Kwik-Fit Tyre & Exhaust Centres > Reviews (94)

THE INTRODUCTION:

It seems that Kwik-Fit don't just have a difficulty with spelling, they also have a problem with honesty. Their staff earn commission on what they sell and consequently a young woman like me, dependant on her car, instantly transforms the mechanics from men with spanners into the most prolific of con artists, dodging and weaving innocent questions and scrambling to make a buck. Of course, these monsters didn't realise that they were dealing with a woman who had done a GCSE in MVE, (Motor Vehicle Engineering) and although she was a little rusty, she wasn't shy in asking questions and taking her trade elsewhere.

THE STORY:

Last week I had planned for a hectic few days, 200 miles from home, to sort out the final plans for my wedding in October. In the middle of this week lay the one thing that a car owner dreads - the MOT. Having bought the car (a P reg Renult Cleo) only a month ago and it sailing through it's first service I was expecting no problems with the MOT. But this didn't stop me from the feeling of uneasiness while sitting in Kwik-Fit's greasy waiting room watching a gang of mechanics discussing it's rear tyres, as the poor thing hung 4 foot in the air.

I had booked the MOT at quick fit because it was convenient; the Kwik-Fit garage in Exeter is near to the city centre which is where we had planned to spend the few hours that the MOT would take. It saved us about £3 in car parking and I was pretty sure that by the time we had finished looking at suits and ties the car would be ready for us to drive back to Exmouth to visit the soon-to-be-in-laws. I had had tyres and exhausts changed at Kwik-fit in the past, although they were slightly more expensive than a local garage the price was fair for the speed and convenience.

So, what went wrong? Well - the car failed…which was fine in principle. The rear tyres were both worn slightly below the limit and when I asked to look at them for myself it was clear that they needed replacing. But this wasn't it.

Not content in charging me £25 per tyre, plus £19 for balancing, disposal and valves, (all normally quoted in the price for a tyre, but in the case of Kwik-Fit separately to make it look like they are doing you a favour) they had put two more points down for the reasons to refuse the issue of an MOT certificate.

003 Offside rear brake juddering severely
004 Rear brake application uneven

I explained to the very polite, (if a little patronising) head mechanic that I had not experienced the juddering, nor the uneven application and I asked what could have caused this. He replied that the "juddering" would only be experienced at high speed braking and it was probably caused by wear on the brake shoes and drum of the offside breaks. They estimated a price of about £300 for new shoes, drum and bearing. Knowing that the brakes had all been replaced shortly before I bought the car I asked to see some evidence. It was at this point I was offered the "complimentary brake check".

Once again my poor car hung up in the air and was tortured by mechanics as they took off it's tyres and pulled apart it's braking system, all in full view of me as I stood glaring though the window.

As the drums came off there was an air of confusion in the mechanics, whispers of "They are brand new." "There's nothing wrong with them." and "This one still has the stickers on!" could be heard echoing around her rear axle.

About a minute later the head mechanic strolled over clasping the drum. "This is the problem," he said confidently "can you see the wear here?" He prodded at a slightly dark spot on the inside of the drum where the shoes rest. Unsure of exactly what I was looking at I asked what could have caused this. He told me it could have happened in any incident of hard braking, when the shoes push on the metal of the drum it can warp it, (if this was the case then I would presume that a lot of people would regularly need new drum brakes).

The mechanic did some fiddling on the computer and announced that the drum brake and bearing would cost £128, including VAT and fitting and that point 004 was no longer relevant (I was unsure how taking the brakes apart and replacing the same ones had solved this, but I wasn't going to argue.)

Knowing that my fiancés cousin owns a tyre and exhaust garage closer to where we were staying and that my dad was friends with another garage owner who would offer us a good price on the brakes I asked if we could book the car in for a partial re-test the next day. We were booked in for 4, told that if we couldn't find somewhere to fit the parts in time we just had to give them an hours notice and they would be able to do that there. There would be no charge for the re-test, (contrary to the VOSA guidelines).

So we took the car and our doubts over to Exmouth Tyre and Exhaust. The car was once again suspended while it had it's dignity removed and it's brakes scrutinised. We were told, outright, that there was nothing wrong with the drum brake.

Next, over to Dinan Garage, this time they took her for a test drive, zoomed her around corners and attempted to make the brakes judder, with no luck.

So, was Kwik-Fit wrong? Had they decided that in front of them lay the perfect opportunity to make a bit more cash to take home to feed their children and clothe their wives? I had no choice but to have the test redone, in full… but not at Kwik-Fit.
With the tyres replaced the car did indeed fly though the MOT, with no mention of the brakes juddering or uneven application.

In the process of trying to get to the bottom of the brakes problem, I had learned of at least four other instances where young females had been the victims of Kwik-Fit and their "you need new brakes" scam. Whether this is a nationwide problem, or just localized to the garage in Exeter, I do not know.

THE MORAL:
Do not take your car to Kwik-Fit without knowing what is wrong with it.
For the odd tyre that you need done in a hurry, for the exhaust that can be replaced while you do your shopping, even for the MOT or service providing you look like you know what you are doing (ie. are male), they are fine. But don't let them look at your brakes!
Brakes are quite a complex part of a car and unlike the tyre or exhaust; problems with breaks are no so easy to spot, making them a perfect conning device.

THE PROS:
All Kwik-Fits across the country are in convenient locations, in or near town centres.
Repairs are done quickly and you can wait while they are repairing your car.
All parts are guaranteed (if you keep the recipt)
They regularly have deals on tyres and Exhausts.
You can book MOTs and Services on-line. www.kwik-fit.com.
Booking online saves money on MOT's and services.
Their phone number is free and open every day. 0800 222 111.
Centres are open 7 days a week.
They operate an apprentice program to help train young mechanics.
They offer "complimentary brake checks"
They have friendly, helpful staff.
Tyres are disposed of in an eco friendly way (for a compulsory cost of £1/ tyre)

THE CON(s):
The mechanics earn commission on what you spend, consequently, they will find something you need to spend money on.
Prices on the billboards are not a representation on what you will pay, they charge extra for disposal of tyres, valves and balancing.
Their "customer care line" is charged at national rate.

MY FINAL WORDS:
Because the car was failed on legitimate points (the rear tyres) and I had the test taken elsewhere after the failure, I can not put in an appeal against Kwik-Fit for the MOT failure.
I have been told by VOSA that they cannot help me in my appeal against Kwik-Fit, but that they will be closing examining Kwik-Fit in relation to MOT servicing.
Consumer Direct have informed me that Kwik-Fit are possibly in breach of the car servicing rights; "The work must be carried out with reasonable care and skill." However they cannot help either.
I have also sent letters to Kwik-Fit head office (customer care), Training Standards, and Watchdog. Kwik-Fit have not yet replied, however Trading Standards in Devon have added them to a list of garages that they will be inspecting in 2007.