Kwik Fit? Stay Clear?

thescouselander

I've found Kwik Fit to be quite expensive but on the very few occasions I have used them the service has been ok. They only did what I asked them to do and I didn't hear any rubbish about other things needing replacement. At least they are a good deal better than Nationwide Auto Centre who I have found to be appalling.

somech

i have first hand inside knowledge of natiowide and my god SOME of their centres are shocking

eco

Many years ago when I was new to owning a car, no one else in my family had one, so didn't have anyone to get advice off, but decided to use kwikfit for an mot, they said I needed a new exhaust a mine was popping, it wasn't popping when it went in, and I've no proof it was worn that much but they surprisingly had 1 in stock and agreed to do it, I've since realised that they take time to build up to popping that loud, and it was loud, I've always thought since they did it and haven't been back since.

clairehi

Well, I have had the exact opposite experience at Kwikfit.
I got my car serviced by a Ford dealer, they rang me up to tell me that my brake pads were "90% worn" and the discs were lipped. It would cost £400 or whatever to replace them all. They were careful not to say "they NEED replacing". I was suspicious as the same garage had changed brake discs and pads front and rear only 20 000 miles beforehand, so I told them not to do the work I would get a second opinion.
Took the car to Kwikfit, they actually measured the pad material thickness etc with a gauge rather than just looking at them like the dealership, and told me all components absolutely fine with plenty of wear left. no work was needed so no charge was made.
I have never been sold anything I didnt need by Kwikfit and have always found them to be honest. On the other hand I have never been back to the Ford dealer.

Billy-no-Money

Realised we'd forgotten to get our car MoT'd, and could only get it booked in at Kwik Fit on the last day. All passed, except there was a cut through to the cord on the inside sidewall of a front tyre.

The fitter showed me the cut; it struck me as being very clean while the surface rubber around it was grimy, as if it had been freshly done, but I'm no forensic scientist.

Put it this way - if I were going to slash a tyre with a stanley knife to make it fail an MoT I'd do it on the inside where the owner's unlikely to have looked recently.

I paid up, didn't have much choice - but I won't go there again.

(A few years earlier I had shock absorbers done at the same branch - they came loose within weeks!)

Strider590

eco wrote: »

Many years ago when I was new to owning a car, no one else in my family had one, so didn't have anyone to get advice off, but decided to use kwikfit for an mot, they said I needed a new exhaust a mine was popping, it wasn't popping when it went in, and I've no proof it was worn that much but they surprisingly had 1 in stock and agreed to do it, I've since realised that they take time to build up to popping that loud, and it was loud, I've always thought since they did it and haven't been back since.

I had a similar experience, but with HI-Q....
I was having issue with my car stalling.
I went to them to get my exhaust checked and a bracket replaced as id been told it might be slightly blocked, it came out with a noisy cat and a quote for £350 to replace it. They also had the nerve to tell me one of my tyre's was barely legal! Another £90 for that!

In the end it was the lambda sensor that needed replacing at a cost of £190 from the stealership, then once replaced I had to get a new CAT at a cost of £95 (from a friend).
Long story short.... I went in with one problem and came out with two!!!

Then again..... I pretty much think no garages can be trusted unless you know someone who actually works there. To say that the tyre/battery/exhaust places are dodgy is somewhat unfair when all things are considered.
The industry needs a shake-up, stop paying mechanics commission on goods/services sold!

cyclonebri1

Strider590 wrote: »

I had a similar experience, but with HI-Q....
I was having issue with my car stalling.
I went to them to get my exhaust checked and a bracket replaced as id been told it might be slightly blocked, it came out with a noisy cat and a quote for £350 to replace it. They also had the nerve to tell me one of my tyre's was barely legal! Another £90 for that!

In the end it was the lambda sensor that needed replacing at a cost of £190 from the stealership, then once replaced I had to get a new CAT at a cost of £95 (from a friend).
Long story short.... I went in with one problem and came out with two!!!

Then again..... I pretty much think no garages can be trusted unless you know someone who actually works there. To say that the tyre/battery/exhaust places are dodgy is somewhat unfair when all things are considered.
The industry needs a shake-up, stop paying mechanics commission on goods/services sold!

That's the point, mechanics, technicians aren't. crapco/hi con operators are!! :eek::eek:

joe2cool

Cheers! well majority is against I think!

edwrai

STAY AWAY STAY AWAY, cheap parts and no love.:eek:

Tucker

I used QF with my first ever car, nearly 20 years ago. Lets say, once bitten twice shy.

I've never been back in 20 years and never will.

They've not changed by all accounts.

If there's one company the recession should have taken and done us a favour....... but then we all know why they will have survived!!