We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
Kwik-fit or Kwik-futz... Avoid them!!!
I found a number of posts re kwikfit / kwik-fit so wanted to add my experience...
A year ago I needed to mot my golf and i was looking for a trustworthy alternative to my last mot with a VW dealer - who charged me for optional work, without first calling to confirm the work (>£70) should be done (despite their policy).
I have a 2001 Golf, which has been well maintained (serviced every year) with low mileage. I saw kwikfits mot offer and was impressed by their clean and efficient looking workshop.! Sadly that did not translate into quality work practices.
During the mot they confirmed that a rear door lock was not working and that it had to be repaired. !I asked specifically if they had the skills, since this was not a minor mot repair. The manager replied, 'Of course, we do a few of these every few months'. Trusting soul that I am, I said go ahead. 2 days later I still had no car... I called and discovered they were 'having difficulties' and needed to get the 'master technician' in. Ok...
A day later I call back (btw they never call you back!). The manager confirms that the lock problem has them beat. 'First time ever we've not been able to repair this problem!', says the manager. They decide to keep the car another day to reassemble the door panels, etc. A day later my wife goes to collect the car and finds the door panel on the back seat, the door has a dent, and the auto window is not working. It was clear they spent a few days 'fixing' the door, trying to find an electrical fault with mechanical methods… the manager is puzzled that I am not happy with the kwikfit customer experience...
VW are always pleased to take other garages 'difficulties'. So £380 and a week later I get my car back. I have to go back to kwikfit to get the MOT signed off.! Long story, but the kwikfit manager says come back for new tyres or a battery and we'll give you a 'special deal' for your troubles. Sure.
Fast forward 8 months and the battery gives up (after 14 years). So I thought, well here's an opportunity for kwikfit to redeem themselves… how hard can it be to change a battery. My wife buys a replacement online from kwikfit, and!takes the car in for fitting on Saturday. The friendly 'battery dude'!says he can replace the battery.
She leaves him to it, but observes him going back and forth between the battery and inside the car. Puzzled with this activity, she walks over from the waiting area and finds he is struggling to remove the battery. When he finishes the job, he disconnects a machine connected to the computer inside the car.!!When asked what the machine does, he informs her that it is used to 'backup the computer settings' to not loose the mileage, etc.
After he hands the car back, my wife starts the car (good, the battery works!), but notices there are now 3 warning lights flashing, which weren't on when she handed the car in!(ABS control module warning light, engine control module warning, brake system warning).!After calling attention to this with the 'battery dude', he claims to not know what caused the warning lights to come on…!its a mystery.
Since no warning lights have been on in our car for at least 3 years, we know this is a direct result of something he did whilst changing the battery and 'backing up the computer'. !As its not his 'area of expertise', he suggests she bring the car back the next week.
So back we go next week. After doing a computer diagnostic (?) on the golf, the kwikfit!trained and qualified staff members decide they need to escalate to the manager. So we are instructed to bring it back when the manager returns the next day.
Next day I call to find out what the manager suggests. Of course 'this is the first time this has ever happened…'. I'm now convinced that somehow my golf is jinxed, since it's always the first time any difficulty like ours has been experienced by kwikfit…
The manager's solution is to bring the car back and let the 'master technician' sort it out.!You can see the pattern here...
I ask if the master technician has any VW expertise (since I guess he was the dude that took care of our door lock last year…). The reply is a convincing: 'well, he worked for VW sometime in his career'. I hesitate to ask if this was in a mechanical, electrical, or perhaps some menial capacity…
Anyway I am underwhelmed, so I take the car back to the VW dealer (who also gets to replace 2 tyres, as I've lost all confidence in kwikfits core competence…).! VW run a diagnostic while I wait for the tyres to be replaced. I am hopeful the computer just needs 'to be reset', since!the car is well maintained and!none of the warning lights were on before kwikfit got their hands on the car.
3 hours later... Oh no, sorry but none of the warning errors can be reset by the VW technician. It's not so simple. Estimate for a full diagnostic is now £300, excluding parts (if the ABS control unit has been blown then I'm told that could be £700-800 plus, plus…). I ask how is it possible that a computer 'backup' activity could cause these problems. VW don't really know without doing the full diagnostic. They suggest that where a technician accidently caused a short-circuit to blow an electrical part, it might explain why the warning lights can't be reset…
The puzzling thing in all this, is that to replace a battery (£80 and 15 minutes work, right?), NO BACKUP of the computer is required, according to the VW specialist.
