Kwik-fit broke my car

[rwbaldwin]

You need to ensure that the rear suspension components are replaced if necessary (not just painted over). IIRC, the brake disk/guard is not the lowest point on the car. If you look at the first picture, you can see the scrape in the roadway is inboard of the disk.

[Carlsberg]

Fook if that was mine i would be wanting a new wheel (if any signs of damage) not refurbished, new rear disc and pads and backing plate, new n/s/r hub due to wheel bolts rattling round causing the threads to possibly be weakened. I would also be wanting a new rear axle as even a 1 mm  distortion is gunna cause havok with rear tyres in the long run. Hell i would want new mud flaps if there was one mark on it.

 

Basically i would want the car back in the condition it went into there in the beggining and i would expect it done as they have accepted liability by taking the car back

[Dallen75]

I would prefer to pay for the damage myself, then go back to kwik-**** and wrap the wheel brace around the fitters head, no excuse for it what so ever

[puntoii]

I had 2times situation like this , but i stopped in the last second (with my Ibiza from 200km/h....)... But this is real disaster. Condolence man...

[silver1011]

Sorry, I can't agree with just going for compensation 'for the sake of it'. What a disgusting attitude.  You're not stating any reason for it, just that you think you're somehow entitled to free money. Which is not really free as someone has to pay for it at the end of the day and that is going to be all the other customers. They've given you a replacement car while they put right what they did wrong.

 

Kwik Fit have made a big mistake.

 

The replacement car and paying for the repair doesn't cover the huge inconvenience suffered by the OP.

 

Kwik Fit's negligence has directly resulted in the OP being involved in a crash. He has had to deal with the aftermath. The hassle and effort of all the phone calls, form filling and general hassle of getting everything sorted.

 

He may not be entitled to compensation but Kwik Fit should be bending over backwards to put things right. Even if they do everything possible to fix the damage the OP is then only where he would have been if they'd done what he paid them to do in the first place. 

 

At the very least Kwik Fit should be looking to offer some pretty substantial good will.

[silver1011]

Agreed, I was dressing up the fact that some type of financial goodwill (since compensation is now seen as a dirty word) would 'compensate' the OP for the inconvenience he has been put through without him ever having to return to Kwik Fit.

Edited 21 July, 2014 by silver1011

[ednmra]

Happened to a lady friend of ours after a service (not at Kwik Fit). The garage had to also  pay for shock and upset, loss of working time etc etc. The biggest problem, proof of blame, obviously does not exist here. Go for it.

 

Some of the workers  in these places couldn't do up their own shoelaces. Some years ago, on my past 2.0 FSi, I had four new tyres at a local  big garage. They scratched up 3 of the alloys while taking off the old tyres. You would think that having scratched up one the fitter would have thought, "Hey, I'm doing something wrong here. Duh!"

 

They had to loan me a car and get the wheels refurbed. Ended up okay but the manager could have killed the young fitter.

[whitep]

Kwik Fit are a bit of a joke. They seem to have YTS children working for them for minimum wage that aren't supervised very well. My stories with them so far are...

 

1. I took a Rover 600 in a few years back for a brake check, they told me nothing was wrong with my car. A week later I took the wheel off and checked them myself, passenger side read disc was split 3/4 of the way round at the hub!

2. Mum took dads Merc in for 2 rear tyres, Dad used the car to tow caravans and tat was about it as it was the posh car. He had  just had towing shocks and springs fitted on the rear, I think they were adjustable, I cant remember, but when mum went back to pick the car up they had informed her the suspension was bad on the back as it was too solid and they had to cut the shocks off and had fitted standard shocks. But the car was very clean in the rear arches they pointed out.

3. My wife took her A3 in to have new tyres which were duly fitted. i get a call from her a mile down the road shes in tears, her car is making an awful noise it sounds like the wheel is falling off the the steering is twisting. I drive 15 miles across Essex to go see whats going on. They have put the weights on the wheel in such a place they are fouling of the caliper.

4. A work colleague took her car in to Kwik Fit for a service. She went to collect it afterwords and didn't make it off the industrial estate... they drained the oil but didn't put any back in!

 

Personally I avoid them like the plague.

[lfc958]

Cant understand how they are still in business.

[Aspman]

I am not sure why your car insurance will be involved with any claim from K.F's  neglect in doing their work correctly. Take some legal advice.

 

Insurers share accident data. And they can do what they hell they like with your premium. You'll see on forms that you have to declare any claims or accidents irrespective of blame. I'm still declaring an accident from 4yr ago when a lorry took off my mirror and scratch the doors. They admitted liability. Still screwed up my insurance for a year. Didn't affect my premium after that though and I was told recently that although you have to declare incidents back 5yr they only matter for 3yr. It's almost like an honesty test so they can screw you over later.

 

To the OP, no way I'd have given them back the car. I'd get Skoda recovery to get the car and take it to a franchise. If they get shirty I'd wave a copy of the daily mail at them. I'd also be writing a letter including those picture and sending it to the MD, you'll get the address from companies house.

 

You want the car repaired by someone decent which from my experience is not what you'll get unless you pick it yourself. My insurer's repairer did more damage to the car than the lorry that hit me. Took 6 months to sort.

