You can’t get shitter than a Kwik-Fit fitter
Um, if you think your car’s steering alignment is out, don’t go to Kwik-Fit. Or at least, don’t go to the one in Milngavie. I put the Saab in there a few weeks back to get the wheels balanced, and prepared myself for the moment when the fitter magically discovers that I need all kinds of extra work. “Can I show you this, sir?” he said. Here we go, I thought.
To be fair, though, this time the fitter was right. The wheels weren’t wearing evenly, which means the steering tracking is out. So another fitter took the car, used their magic machine to work out what the problem was, made a complete mess of it and told me my car had been damaged in a crash. Apparently the damage was so bad that they couldn’t sort the tracking completely, and they’d done the best they could.
The car was in for a service yesterday at a Saab specialist, and I asked him to look at the tracking. There’s nothing wrong with the car, he said. We’ve had loads of cars in here recently with duff tracking. Kwik-Fit doesn’t have the right kit to do it, apparently.
He showed me the results of Kwik-Fit’s tracking attempt. One wheel was vertical. The other was sticking out like a yokel’s tooth. Your car hasn’t been crashed, he said. It’s just that the fitter didn’t have a clue what he was doing.
Agree? Disagree? Then by all means leave a comment, although please note that spammers will be shot. If you subscribe to the feed you can get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
Surely it’s time for a refund?
I realise it’s too late, but, there’s a huge discount kilt warehouse on Kilbirnie St in Tradeston. You can also get a very good and cheap curry.
I’ve written to their head office, and amazingly I’ve managed to avoid using the F-word :)
Is it a tartan curry?
Quick update - I’ve had the ops manager for Kwik-fit on and got a refund. They were very apologetic.
When ever I receive service that is not acceptable I find it is easier to get a resolve from a major national company than a small one man band- The one man band proberbly has my money in his stomach by the time I get back with a problem where the multi nationals have a pot to deal with complaints. So if you take a civil tone with any company they are more likely to refund you. the trick is to let them know you are likely to come back again if the matter can be resolved. Its good to talk, ranting does not work as well….
I had a bad experience two years ago at Milngavie KwikFit where we put in a car that was working for a service before a long journey and it came out not working. Also bad experience recently with tyres. On speaking to other people quite a few have had cars come out with problems that they didn’t have when they went in. I think I might use the place at Bearsden next time I have a prob with tyres. I dont like the sound of them not having correct equipment for tracking as I paid for that to be done as well.
Yeah, I do think if you have one bad experience with a place it’s a bad idea to go back. Particularly in this bit of the world where there are plenty of independents within a stone’s throw.
I had a similar experience - in St. Albans - “oh we will check your tracking Sir, and only charge you if it needs adjustment” - well after the “adjustment” (no probs with the old tyre wear-pattern)the steering wheel was about 15 degrees off-centre - when I mentioned this, the staff did not understand what I was talking about. Just like your other contributor, a garage stated that the adjustment was “all over the place”
I agree - do not let Kwik-Fit touch your tracking!
Yeah just had a similar experience.
Service & MOT, front disc’s and pads need replacing.
All went swimmingly was impressed so far, fixed a couple of niggles FOC and the car really felt serviced much smoother.
Even allowed myself to get sold the aircon service and you know what, it really was colder quicker and that nasty damp smell you get after aircons been on a while had gone too.
But…..by the time I got home the front breaks were squeeling like pig being taught a lesson the hard way. Obviously skipped the copper grease on the back of the pads or mis-fitted them, braking is excellent, just very noisy.
So now I have to take it back and leave it with them for the day. 2 hours of my life lost plus a days holidy and £3.60 on the train.
That said I had a Nissan main dealer change a faulty starter motor and when I collected it they had left all the nuts and bolt undone of various bits and the fell into the engine jamming the accelarator open.
Not put off from taking it back again, just seems par for the course.
I don’t know, it’d worry me because that’s a lack of basic attention to detail. Of all the things you don’t want bodged, brakes are pretty high up the list…
> the fitter didn’t have a clue what he was doing.
That’s a very charitable conclusion to draw.