Kwik Fit, rubbish service or am I just being picky?

[gatecrasher3 10]

Hi all,

 

We were concerned to read your comments on this forum.

 

If you would like to discuss any of your experiences with Kwik Fit directly with us - please contact me at [email protected]

 

Kind regards,

Andy

 

I would have thought you'd have an understanding of the experiences people have had already from the previous posts.

 

Why not take the time to PM the affected users directly for any supporting information you want/require and then tell them what you are prepared to do to restore their faith in the Kwik-Fit brand?

[Tomm06 12]

Back last winter I had hit some black ice, and gone in to a curb, thankfully, only the tracking was put badly out. I got a new set of wheels from a scrappy, and on my way to pick up the mother from work, I nipped in to the one on Eccy road (bearing in mind on my way down I noticed the car wasn't very safe, hade some slight wobble, personally I wouldn't have called it road legal, so took it home) but as I was at the Kwik fit, I chanced on them having some Fiat wheel bolts lying around, but they didn't. Anyways, I asked them to track it, and amazingly, he said he could do it, but it would be pointless, becuase I was using a space saver, I thanked him, said fair do's and left, got some bolts, but on the new wheels and they tracked it for me. I would always use Kwik Fit for tracking seen as they allow you to take it back within a week, for re-doing if it's not perfect...which I did.

 

Second time I took it to them, same Eccy Rd garage, he told me my track rod ends were rusted, and heating them up would only snap them (-sigh-) he even showed me, and it was clearly a LITTLE bit of surface rust, anyways I told him it was fine, I'll take it elsewhere, he then told me I needed a load of other stuff (forgot what exactly now, but it came to £90) knowing what they're like, and after him going on and on, I said ''I'm a mechanic anyways, and they look fine, but I'll replace them myself'' (I'm no mechanic) he soon took the car down and gave me the keys. Took it to a friend of mine, who is a mechanic, he also agreed it was fine, and some elbow grease with a wire brush, the rod end looked fine, took it down to Top Tread, they said it was perfectly fine to track up.

 

Honestly don't know how they're still in business.

[raymondo1952 11]

PTF tape would not have held it in at all they will have crossed threaded and damaged it and been unable to screw it fully tight so they will have put PTF tape around the thread to stop it leaking oil out, how did the the other garage cure the fault that is what I would have asked.

 

they would have to ellecoil it

[alchresearch 214]

Hi all,

 

We were concerned to read your comments on this forum.

 

If you would like to discuss any of your experiences with Kwik Fit directly with us - please contact me at [email protected]

 

Kind regards,

Andy

 

Its interesting that on the WIKIWIRRAL forum for Wirral didn't Kwik Fit make legal threats and force a similar thread to have your company name removed last week?

 

Personally, I've no real gripe with Kwik Fit. Years ago they corrected a badly fitted Challenger exhaust FOC and their budget Arrowspeed tyres get good reviews and are good value compared to many other budget brands.

[Contro 10]

Hi all,

 

We were concerned to read your comments on this forum.

 

If you would like to discuss any of your experiences with Kwik Fit directly with us - please contact me at [email protected]

 

Kind regards,

Andy

 

Any chance of a refund? As all you seem to have done is damage my car, make me pay more than what I was told and made to wait 4 hours when I was told it would be half this. As you've probably read, I'm not the only one complaining about your dire service standards here.

[choogling 14]

The words pole and barge come to mind based upon my experience

 

Initially went in for tracking, told that king pins needed changing. When I went back complaining about 'clicking' from king pins, told 'oh they just need shimming up'. After returning again with same complaint it turns out they had installed wrong size king pins

king pin steering went out with the ark what car was it.

[RootsBooster 24]

First hand experience, I have fitted these myself in the past and have also had them fitted on a company vehicle. Also I have a family member who previously worked for a brake material manufacture and had routine contact with them

 

Can you show me a link as to where I can get them from please (or some information about them)? They must be readily available by the sound of it.

[derek 10]

Can you show me a link as to where I can get them from please (or some information about them)? They must be readily available by the sound of it.

As you might have gathered, I am talking about experiences some fifteen years ago. At that time these pads were supplied as OEM to manufacturers for production line fitment. They were also made available to the main agents as genuine parts to be fitted with new discs as a set.

I don't know if they are still available or even if they are currently used on new vehicles. The main function was to enable the final disc surface finishing to be done on the vehicle, presumably to cut down on machining costs. The surface of the pads had a deposit similar to emery dust which polished up the disc surface as the brake was applied. Usually by the time the car had been driven off the line and to a couple of storage compounds the deposit had been worn away along with any machining marks from the disc.This left a disc and pad matching perfectly with 100% surface contact. If the previous post about the KF customer being warned about the pads smelling does relate to these type of pads then they must still be being made. They were not normally available from car spares shops, more a main agent or trade factor product. The last ones I had were made by Mintex Don at their factory in Cleckheaton. As with most of our manufacturing this has now gone and the production moved overseas.

[Shogun 10]

they would have to ellecoil it

Yes that is what they should have done if the thread was beyond re cutting or maybe just the nut was damaged still would be good to know how they fixed it.

Edited April 5, 2012 by Shogun

[Shogun 10]

king pin steering went out with the ark what car was it.

Some of the LDV vans still have them that's the only ones I can think of anyway you don't shim king pins you have to reem and bush them nasty things I was glad to see the back of them, some of the black cab taxis still have king pins.

[derek 10]

Some of the LDV vans still have them that's the only ones I can think of anyway you don't shim king pins you have to reem and bush them nasty things I was glad to see the back of them, some of the black cab taxis still have king pins.

 

Mk 1 Transits were an absolute tw*t to do as well. Hunched under a wing trying to drive out an old pin with no room to swing a hammer. Not to mention trying to line ream the bushes. Got the reaming slightly out of line once. Did that bugger shimmy like a dodgy Tesco trolley at 50 mph. Trouble is it was a 12 seater, some very unhappy ladies on that trip. Though I must add I wasn't working for Kwik Fit.

[Shogun 10]

I think the top and bottom of it is they are called Kwik Fit and that is what they should stick to Fitting tyres exhausts batteries and things like that not go of that,it seems that when they go of that they seem to go off track,they are not mechanics just fitters they serve a purpose,but there owners who are Japanese by the way want there money and push them to achieve targets so they start doing jobs they are not qualified to do, the company needs a rethink of there whole business or they will start to loose customers fast, as a mechanic I basically have nothing against them I use them for fitting exhausts and tyres sometimes, and like I said I use the Hillsborough branch for MOTs and I find them OK.