So thanks to kwikfit's trained and qualified staff member's creative efforts, I am now faced with likely major repair costs from a VW dealer. And this all started with a simple battery change... Agggghhhhhh!
The moral of this story is, buyer BEWARE of kwikfit! !Thankfully they didn't get to change the 2 tyres, or I might be puzzling over the loss of an axle or something else. Now, while I drive around with warning lights on, I know that the car is just reminding me of kwikfits limitations!
(PS unable to attach kwikfits 'customer promise', but this is worth reading for any potential customer - just for a good laugh).
A year ago I needed to mot my golf and i was looking for a trustworthy alternative to my last mot with a VW dealer - who charged me for optional work, without first calling to confirm the work (>£70) should be done (despite their policy).
I have a 2001 Golf, which has been well maintained (serviced every year) with low mileage. I saw kwikfits mot offer and was impressed by their clean and efficient looking workshop.! Sadly that did not translate into quality work practices.
During the mot they confirmed that a rear door lock was not working and that it had to be repaired. !I asked specifically if they had the skills, since this was not a minor mot repair. The manager replied, 'Of course, we do a few of these every few months'. Trusting soul that I am, I said go ahead. 2 days later I still had no car... I called and discovered they were 'having difficulties' and needed to get the 'master technician' in. Ok...
A day later I call back (btw they never call you back!). The manager confirms that the lock problem has them beat. 'First time ever we've not been able to repair this problem!', says the manager. They decide to keep the car another day to reassemble the door panels, etc. A day later my wife goes to collect the car and finds the door panel on the back seat, the door has a dent, and the auto window is not working. It was clear they spent a few days 'fixing' the door, trying to find an electrical fault with mechanical methods… the manager is puzzled that I am not happy with the kwikfit customer experience...
VW are always pleased to take other garages 'difficulties'. So £380 and a week later I get my car back. I have to go back to kwikfit to get the MOT signed off.! Long story, but the kwikfit manager says come back for new tyres or a battery and we'll give you a 'special deal' for your troubles. Sure.
Fast forward 8 months and the battery gives up (after 14 years). So I thought, well here's an opportunity for kwikfit to redeem themselves… how hard can it be to change a battery. My wife buys a replacement online from kwikfit, and!takes the car in for fitting on Saturday. The friendly 'battery dude'!says he can replace the battery.
She leaves him to it, but observes him going back and forth between the battery and inside the car. Puzzled with this activity, she walks over from the waiting area and finds he is struggling to remove the battery. When he finishes the job, he disconnects a machine connected to the computer inside the car.!!When asked what the machine does, he informs her that it is used to 'backup the computer settings' to not loose the mileage, etc.
After he hands the car back, my wife starts the car (good, the battery works!), but notices there are now 3 warning lights flashing, which weren't on when she handed the car in!(ABS control module warning light, engine control module warning, brake system warning).!After calling attention to this with the 'battery dude', he claims to not know what caused the warning lights to come on…!its a mystery.
Since no warning lights have been on in our car for at least 3 years, we know this is a direct result of something he did whilst changing the battery and 'backing up the computer'. !As its not his 'area of expertise', he suggests she bring the car back the next week.
So back we go next week. After doing a computer diagnostic (?) on the golf, the kwikfit!trained and qualified staff members decide they need to escalate to the manager. So we are instructed to bring it back when the manager returns the next day.
Next day I call to find out what the manager suggests. Of course 'this is the first time this has ever happened…'. I'm now convinced that somehow my golf is jinxed, since it's always the first time any difficulty like ours has been experienced by kwikfit…
The manager's solution is to bring the car back and let the 'master technician' sort it out.!You can see the pattern here...
I ask if the master technician has any VW expertise (since I guess he was the dude that took care of our door lock last year…). The reply is a convincing: 'well, he worked for VW sometime in his career'. I hesitate to ask if this was in a mechanical, electrical, or perhaps some menial capacity…
Anyway I am underwhelmed, so I take the car back to the VW dealer (who also gets to replace 2 tyres, as I've lost all confidence in kwikfits core competence…).! VW run a diagnostic while I wait for the tyres to be replaced. I am hopeful the computer just needs 'to be reset', since!the car is well maintained and!none of the warning lights were on before kwikfit got their hands on the car.
3 hours later... Oh no, sorry but none of the warning errors can be reset by the VW technician. It's not so simple. Estimate for a full diagnostic is now £300, excluding parts (if the ABS control unit has been blown then I'm told that could be £700-800 plus, plus…). I ask how is it possible that a computer 'backup' activity could cause these problems. VW don't really know without doing the full diagnostic. They suggest that where a technician accidently caused a short-circuit to blow an electrical part, it might explain why the warning lights can't be reset…
The puzzling thing in all this, is that to replace a battery (£80 and 15 minutes work, right?), NO BACKUP of the computer is required, according to the VW specialist.