[Sippo]

I knew someone once to get a whole new exhaust system fitted (they probably didn't need it) at Kwikfit. 100 yds down the road it fell off...

[Machpoint005]

Insurers share accident data. And they can do what they hell they like with your premium. You'll see on forms that you have to declare any claims or accidents irrespective of blame. I'm still declaring an accident from 4yr ago when a lorry took off my mirror and scratch the doors. They admitted liability. Still screwed up my insurance for a year. Didn't affect my premium after that though and I was told recently that although you have to declare incidents back 5yr they only matter for 3yr. It's almost like an honesty test so they can screw you over later.

 

To the OP, no way I'd have given them back the car. I'd get Skoda recovery to get the car and take it to a franchise. If they get shirty I'd wave a copy of the daily mail at them. I'd also be writing a letter including those picture and sending it to the MD, you'll get the address from companies house.

 

You want the car repaired by someone decent which from my experience is not what you'll get unless you pick it yourself. My insurer's repairer did more damage to the car than the lorry that hit me. Took 6 months to sort.

 

That would involve buying a copy of that particular rag, which really is a step too far!

[Bishman]

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news/kwik-fit-2303/

[motr]

"Although this is a one-off case we are carrying out a full investigation into how this incident occurred so we can ensure it cannot happen again."

 

Oh dear.

[Saver]

Whilst personally fully endorsing the correct and proper legal way of sorting out this terrible incident, there is of course another way......

Go to KF, find the Fitter who did the job incorrectly, unzip your fly and carefully position your man tackle in his ear and proceed to shoot him a new set of brains, it is self evident his original brain has long since gone AWOL!!

Seriously though I hope you get this sorted, but like others I would have insisted car went to a Skoda dealer for a full inspection and repairs, all chargeable to KWik Fit.

Edited 22 July, 2014 by Saver

[jimbob800]

Just a little update I've had a phone call off kwik-fit to say my cars ready.

Up on arrival I asked exactly what's been done to repair my car.

It's had a new wheel put on, rear wheel arch repaired, new bolts, and a new rear mud guard.

Then I asked to see the engineers report and his backside fell out he then went in the office to phone his boss after I told him I refuse to drive the car without one so now there arranging a independent engineers report.

My cars my motability car but that fact that it's my motability car shouldn't make the slightest bit of difference.

Thank you to all that have replied I'll keep you all updated.[emoji106]

[JohnSTV6]

I'd also be wanting to see an engineers report, as well as documentation showing the work that has apparently being carried out.

No mention there of checking rear disc, wheel alignment, chassis etc.

[Huskoda]

As it looks like it sat on the disc, I'd have expected to see new discs and pads on that list at least.

[silver1011]

Looking at the scrape marks on the road surface the disc has also been scraping along the road for a time. I'd be looking for a new disc, which should only be replaced in pairs.

 

The issue I would have the most issue with is the fact that the muppet who screwed up the first time is now trying to make good his efforts.

 

If it were me the car would be at my local Skoda dealer with the bill being sent in Kwik Fit's direction.

[Aspman]

You will lose your Motability "good condition bonus" if it's not done right.

 

Sorry don't know the right term but when you change your Motability car and it's in good nick they give you some of the deposit back. My folks go to great pains to keep theirs nice for that reason.

[VRS Mike]

if it's motability then I would have contacted your insurance, don't let them get away with doing the bare minimum, as said it can bite you when you return the car.

[ednmra]

Odd isn't it. The one thing nearly all reasonably long term owner/drivers can do, through necessity over the years, is change a wheel.

Has anyone here ever changed a wheel, for whatever reason, and have it fall off any time afterwards? Nobody I know has ever related such a tale to me.

So how come a full time mechanic / fitter, who ought to be able to do this properly in his sleep, can't do up wheel nuts properly?

[Aspman]

Have the wheel bolts actually been left loose, or have they been overtightened with an air gun to a point where the threads have been stripped???

 

One of the worst things possible for any alloys is overtightened wheel bolts.

 

Either way, this situation is totally unacceptable (noting the swear filter now allows me to type situation!)

 

Mike

 

Been a good while since I've been to a tyre place and they use they airgun for any more than finger tight. they've all torqued them by hand to finish.

[MEDIX999]

Not going for compensation for the sake of it, they are supposed to be professionals and there error could have caused serious damage even death, they should be accountable

 

So somehow you are suggesting that taking them for money may prove a point and make them accountable? The error here is in professional competance. I personally would seek advice and inform trading standards.

 

You dont need to "milk" a cow to prove it can produce milk. Its just a waste. If this was an independant garage owned by your dad would you try and sue or would you accept an apology allow the problem to be fixed and leave it at that?

 

Write to Kwik -Fit headquartes and express your concerns, from experience airing a concern with customer services will land you an apology and often a good will gesture.

[Jim H]

Been a good while since I've been to a tyre place and they use they airgun for any more than finger tight. they've all torqued them by hand to finish.

 

Hay, this is Kwik-fit we are talking about!

 

Remember; You can't can get better than a Kwik-fit fitter.