Nationwide Autocentres

adidas

Basically, I've received absolutely rubbish service from Nationwide. Please never go to this garage! Rear wheel came off whilst driving on the motorway, went to Nationwide to replace it. I had a full service done at the same time. Nationwide did not tell me to get my wheels aligned [even though they had put a new wheel on my vehicle] and did not do the tracking on my wheels, after they had replaced the rear wheel resulting in me driving on bent wheels. When I took it to another garage the mechanic could not believe that Nationwide had allowed me to drive the car like that. I had a full service done at the same time of having my wheel replaced at Nationwide.

Had various bits replaced. Then was driving on the motorway [about a month later] and steering felt very strange and I had to get my car recovered. Took car back to Nationwide to check their work. They had a look and said their work was spot on [wheels were tight etc] and there was nothing wrong with the steering apart from some heavy steering on one side. They didn't do wheel alignments there so I should take it somewhere else to check it out or to the main dealers.

Took my car to a garage about 1 minutes drive straight after Nationwide. They told me my CV boot [wheel part] had ripped and Nationwide should have told me this when they checked over my car as the mechanic (in Kwikfit) said it had been like this for some time and this could have resulted in more expensive damage to my car. Was very annoyed with Nationwide so rang them up but the receptionist [don't know if she was a mechanice as well], didn't seem to take my complaint seriously, told me that they did check this part and wanted to see the car again to see the condition of the boot. The CV boot would not have caused the steering problems I was having but you can see if something is wrong by just looking at the part.

In the meantime went to MrClutch who confirmed what Kwikfit said. Wrote the manager [of the Nationwide garage] a very angry letter and got them to replace the CV boot for free. I asked for a refund on the service but he said he wouldn't agree to this and so I compromised as I couldn't prove that the CV boot was like this at the time of the service. Nationwide told me that the CV boot wasn't ripped but the grease/oil had come out of the wheel [i.e. it needed replacing anyway] and they didn't mention it to me because "it wasn't signficant" even though it would cause damage to the whole wheel in the long run.

My wheels were damaged also, possibly from when my rear wheel came off on the motorway but Nationwide didn't tell me to replace them even though this again would cause me to have to pay out more in the long run and could cause an accident.

The garage that balanced my wheels for me, inspected Nationwide's work and told me that there were 2 loose bolts on the wheel they replaced even after they had checked my car twice! My garage said this could have meant that my wheel could have come loose! Very angry and annoyed at Nationwide and they are definately not money saving in the slightest. They do not really help you if you don't know much about cars or tell you potential problems and things that will cause you problems in the long run.

In addition, Nationwide told me to replace my battery (I thought this was necessary as I know my car is quite slow at starting in the morning). However, my garage tells me I need new (spark) plugs and leads. Something which Nationwide should have checked in the full service, and my car has been the same since before the battery change so I suspect they did not check this properly either.

I spent £175 getting the wheel done and a further £225 on the full service. So I know it seems like I'm being a bit picky but it's alot of money and they haven't done their job properly. Do you think I should go back to Nationwide again? Or ask for compensation? I'm fed up of talking to the particular garage as they don't seem to know what they're doing so should I just complain centrally? I know I asked for my money back for the service before and I agreed that they would just do the CV boot for me but since discovering [other aspects of] their poor work I feel I'm entitled to my money back. What can I do?

Splend

I'd certainly go back to Nationwide and complaint bitterly if I were you. If you can still show that their original work was unsatisfactory you should be able to take it higher.

I suspect it's a problem with your local branch, must admit I had a major problem with my local major Ford dealership (they forgot to properly tighten the brake hoses...which I found out about when my brakes failed - I kid you not!), but when servicing came around again I used my local Nationwide Autocentre and got excellent service at a good price...and I'll certainly return to them - so it's not all Nationwide Autocentres.

As ever with these major franchises, it's always down to the individual managers and engineers at the branches. Perhaps a call (or a recorded delivery letter) to the Head Office could help?

very_concerned_2

Couple of points:

A CV joint leaking is a fail on the MOT (know this from bitter experience:()

My local nationwide is excellent (Reddicap Hill), had a rubbing noise coming from the wheels when turning. They did an investigation, it was a loose wheel cover so they didn't charge me.

Jnelhams

I too have had no problems with Nationwide, but I suggest you contact the local Trading Standards office and DVLA to discuss your issues, as these are obviously serious failings that need to be investigated.

I would suggest you ask friends where they go, it must be sadly a lousy mechanic at your branch, my local branch (Harrow) are fine with me.

Papudrak

Hey. Two days ago I left my car in Nationwide Autocentres/Maidstone. I ordered major service. Of corse my car did not pass mot, because there was something wrong with exhaust system(4 weeks before I had done mot and exhaust was okay, so that was wired for me, because I know if there is something wrong with my car or not, I take a look at everything few times monthly). When I came to home the same day by my car, I noticed that rear car-matts disappeard. I will never visit Nationwide Autocentres again. Regards.

Dave_Brooker

Papudrak wrote: »

Hey. Two days ago I left my car in Nationwide Autocentres/Maidstone. I ordered major service. Of corse my car did not pass mot, because there was something wrong with exhaust system(4 weeks before I had done mot and exhaust was okay, so that was wired for me, because I know if there is something wrong with my car or not, I take a look at everything few times monthly). When I came to home the same day by my car, I noticed that rear car-matts disappeard. I will never visit Nationwide Autocentres again. Regards.

One of my vans got towed to a Nationwide auto centre when it's fan belt broke on the motorway, they tried to fit the new fan belt with a crowbar, instead of the proper way, resulting in a large chunk of water pump flying off.

When it was clear they did not know how to do a simple job like fitting a fan belt I told them what tools I needed and did it myself in front of them.

I still got charged just over £100 for a £12 belt and a £7 tensioner spring, and their botched attempt at fitting it.

Luckily the AA paid for the repairs, so there was little point complaining...

melancholly

i'm glad i read this - i used kiwkfit for my MOT last year and nationwide auto centre this year. last year i had 6 advisories (brake pads and discs on both sides, a tiny chip in the window, and a cut in a type - now replaced). haven't done anything about the brakes as it didn't show up in the service last summer (toyota garage). i put it down to kwikfit wanting me to get more work done for them to get more money.........but maybe they were just slapdash:eek:

going to have to look around and pick carefully for the big service due next month.........