I've had mixed experiences with KF - I'm certain that when I had my breaks done this time (emergency) that they've !!!!!!ed my exhaust coz it wasn't blowing when it went in and now it is - but I cna't prove it as I don't have an inspection pit at my house to photograph the underside of my car before and after.

I would however tell everyone not to use Nationwide Autocenters - even if you get a voucher or clubcard points for using them don't waster your money. They ruined my diesel escort made me spend over 1K getting it fixed and it was still wrong. I couldn't prove it though, despite taking it to a ford main dealer for their opinion they weren't prepared to make a statement to the effect of shoddy workmanship had killed my car.
Lesson learnt.

Basil_Fawlty

MiserlyMonkey wrote:

I've had the opposite experience with Kwik-Fit. My local Citroen main dealer told me the exhaust on my car needed replacement as it was rusted through and blowing. I asked my local Kwik-Fit to quote me for the work and was shown that there was nothing wrong with it, just a little rust around a bracket. The Citroen dealer wanted to charge me £300, Kwik-Fit charged me nothing.
On another occasion I urgently needed to replace two tyres and on a Sunday morning Kwik-Fit arranged for a tyre to be brought by taxi from another branch to get me on the road again.

That's very impressive - which branch was this at?? Certainly unlike any of the other experiences on here :rolleyes:

Oh and welcome to MSE :T and I'm very pleased you chose my thread to make your first post

syledis

i had them replace two wheelbearings on my Galant and to start ioff they only replaced one because they got the price wrong but said both were replaced, when another mechanic checked it they said it was a mistake and fitted the other one but somehow managed to damage one of my front discs, so they were replaced , and in the doing this they severed my abs sensor! after that the discs the fitted started warping d/t not reaplacing pads at the same time, so replaced discs and pads again, then pregnant girlfiend picks up car from them and its wobbling all over the road as tracking is way out and balance weights have been knocked off one of the wheels. This whole drama took 13 visits to resolve but the worst one for me was charging for parts that werent fitted. Kwik Fit? my son call them nothing fits!!
I will never go near them again.

MORPH3US

@ MiserlyMonkey - I hope you got back in touch with Citroen and told them what happened. Its bloody criminal when garages who supposedly know what they are talking about try to rip you off for work that doesn't need doing, either through sheer stupidity or through being evil con men!

@ Fannyadams, amen to your comment on Nationwide Autocenters, took my car there for the £99 service (only because I needed a proper service for the warranty), they called me later to say I needed new brakes (pads discs etc on front and the brake drums on the back were leaking! Took it straight round to my uncles and he couldn't find a thing wrong with them!!! Con men, FULL STOP!!

M

MiserlyMonkey

spaceage wrote:

That's very impressive - which branch was this at?? Certainly unlike any of the other experiences on here :rolleyes:

It was in Harlow, Essex.

@ MORPH3US: No, I sold the car soon afterwards so I won't be going back to the Citroen dealer ever again. I think they were just trying it on.

Basil_Fawlty

MiserlyMonkey wrote:

It was in Harlow, Essex.

@ MORPH3US: No, I sold the car soon afterwards so I won't be going back to the Citroen dealer ever again. I think they were just trying it on.

Nevertheless you should still either name and shame on here and at least contact them to let them know you were conned (or nearly were). Nissan once tried to flog me a cabin air filter and even fitted it for me, despite the fact my Almera doesn't have a cabin air filter. They soon refunded the cost and claimed they meant the air filter for the engine, which they'd already replaced anyway a couple of weeks back in the service... :rolleyes: Main dealers are also a bid dodgy imo. From now on I go to the guys I can trust in the little but well known garage.

penrhyn

The other year I picked up a nail in my tyre while visiting Comet, I go there for viewing purposes only, they only really want to sell extended warranties, and silly expensive scart leads.
Its close to the local Kwik Fit so I drove around, they took the wheel off removed the offending nail , checked the tyre and found it was OK, put it back on and did not charge me a penny.
I have used them on several occasions and have always had good service and a decent price.

Sorry if this does not follow the rant but I can only speak as I find.

The branch in question is in Stapleford, near Nottingham, and I would use them again.

MORPH3US

penrhyn wrote:

Sorry if this does not follow the rant but I can only speak as I find.

Don't be daft mate, i'm sure everyone will agree that KwikFit has got / might have some good people working hard and honestly for them somewhere, same as with everything!!!

M

oldagetraveller

There was a report on the local news some years ago about a Kwikfit centre in Liverpool.
Someone took in a quite expensive Audi model to have a new exhaust system fitted, why they would do that I don't know, but the new exhaust didn't fit properly and to make it fit the "technicians" cut a couple of bits off the car bodywork underneath!!
Don't know what the outcome was but I wouldn't have been too pleased.

chrisw

I took my car into Kwik fit for an exhaust as they were about £50 cheaper than anywhere else. I was sat there for an hour and a half and kept seeing fitters walk past with hammers and levers and there was a hell of a din out the back. Eventually they came in, apologised for the delay and said the exhaust must have been the wrong one as it didn't fit, but it did now!
Anyway, it looks a bit lopsided but it's been ok for the last 18 months and I'm getting rid of the car soon.