Kwik Fit

Morning all

Has anyone had any experience of using kwik fit for brakes - I need to get the discs and pads changed on the wifes volvo s60. Kwik fit are about £100 cheaper than the local volvo specialist and will change the pads foc for the life of the car. Sounds like a cracking deal but it's just that Kwik fit is setting off a little alarm in my head.

Nige

Read the small print of which there is probably a lot. Am assuming change means supply FOC but labour will be chargeable, but at what rate?
If you take their insurance they give you a " free MOT" but have yet to hear anyone who got their car through without needing something doing!

Best find a place where there are technicians/mechanics, who are still keen on doing every sort of repair on a machine, and spend that important ingredient, time, which is costly, to get the job right first time? Just my humble view?:

Try a small independent tyre fitter or garage - They will be cheaper again and probably more reliable. Worth getting another quote anyway.

Kwik fit add says lifetime supply for brakes - How long do you intend to hold onto the Volvo?

I wouldn't trust my car to Kwik Fit personally. I have heard horror stories.

Kwik Fit - AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID.....

Most of them don't even know what an Alfa is!

I never used them normally but once, years ago, i needed a handbrake cable on my cavalier sri and though what could possibly go wrong? Lots as it happens, first noticed hot rear wheel, thought it was brake binding on, took it to another Kwik-fit nearer to where i was at the time to check and they said it was fine. Still hot next day went back to original place, no problem they say. Later that night slowing for a roundabout after just negotiating a sweeping high speed slip road my back wheel sheared off completely. Turns out for some reason numpty had torqued up the wheel bearing and remember they had it back to check twice aswell, and to different branches. If it had happened 10 seconds earlier i may not have been writing this now. So my answer is a clear don't touch them with a bargepole

Originally Posted by OperationAlfa

Kwik Fit - AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID.....

Most of them don't even know what an Alfa is!

What he said.

Sounds like a no then thanks for the advise

Nige

Yeah, I wouldn't trust them myself, had a bad experience with a Nationwide Autocentre fitting an air filter like a screwed up newspaper and their use of the cheapest of cheap parts they can find. Wouldn't trust one of these McDonalds type of car garages with the Alfa again.

Remember, they're cheap for a reason.

Tyres, but no more at Kwik Fit.

they are ok-ish at fitting tyres and exhausts also cheap on AC refill but that's all and price is the most important ( they are not mechanics by any stretch of the imagination ) and usually looks for other work like discs are thin/suspension feels soft and the favorites is "have you seen this mate " which generally means the dentist is after your wallet for no other reason than a tidy rip off

My brother made the mistake of having Kwik Fit exhaust on a Toyota Carina 2 he once had. It ruined the performance and economy, and when he looked, the diameter of the pipe was much smaller than the original, and just swaged out where it met other parts/manifold.

He was well peed off I can tell you.

AlfaLincs

When I had my original low mileage t/s 166 I used Kwikfit for oil
changes,mobil 1 and filter for £29.99!
A bargain I used to have it done every 6k. at that money.
Having said that I wouldnt' touch them with a bargepole for anything
more complicated,took them 2hrs to change the filter on my V6!

Originally Posted by vivian166ti

took them 2hrs to change the filter on my V6!

took me longer, including a couple of trips to the shops to get a removal tool to fit in such a small space.

I should have put mrs purple on her back and sent her in as she has small hands, but no strength to turn the filter

still, correct tool purchased so should be down to 30 mins

back on track, Kwik Fit focus on company car customers who just want tyres/exhausts and easy billing for their fleet manager.Ok in an emergency, but plan to avoid rather than plan to go there.

HTH

I wouldn't let them anywhere near my car particularly for brakes .......... A few years back I took a mercedes into Kwikfit to get a tyre done......... While it was in the air, one of their "Technicians ????" put a hammer through my headlight. He was swinging the thing beating hell out of a wheel rim.

luckily I was there and saw him do it...........

