Sh*ter than a KwikFit Fitter??

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gjb02
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Sh*ter than a KwikFit Fitter??

Post by gjb02 »

Took my car in desperation to Kwik fit, asked them to have a look at the osf suspension.The coversation went along the lines of:
me : I'm getting a wierd creaking noise and a loud crack, when I turn the steering full lock to full lock.
KFF : Couldn't see anything suggest you take it to a garage.
me : fair enough!
Went home and decided to have a look whilst changing the Gearbox oil. The rear bush of the wishbone was badly worn, but that wasn't it... The brake pipe had come out of its clip on the inner arch, and the ARB Droplink had been catching it. It was staring me in the face, the brake pipe was almost worn through, and the KFF hadn't seen it.
Anyone else had a similar near death experience??
I was offered a free oil and filter change. I had even asked the manager to talk to me out of earshot of his other customers, as not to offend!![V]
Robin
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Post by Robin »

Gareth, sorry to hear of the problem.
My experience with KFF also in Norwich was totally different, they couldn't have been more helpful or more observant but it was with my sons VW Passat.
On the other hand the AA service centre based in Halfords was another story. Done over would be a massive understatement.
Asked them to do a MOT and then IF it passed to do a service they promptly did the service and condemned the car on the MOT. (Rear wheel bearings on a Porsche 924)exactly the same system as on Beetle.
I protested like hell, it was again my sons car, accusing them of taking advantage of a young driver etc. reported the whole incident to head office but to no avail. They held the car and would not release it until paid, £290! and would charge storage if not paid.
Put that one down to experience. Robin
tomsheppard
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Post by tomsheppard »

That is where you ring the trading standards people. I had a most unfortunate visit to ATS where they told me that oil was leaking from the "Shock absorbers" of my Saab.Sure enough, there was oil all over them. I told the manager that I was not going to pay for the tracking adjustment his monkeys had just misaligned and that I didn't think much of his attempt to defraud his customers. (I had bought the Bilstein GAS dampers just three months previously.) He told me that I wouldn't get my key back unless I paid. Fair enough, The key cost £1.50 and I carried a spare.
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Post by uhn113x »

I believe that the 'wipe oily rag over dampers' is a favourite trick - I wouldn't actually know, because no car of mine ever gets laid a finger on by anyone but me.
Some time ago, a well known chain of motor accessory shops who shall remain nameless, but it begins with 'H' offered to do a free xx point check on your car. A friend of ours decided to let them look at her Citroen Mehari - 602cc air cooled, for the uninitiated. On the printed report was 'coolant requires changing' [:D][:D]
She got a free service out of it, but later replaced the cheapion oil filter with a Purflux one
VisaGTi16v
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Post by VisaGTi16v »

lol mike. Ive had some great ones like tracking being worse after it had been straightened apparently, than before. Good one was couple weeks back when my dad went to local exhaust centre to have some holes patched on my zx and it was infact only leaking from the front to centre pipe join where they said it had been badly fitted. They charged him £45 to put it right including new clamps etc. That evening I informed him how THEY had fitted the new centre section only 6 months before hand! so he went back with my receipt and they gave him a full refund after sheepishley apologising.
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Post by Homer »

I know of someone who took a Volvo automatic to another well known chain for a simple engine oil change as he didn't fancy getting his hands dirty for the sake of a couple of quid.
On driving it away he noticed it wasn't changing gear correctly so took it back in.
Silly beggars had drained the transmission fluid then topped up the engine with the recomended ammount of oil, obviously not checking the level at all.
Best bit, when asked what they were going to do about it, the answer they gave was "we can't do anything right now there's no mechanic here".
Hmmmm.... something I had long suspected.
bikeboyz
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Post by bikeboyz »

It comes back to that moto - if you want something doing right, do it yourself.
I had an experience with a Fiat dealer (sorry!) on the Punto Cabriolet as it was an under warranty terms required service :-( The Stilo (even more sorry) loan car nearly killed be, the tracking was so out the tyres had worn right down to the steel belting. It was a 1.9JTD and went like stink, just not round the courners, how I navigated a particular roundabout in the wet was rather scarry. Needless to say dragging the MD out of his office and asking him his opinion what could be wrong pointing at the metal jagging out of tyre was an interesting conclusion. That dealer is no longer a Fiat dealer, now a so called specialist. So if you are in a Dorset county town beginning with "D" be warned.
rossd
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Post by rossd »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> (I had bought the Bilstein GAS dampers just three months previously.)<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
They could be leaking, even gas shockers still have oil in them!! Its just were normal shocks have air inside (they are not totally filled with oil) in gas type shock absorbers the air is replaced with nitrogen.
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Post by Stinkwheel »

I agree with you they could have been leaking but how likely was it on 3 month old units from a quality brand like bilstien?
allmond
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Post by allmond »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by bikeboyz</i>
That dealer is no longer a Fiat dealer, now a so called specialist. So if you are in a Dorset county town beginning with "D" be warned.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Is that an "Old" story by any chance?
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Post by dnsey »

My dad bought a GS when they first came out.
took it in to the Cit dealer for its 500 mile service, and it seemed OK, but the gearchange was a bit notchy.
Over the next few days, the box became very noisy, and almost impossible to change.
On taking it back to the dealer, it transpired that they had drained the gear oil and neglected to refill it. New box fitted at 600 miles!
paranoid
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Post by paranoid »

Halfords..........Brother had pride and joy metro condemmed to death at one of there service centres bill would have been about £3000 out of sympathy I took it to my local mot guy, flew through except for handbrake performance wich was cured by sitting in the boot (summat to do with lightness of car)
Kwik fit.................One of the company directors nearly killed by a exhaust fitted badly, when he tried to correct steering after turning left onto very busy road the base of the column jammed on a incorrectly fitted clamp (2 parked cars and a garden wall wiped out ) woman and 2 kids had just shut the front door. Understandibly memo went round not to take company vehicles anywhere near one.
ACTIVE8
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Post by ACTIVE8 »

Yes, the poor quality of work, and the lack of skill is amazing!!
They are a bunch of [:o)][:o)][:o)]'s and I am [:0][:0]at the way they treat their customers.[:(!][}:)][:(!]
bxbodger
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Post by bxbodger »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">the tyres had worn right down to the steel belting.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
And if you're stopped while driving it in that state it will be you who get's nicked for it- not the garage.
I was watching one of those Police chase shows on TV when they pulled up an A class merc, with a big for sale painted on the windscreen- the punter doing the test drive was the one who was nicked, for driving a vehicle with impaired vision, although the copper did suggest that he ask the salesman in the passenger seat to refund the fine to him...............
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