You Can't Get Better than a Kwik kit fitter!

[hysie]

I havn't posted much but have found this site to be excellent for info about my mk1 RS(Thanks to you all), I just had to post about my experiences with the kwik kit branches round about glasgow to warn others about what goes on here.

firstly:- last week i fitted a 60mm boost guage in my drivers side air vent and all went great( i used info from here to make it happen) and while i had the cars bonnet open i took the opportunity to give it a good once over as the mot's due up second week of february. i checked everything for leaks ie fuel pipes brake lines and inspected for oil leaks including filter - all was fine and a check of the dip stick revealed that i had used very little oil since i last had it changed it 3 months ago:)

secondly:- this very morning i checked again for obvious leaks and also done tyre pressures which were fine, i also visually inspected all my tyres for cuts and tears( i used a mag light and a latex gloved hand:O to go over them with great care and moved car forward to check all the surfaces) again all was well with the tyres after picking out a couple of small stones from the tread.

Then:- i drove the car to the aforementioned garage in anniesland for its mot. after 1 hour 15 minutes the tester came back with a fail notice saying that my front inner rear bushes were excessivly worn and my indicators were partialy white. attached was an advisory notice saying i had an oil leak from the filter:mad: and a nail in each of my rear tyres(both so close to the edge they cannot be repaired)

i was suspicious because i am car savvy and had checked the tyres with a fine tooth comb and the filter but the suspension bushes i wasn't sure about so - i drove to the garage where i had the car serviced three months ago(another kwik kit centre) and asked them to check my suspension to mot standards paying special attention to the front wishbone bushes and check out the leak at the filter as they had put it on. they told me the front bushes showed no signs of excessive wear and movement tolerances were fine adding it wouldn't fail an mot. they also looked at the oil filter and said it must have came loose very recently as it was leaking but very little oil seemed to have came out. as a measure of good faith they gave me a fresh oil change and filter for £27 quid which i said ok to as i was going to change it for spring coming anyway(they used mobil1).i also stopped of at my local audi vw seat skoda garage on the way home and got them to ramp the car and check the bushes and they said they were fine aswell????

so my conclusion fron all this is:- this morning my tyres were fine my oil filter was tight showing no leaks as was the rest of the engine and my bushes were ok and still are according to two different mechs who do mot's in their own places, then after being in the garage i have two ruined pirelli p zero rossos at the rear of the car(what are the chances of that happening to both rears in unrepairable areas during a short drive?) i am told that my whole front wishbones need replaced as the bushes are worn? and i have developed an oil leak which will require a new filter and oil fill to remedy.

the cost two tyres £270 fitted

oil and filter change £100

two bulbs for indicators £5

two wishbones fitted and laser balance £375

they quoted me £750.00 to get my car through it mot and all it needed this morning was two front indicator bulbs at £5.00

needless to say i phoned my m8 at the local tyre place who is sorting me out tommorow for £150 with toyo's fully fitted and the other kwik kit sorted the oil leak for £27 and the bulbs for free they also said said they would mot my car and pass it aswell( i have to pay another £40.00 for mot) but said i should go to the other one and challenge the bushes issue to see what they say:mad: as they might back down about it and pass it under retest for free. i think after i get the mot i will be phoning trading standards and issuing a small court claim for negligence.

ps i have just been out to check my car and my two rear tyres which i check weekly for pressure that have only needed air twice in three months are now flat as pancakes.

[RobClubley]

Very dodgy indeed!

It's bad enough trying to tell you stuff needs doing that doesn't, but actually damaging your tyres is appalling.

I'd report them to Trading Standards at the very least!

[fordfan]

Don't get the car fixed just yet and file an appeal with VOSA.

[funkymonkey]

find yourself a good vag specialist your always going to get ripped off going to the big chain places as they have targets to meet etc and everyone who works there are dodgey scallies with skin headz and spots lol!!!!

[Jimbo vRS]

I remember reading somewhere about a TVR owner who took his car to KF for some new tyres. After they were fitted the mechanic came out and told him that his shocks were leaking and should be replaced. The owner told him that he didn't believe it and asked to be shown, and the mechanic pointed out the (very fresh looking) oil on his shocks.

This baffled the owner as he'd got gas filled shocks fitted!

ISTR that they did an awful lot of back-tracking at that point!

[red-devil]

i used to work for them and i know that if they targets are down then they would fail a car on what the targets where

[Babs]

Sounds like Criminal Damage to me... I'd phone the Police!