.......then when they finally agreed to replace it they wanted me to come back after they'd obtained a "second hand one from a breakers"........

So, after I kcked up a stink, and used workds I wouldn't normally allow to pass my lips..........they finally sent someone off to the main dealer to get one.............

........... Next they are going to fit it. More words with regard to what I'd to them and their premises should they screw up any of the trim that they have to take off........ I have to note here that it wasn't a "KWIKFIT" ........... it took all afternoon........

.........and when the "Technician ???" had supposedly finished ???? ........he had a couple of screws and a washer left ???? ......... and quite suprisingly, he didn't seem to think it important ........... So, after telling them to stuff their bill for the tyre, and they could get their lawyers to chase me for it.......and to think themselves lucky I didn't take them and their workshop apary with the same hammer that had broken the light in the first place......

......... I went home and sorted the light out properly myself.

......... and the moral of this story........?????

FIND A GOOD INDEPENDANT !!!

Cheers to all
Peter

someone else did this rouse a few years ago....But most drivers change there cars evry couple of years and so the lifetime ends when you sell the car...but price the parts and compare with the price of their lifetime job.It's a fraction of the price and they get the parts at a knock down price.

The best deal I got was an oil and filter change for my old rover 827 for £4.95.....the filter at a discount place was over £8 and it took about 6 litres of oil.I used to change the oil every 6 months and never even got my hands dirty.

just wish the gargares hadn't introduced the 2 litre engine capacity ceiling.

MeThinks....I wonder if they go by the chassis no or the badge o the back..How much is a couple of TS badges he he
pomeo.

None of these stories sound any worse than using a main dealer

I have had good experiences with Kwik fit, but wouldn't trust them with anything other than basic stuff i.e. fitting real parts

Originally Posted by HowardA

None of these stories sound any worse than using a main dealer

I used a Nationwide Autocentre (like Kwik Fit but green instead of blue & yellow) and after paying for their top-whack service my local Alfa indie specialist took the air filter out in front of me, it looked like it had been screwed up like a chip wrapper and was letting leaves through, the oil filter was the same one I took in for them to change without a fingerprint in the dust and grime, we didn't check but I doubt the pollen filters were touched either.

The main dealer I've used were pretty bad but this just takes the P**s! Wouldn't touch them or any of these McDonalds garages again.

To be fair to Kwik Fit, popped in with girlie for a slow puncture to see if it could be repaired, got sick of pumping it up every week. They did the "Come and look at this, mate!" and she'd got 3 nails in the same 1/4 of her tyre and one of them was huuuge! Good going! Been on a trip to that nail factory?

Originally Posted by Dibby

Yeah, I wouldn't trust them myself, had a bad experience with a Nationwide Autocentre...

Yeah, but this KF. a whole different standard! My local nationwide has looked after my 155 V6, Renault 19 16V, Coupe 20VT and now my GTV. They have reasonable prices, quick, efficiant, courteous service and they're always busy! There is also the minimum amount of teeth sucking that most places do with an Italian car...

Originally Posted by whatmoretyres

Yeah, but this KF. a whole different standard!

All look same!
Same s**t, different uniform.

They're busy because they're cheap and they're cheap for a reason.

I compleatly disagree, sorry!

Furry muff, carry on taking your car to them if you trust them but when someone pulls out a crumpled up air filter in front of your eyes and points out the oil filter hasn't been touched it kind of put me off going back.

It wasn't even worth writing a complaint letter, even if they offer me a free service I wouldn't use it. Maybe I got an off-day, maybe I got the year-in-industry kid, they're all smiles and polite on the desk but there's no excuse for service like this.

and that's fair enough too! Can't argue with that

I guess you pays your money....
Some service I've had from specialists has been less than inspiring too though

Originally Posted by whatmoretyres

I guess you pays your money....
Some service I've had from specialists has been less than inspiring too though