Halfords Autocentre - AVOID THEM AT ANY COST

Sab2023

When I purchased my dear little car that I love and cherish, it was 3 years old already and of course the manufacturer guarantee expired already. So I asked and paid for an extended warranty - only one was available at the dealership with Autoprotect -, so my car would be covered for the lease period. Sounds perfect, right?

Only up until the point when the nearside front suspension top mount bearing decided to start squeaking and I got nerves about it, so I called Autoprotect to find out about their approved garages for a repair.

Their “recommended” garage was Halfords Autocentre and as I found out later on from Halfords, Autoprotect does divert a lot of clients to them, so it is easier to get the work approved under the warranty scheme (or scam?).

It was all good, up until the point when Halfords decided to replace the front break pads too at the same time when they did the warranty work on the NSFS top mount bearing - of which of course I had to pay for separately.

Straight afterwards, the brand new front break pads started squeaking, and when I raised it with Halfords, they said that they would replace the break discs too…

They did not even take it for a test ride, but handed my car back after the “quick fix”… 

The issue however, did not go away and my breaks continue to squeak… I have looked up the brand they used and it is some cheap rubbish - no surprise there…

A couple of months later the NSFS top mount bearing started squeaking again too.

So, as of now, both my front breaks and the NSFS top mount bearing are squeaking in a choir, but despite Halfords complaint process they refused to do anything about the issues, but diverted me towards the National Conciliation Service, who are totally and utterly useless and do nothing about my case at all - no-one else’s case progresses either based on all reviews on the internet…

Halfords of course does not co-operate with NCS either based on their T&C that they do not have to…

So, I am welcome to shell out more money and take my beloved little car elsewhere and spend a lot of extra cash, because Halfords screwed it all up and refuses to get it right.

I know the internet is flooded with bad reviews about the disgraceful job Halfords does in general and the uselessness of NCS, but sadly, when you have an extended warranty with companies like that and you naturally want to use it then you are squeezed into the corner with them.

Only when you go through the process you realise, that you probably would had been far better off without the extended warranty Or just open your wallet wide and do not even think about the cost just pay for the work at an expensive dealership.

In the end, it will probably not cost you less, but if anything then even more, to go with some cheapskates…

I should have known this better - lesson learnt.

Mr.Generous

Squeeking brakes normally need a spot of coppaslip grease on the back of the pad fixing. Simple fix - happens quite often and garages just grease em up.

Sab2023

Mr.Generous said:

Squeaking brakes normally need a spot of coppaslip grease on the back of the pad fixing. Simple fix - happens quite often and garages just grease em up. 

Only if you have some cheap rubbish fitted onto your car - I have never had this problem with quality break-pads/discs. Only until Halfords touched them… And they were claimed to be “greased” in the first place… So I rest my case there…

diinozzo

Sab2023 said:

Mr.Generous said:

Squeaking brakes normally need a spot of coppaslip grease on the back of the pad fixing. Simple fix - happens quite often and garages just grease em up. 

Only if you have some cheap rubbish fitted onto your car - I have never had this problem with quality break-pads/discs. Only until Halfords touched them… And they were claimed to be “greased” in the first place… So I rest my case there…

Them's the brakes!

Vectis

Sab2023 said:

...Halfords decided to replace the front break pads too at the same time when they did the warranty work on the NSFS top mount bearing - of which of course I had to pay for separately...

So, you paid for brake pads which you never asked to be changed?

Sab2023

Vectis said:

Sab2023 said:

...Halfords decided to replace the front break pads too at the same time when they did the warranty work on the NSFS top mount bearing - of which of course I had to pay for separately...

So, you paid for brake pads which you never asked to be changed?

No, they said the break-pads needed replacing as they were very much worn out, unfortunately I agreed to the replacement thinking that I get everything done in one go. Sadly, I did not ask what kind of break pads they would fit in… So despite they were greased (so as they claimed) they instantly started squeaking. I took the car back when they said the discs needed replacing as the edges were rigid, which created the noise of squeaking. They said they also greased the pads again during the checks. So the discs got replaced, yet the squeaking continued shortly afterwards…

Therefore, it is obvious that “greasing” is not the solution…

Those, who question this, here is my question: How often am I supposed to grease the breaks - on a daily basis? And how comes that I have never had this issue with quality breaks/discs and they never got greased ??