So thanks to kwikfit's trained and qualified staff member's creative efforts, I am now faced with likely major repair costs from a VW dealer. And this all started with a simple battery change... Agggghhhhhh!
The moral of this story is, buyer BEWARE of kwikfit! !Thankfully they didn't get to change the 2 tyres, or I might be puzzling over the loss of an axle or something else. Now, while I drive around with warning lights on, I know that the car is just reminding me of kwikfits limitations!
(PS unable to attach kwikfits 'customer promise', but this is worth reading for any potential customer - just for a good laugh).
0
Comments
-
Probably just a device that means you don't lose the radio code.
Forget VW crazyass prices and take it to a proper garage which won't charge the earth.0 -
Wow that is a lot of money to part with for Kwik Fit's incompetence. If it was me I would have tried to get KF to resolve it.0
-
They ****ed up once and you went back again.......
“I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”
<><><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><> Don't forget to like and subscribe \/ \/ \/0 -
Any issues caused by kwik fit should be repaired at their cost.
However saying that several car settings are lost when removing the battery. ABS and the brake system will almost certainly need resetting. It's a simple procedure and will vary between cars, look yours up. For example in my car you turn the key (not far enough to turn the engine on) then turn the steering wheel totally to the left and then totally to the right. Simply put this is unlikely to be a problem but the technician should know this.
As for the device he used in the car I've no idea. The mileage etc won't be lost by disconnecting the battery. As the other poster suggested it might be for the radio code. Alternatively my guess is he saw the lights come on, freaked out and checked for any error codes generated by the car.
As for the engine control module warning, are you referring to the engine warning light? If so it might be as simple as just warning you the battery has been disconnected. Or he could have knocked something when installing the battery. Or he could have been a total willy and short circuited the battery. The only way you'll know is by checking what error codes have been generated.0 -
They would have connected a small battery via the lighter socket and left the ignition on when disconnecting the main battery.
If the lighter socket fuse has blown (check), then I would say what happened was they disconnected the battery, dropped the + lead against something in the engine bay and shorted out the backup.... Depending on what they shorted to, this could have done a lot of damage.
I have a small SLA battery with leads and large croc clips, for doing just this, except I use a resistor in series to limit the current if a short occurs.
Bonus with my method is the ignition stays off and isolated.“I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”
<><><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><> Don't forget to like and subscribe \/ \/ \/0 -
Well I blame the manufacturers. Surely in this day and age they can design a car to cope with the inevitable flat battery/battery change scenario without everything going tits up unless you carefully apply a secondary power source?0
-
Well I blame the manufacturers. Surely in this day and age they can design a car to cope with the inevitable flat battery/battery change scenario without everything going tits up unless you carefully apply a secondary power source?
Well, no...... Why do you think they design stereos that only fit one type of car and are coded to the ECU AND then put a lock out code on it? I haven't had a stereo in my car for over 4 years, I don't like distractions when driving, but I also refuse to be held to ransom, to pay to unlock something I already own. I'd rather pay more and fit my own after market head unit than pay Vauxhall £40 to unlock what is in all honesty a crap sounding stereo.
The dealerships make a lot of money from this and it's just another way to keep people coming back to main dealers.
If you can't change a battery without going to a dealership, then that's exactly what they want.“I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”
<><><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><> Don't forget to like and subscribe \/ \/ \/0 -
Really? Never heard of them needing resettingABS and the brake system will almost certainly need resetting...
That would allow the car to calibrate a steering angle sensor. Nothing to do with brakes or ABS.in my car you turn the key (not far enough to turn the engine on) then turn the steering wheel totally to the left and then totally to the right.0 -
The code is a security code, theft deterrent. You are given it from the start. Although agreed dealers charge silly money for replacement.
Agree battery out in should be and usually is a simple job, but sounds like the fitter shorted something, not just got unlucky.
although bmw have some cars where the battery needs programming in.0 -
car delivered to krook fit , keys left with manage
fix it , and walk away
no invoices , no bills for new tyres (coz they checked em)
you are not paying a penny and require it fixed
give them 3 working days , ring up then issuee a county claim for the price VW says0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 348.6K Banking & Borrowing
- 252.2K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 452.5K Spending & Discounts
- 241.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 617.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 175.8K Life & Family
- 254.4K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards