Haven't had a "free" MOT test with Kwikfit, but since i lost trust in the garage i used to have MOTs at(due to him failing it to make extra work) i have had 4 MOT tests on 2 different cars, Apart from 1 MOT failure on indicator bulbs not being yellow enough i have had no problems with them. I'd rather trust the guys at the centre we have here with my car rather than the independant garage.

Kwikfit fitted an exhaust to a car of an acqaintance recently which was little more than a piece of pipe - it was cheap in money terms but its limitations were not explained. The exhaust performed as badly as you would expect and after some very imaginative excuses including it needs running in the car was taken to a good local guy. He (no overalls) went with the customer to Kwikfit and listened to the excuses. When they'd finished he told them he was in the trade and explained to them why they were talking rubbish. A free upgrade appeared!

Kwikfit is not cheap for its product range but benefits from a national name. Frankly a bit of reseaerch with Thomson Local can yield much better deals - this is one area where the local boys need to maintain a good name.

What absolute W****RS!!!! I'm so glad you posted your story here as it is helping to sort the wheat from the chaff.

I would NEVER take their insurance, even if it was the last company on the planet. They kept giving me silent phone calls over five years after I had my phone number registered with the TPS. Only when they called and I spoke to someone, I explained the situation, and said I'd considered these calls harassement. I added that any further communication would be reported to crime stoppers because it is classed as abuse of the telecommunications system. I think they were left in shock and so they should be.

Says it all I think.

Hi,

My neighbour took her son's car to Kwik Fit to have the rear brake shoes replaced. When she came to pay she was told that the brake drums needed to be replaced together with the bearings, brake pads and handbrake cable. As she couldn't contact us at that point she very wisely asked for the old parts back, which they gave her except for one set of brake pads - dont know what happened to them.

My husband looked at the drums for her and was as sure as he could be that they were still within the legal limits so we took the drums to the nearest Vauxhall main dealer and asked for their advice. They took the drums into their workshop and measured them. They assured us that the drums were 0.2mm worn and still had 80% of life left in them & that they would have cleaned them and put them back onto the car.

With this information we went to see the manager at the Kwik Fit branch who said he couldn't comment as the member of staff that worked on the car was away until the following day. He also had a waiting room full of customers and obviously didn't want them to hear about the 'rip off'. He said he would call my neighbour. Mid afternoon the following day, our neighbour received a call from the manager stating that he would refund the cost of the drums following a discussion with his Area manager. My neighbour then advised him that she wanted the cost of the bearings refunded too.

We accompanied our neighbour to the branch for her to receive the refund and she asked about an apology for being 'riped off' - this was not given. At least she received a refund in excess of £200.

Perhaps their slogan should be ''Kwik Fit it before the customer notices and complains''

Moral of the story - never go to Kwik Fit.

Hey thanks for the advice everyone.........and to think i was about to book my car in next month for their £35 online MOT.......I'll stick to the local council run garage even if they are charging £53, at least i know they won't rip me off...........SHAME ON YOU KWIK FIT.....!!!!

NB - They really shouldn't do this to the general public seeing as though we're in the middle of a recession and everyone's watching their pennies right now!!

Yes, its true - Kwikfit did the brakes scam on me too. Failed my car on the brakes because of 'excessive pedal travel'. Funny that when I took it to my local dealer they passed it first time.

Don't touch them with a barge pole. They are not even the best value for tyres. My local independent can supply at better prices and so can some of the internet based companies like Etyres.

They will even rip you off for a puncture repair. Against my better judgement I just went to them for a repair, simply because they are close by and open. They charged me for a new valve that I didn't need or ask for and for nitrogen inflation that I didn't need or ask for. Now - ask yourself - what use is it having one tyre inflated with nitrogen and the other 3 with air? Am I supposed to go to the garage to get the 3 tyres topped up and them pop in to Kwikfit to check the nitrogen one?

Should be called KwikRipOff!!

"Nitrogen" inflation - this is a new one on me

What could there reason be for filling your tyre with Nitrogen rather than good old (free) air ?

This needs investigating

As far as I was aware - (free) Air consists of 78% nitrogen anyway .. and what happens when you top it up ?

It couldn't have anything to do with profit could it ?

Twee

This is an article on the issue of Nitrogen. It is just a selling point that some use, but not that beneficial to a standard domestic vehicle.

The air we breath (and the normal compressed air used to inflate tyres) contains 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen and 1% other gases.

Purified nitrogen has been used to inflate tyres on aircraft and racing cars for many years, but now some tyre specialists are offering nitrogen inflation for ordinary car and van tyres.

The advantages of using nitrogen in specialist applications are clear

• Planes fly at heights where temperatures may be as low as -40C. Any moisture in the tyres can freeze causing vibration and balance problems when landing. Pure nitrogen is dry so eliminates this problem (as would using dried compressed air)
• In motor sport the smallest fraction of a second can make the difference between winning and losing. Filling with nitrogen can reduce tyre pressure variation caused by changes in tyre temperature.

For passenger car applications the main claims seem to be

• Reduced corrosion – because unlike air there's no moisture in pure nitrogen
• Slower rate of pressure loss – because nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen molecules (which make up 21% of compressed air)

Leakage can occur through the tyre's inner liner but can also occur through the valve, punctures, or failure of the seal between tyre and wheel rim. Pure nitrogen might leak more slowly through the liner, but regular checks of tyre condition and pressures will still be essential.

Corrosion of the tyre through use of normal compressed air alone is most unlikely because only the outer tread band of a car tyre contains steel – the amount of moisture reaching it from the inside is minimal.

Changing to nitrogen involves removing all the air which is already in the tyres and then re-inflating them with purified compressed nitrogen. There will be a one-off charge per tyre but once filled with nitrogen any future top-ups would also have to be with nitrogen if any advantages are to be maintained.

Overall, while accepting the possibility of purified nitrogen being of benefit in certain applications, we don't think that the cost and possible inconvenience are justified for normal passenger car use.

Huckster