Kwit Fit nightmare

Hammyman

EleanorRig wrote: »

They were soft but still worked.

Would they have passed an MOT if the vehicle was checked at that time?

No.

Therefore you should not have been driving it and were in fact driving a dangerous vehicle.

skiddlydiddly

It does sound more like a leak than worn pads/shoes as they would make a grinding noise when you braked.

EleanorRig

I've just called the AA so hopefully I will get an accurate and honest answer to what's actually wrong..

giraffe69

I've just called the AA so hopefully I will get an accurate and honest answer to what's actually wrong..

You might even get one without the moralising, sermons and abuse. The AA only do that if you pay extra.
No doubt when you drove away from Kwik Fit you drove extra quickly and aimed at the halt, lame and sick.
And, of course, having been given a quote for this amount you were suffering shock and were emotionally challenged and unable to drive sensibly.
I hope they lock you up and throw away the key!

Harry_Flashman

Sometimes, the 'holier than thous' on here really do make me laugh.

For God's sake, she was confused and upset by the extortionate (and very likely highly exaggerated) Kwikfit estimate and the fact that her car was suddenly showing a problem.

How was she supposed to get the car home? Hire a wrecker? Any idea how much that costs?

I have 'some' understanding of how motors work and drive thousands of miles a year for work and pleasure and I would have done the same. I would have driven the motor home with consideration for the problem it was displaying and I seriously doubt there would have been any danger to anyone.

I have to agree with some of the above posters who suggest a leak of brake fluid (this could happen anytime and an imminent leak wouldn't show on an MoT). A temporary fix might be to top up the header tank, but this would be very temporary. I'm sure the AA will give you an impartial and honest diagnosis. Good luck

in_the_Cotswolds

paddedjohn wrote: »

So your brakes failed and you got a quote you didnt like then continued driving the car knowing full well that if a kid ran out in front of you you wouldnt be able to stop? You couldnt make it up. People like you should not be allowed to drive.

I don't see what the problem is. As an experienced driver you should be able to cope with all emergencies. I've driven cars with no brakes and clutches you adjust your driving to the conditions presented to you.

From what has been said it sounds like one of the circuits on the master cylinder is faulty. This could mean,
1) a new master cylinder,
2) if you have drum brakes a wheel cylinder could be leaking, this will mean a rear brake overhaul,
3) a brake hose has perished.

An MOT only lasts at the time of testing. If a fault arises next day there is nothing that can be done.

Incyder

Your 'soft' brake pedal means either brake fluid is leaking out under pressure or air has got into the system, or both. If you have this situation again try pumping the pedal 2 or 3 times before you want to stop and you may well feel the pedal harden up back to near normal again.

Check your brake fluid reservoir and top it up to the max line if its low, if you let this get too low it will definatley suck air into the system.

But, best not drive it at all.

Evilm

EleanorRig wrote: »

My question is, how are they (Kwik Fit) still able to run as a business when there are so many people being regularly ripped off (according to Watchdog) by being told they need unnecessary work done?

Because there are far more potential customers than sense. Sometimes people go there because its cheapest and they think that its something that KF can't muck up. Sometimes they are lucky and their local branch are ok. Sometimes people need a repair right now and can't afford to wait for a reputable garage to open.

Plus some people are not switched on about cars and would have accepted the quote given to you and think to themselves "well if its that bad thank goodness I didn't have an accident before these lovely people fixed it!"

mcjordi

OP- what did KF say was wrong?

you can still slow the car down with a combination of gears (if its not auto) and the handbrake (thats why its called the emergency brake)

like what i had to do not too long ago..

Strider590

It'll be interesting to see what they f*cked up.... Make sure you get a written report/statement from whoever looks at it! This could go down the legal route if KF let you knowingly drive a car which they'd left in a dangerous condition.

On a side note, as long as the brakes stop the car correctly, it will not fail the MOT for brakes.... However it would have advisory notes detailing any issues the tester noticed.