Kwik Fit - snapped locking nut key

jojooneill

Hi,

We've just had Kwik-Fit mobile tyre fitting service out to fit new tyres-:

a) the tyres I purchased weren't the tyres I have a purchase receipt for
b) When trying to remove the tyres the mobile fitter snapped my locking nut key.

The fitter left stating he would only come back after we have purchased a new key (£30 from Evan Halshaw). I'm left without a car to get to work, wrong tyres and £30 out of pocket (if I purchase the new key). Emailed pictures to Customer Service who state the locking nuts were on too tight and will not accept liability. Surely this could have been checked prior to this or done mechanically rather than by hand?
I've emailed Customer Services, wrote to the Chief Executive and put comments on Twitter but I just wondered, contractually, what the liabilities of Kwik-Fit would be?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Crabman

Not sure about liabilities. If they claim the wheel nuts were too tight, it may be a good idea to approach the last garage to do work involving the wheels being removed & ask them to confirm how they tightened the wheel nuts.

Correct procedure is of course to use a torque wrench.

Though I do find it interesting that they claim the wheel nuts were done up too tightly, because of all the times I've been there, they've generally used their air impact guns to do up the wheel nuts. This results in them being far too tight.

fred7777

It really hurts to write a post on the side of quick fit but if they broke the key trying to get the wheels off then if there is any fault here it's with the people who over tightened the nuts putting the wheels on.

As far as checking first, if you think the nut is too tight you have only two options, 1 try it anyway or 2 Never take the wheel off again!

jojooneill

Thankyou for this - I can ask the original garage to see how they tighten the wheel nuts.
It was a mobile fitter and he was in the process of taking off the wheel nuts - didn't even get as far as putting one tyre on. I'm not sure what the mobile fitters have access to but I thought the locking nuts would have been taken off mechnically rather than manually.

Unfortunately while all this is happening we don't have access to a car and can't get to work:(

photome

jojooneill wrote: »

Thankyou for this - I can ask the original garage to see how they tighten the wheel nuts.
It was a mobile fitter and he was in the process of taking off the wheel nuts - didn't even get as far as putting one tyre on. I'm not sure what the mobile fitters have access to but I thought the locking nuts would have been taken off mechnically rather than manually.

Unfortunately while all this is happening we don't have access to a car and can't get to work:(

Not sure what difference trying manualy or mechanical would have made, the same force would have been required.

Why dont you have a car for work if they didnt get as far as taking a wheel off.

If the tyres he had were not the same as purchase receipt why did you let him start work and as he hasnt fitted any presumably you can now rectify it.

were they better or worse tyres.

NOt sure legally but I guess if the wheel nuts were on to tight its not really the fitters fault

Quietmanc

If the wheel nuts were over tightened,surely that would have broken the locking nut key there and then??

nickcc

Did the tyre fitter use an air impact wrench to try to remove the locking nut as this will break the peg type locking nut tool. Later locking nuts are not usually the peg type and are far more robust.

photome

nickcc wrote: »

Did the tyre fitter use an air impact wrench to try to remove the locking nut as this will break the peg type locking nut tool. Later locking nuts are not usually the peg type and are far more robust.

Whats the difference between a peg type and the later version, its a loooong time since I worked as a tyre fitter we didnt have locking nut tools then

Foxy-Stoat_3

I have snapped/broke the 3 peg ones in the past, if they not get inserted fully or correctly, or if they get torqued up too much....some are cheap and made of chocolate.

EdGasket

This is one of the reasons why I change wheels myself. The other being the damage that careless fitters do to the car when jacking it up in any place that takes their fancy. If I need tyres fitted, I take the wheels off, stick them in the boot of my other car and take them to the tyre place for fitment. When I only had one car, I would take in wheels one at a time while running on the spare.

Had too many instances in the past of being unable to undo the wheel nuts and/or damage to the car after letting tyre fitters loose on it!

bluesnake

think this and the 3 follow-on vids will undo many, but not all
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jVJaZVLrho