[philc]

Many years ago I was involved in a case with this outfit where they had one of our fleet Sierras in for some new tyres. While it was there, they decided that the exhaust was leaking, and changed it without getting authority from the leasing company. When we went to pick it up, and pointed out that it was fresh from a main dealer service, so couldn't have had a problem, they argued with us, then the lease company. We just took the keys and left them to it.

3 months later, the same car ended up in the dealers because it wouldn't start. they diagnosed poor compression due to damaged exhaust valves. Caused by putting a 1.6 exhaust system on a 2.0 injection car!

I never went back to KF after that.

Phil

[mannyo]

I have not been near a KF for years, since a bad experience with them and one of my previous cars. I now use a different place, and have been using them for years now, and have never looked back. I get quiet a good discount now because of the length of time I have been using them.

[Stuart_J]

Fell out with them a few years ago when they fooked up my car, its a shame to see they are still a bunch of cowboys !!

Watchdog, name & shame !!

[KenONeill]

I remember reading somewhere about a TVR owner who took his car to KF for some new tyres. After they were fitted the mechanic came out and told him that his shocks were leaking and should be replaced. The owner told him that he didn't believe it and asked to be shown, and the mechanic pointed out the (very fresh looking) oil on his shocks.

This baffled the owner as he'd got gas filled shocks fitted!

ISTR that they did an awful lot of back-tracking at that point!

- Gas-filled dampers are actually gas pressurised; they still use oil as the actual damping mechanism.

[mackdaddy]

Can't remember why but the missus took her Mini to Kwik Fit.

She phoned up crying saying they'd said it needed £300+ worth of repairs.

I won't tell you what I said.

The car passed its MOT the same week with no advisories.

[mackdaddy]

Missus took her Mini to Kwik Fit for a check up, pre-MOT.

They said it needed £300+ of repairs.

Passed its MOT same week no advisories.

[mackdaddy]

Don't know what happened there but the bottom line is

- I don't recommend Kwk Fit!

[piv34uk]

Don't get the car fixed just yet and file an appeal with VOSA.

I agree, DONT GET IT FIXED...go back to the test station and ask for a form "V11" that should worry them:mad: (appeal form)

Phil.....a nice MOT tester;)

[iCraig]

I agree, appeal with VOSA.

[richm]

Personally I would never set foot in KF - frankly I can't believe they are still in business.

[sms]

i wont touch kwik tw@ts with a barge pole, ive used them once when i needed tyres urgently one sunday years ago, they were expensive and imho dangerous, bolts not all tighten back up, tracking way out and pulled sharply to left when brakes were applied and while they were doing my car they could see me and my daughter waiting in their reception area. Surely if someone is stood there with their kid it shows a bit more care needs to be done. Went back to complain after i discovered the problems to be fobbed off with the usual BS had to stop myself from thumping the manager as he was a man(ual) manager and didnt seem to have the experience of working in management for long.

[stuart_hatch]

Kwik Fit are a bunch of cowboys and their prices are stupidly high yet i worry when my local one gets fancy mercs and bmws in all the time :S

This same one, i parked in their car park 5 mins before they were closing (which im allowed to do)

Only for the manager to come running out shouting that i cant park there (i was the only car in the car park) and if he sees me park there again he will let my f**king tyres down.

Needless to say the sheer attitude of the guy has warned me away from all of these places.

However ive used mcconecys (sp) and they have been great

[Alex]

Only good thing about Kwik Fit is their insurance arm, dirt cheap for me.

[RobClubley]

My ex went in there with her Cinquecento once for a puncture repair and was told her shocks were leaking. The car passed a couple more MOTs on those shocks with no issues!

[Osmodia]

I once employed a young lad who worked for KF, he used to answer the phone and was trained to ALWAYS say yes to a phone enquiry "Yes Sir we have 4 Super Skidoo tyres in your size at the offer price of £4.29p each" Even when there was nil stock!

The idea was to get the car in, tyres off then...."Sorry sir, computer shows we have 4 but we have only got Michelin at £49.77 each" Said it worked every time.

[apd007]

I've used Kwik Fit a couple of times for puncture repairs and have had no troubles with them at all.

[eddie h]

Found this as I was lurking about, just recieved £60 cheque for cost of repairs done at another garage after I complained bitterly about service/ quality of work completed.

Bit of a result...

[Bodge]

Sounds like a result. I have a mate that cancelled a cheque for 'work' done at a garage once, because they did it so badly. The Peugeot garage didn't like that at all!

In reference to the original thread. Kwik Fit are a bunch of pikeys, so treat them like pikeys. A pair of sidecutters should do the trick on the valves of every car in their car park. Paperwork or a fine they won't pay will mean nothing to them.

Bring back police brutality, and bring back respect for the law I say.