[Closed] Kwikfit MOT scam?

Maybe they had replaced a bulb as part of the free mot.

To one that doesn't work that worked before?

Two years in a row my Forester failed on a rear bulb. Tenner each time. Even though I checked before drop off. Secondtime it happened I said funny coincidence that/never again.

If it was a scam, why would they not have failed the MOT and charged you to replace the bulb there and then?
Unless that is what they intended but were too incompetent to follow it through?
Sounds more like cock up than conspiracy though to me.

I'm not sure what they would be doing to cock up. We had checked all the bulbs were working before it went in and they never mentioned a bulb change to the wife when they gave her the paperwork.

Changing one might have knocked another. I'd side on incompetence rather than conspiracy.

But why would they be changing a working bulb?

Took an old snotter for a discounted MOT at a big chain once, it passed but the alternator mysteriously failed during the test. Funny really as the electrics had been perfect for the previous 3 years.
The guy at the (independent) starter and alternator refurb place rolled his eyes, apparently it's a) oddly common at the big chains and b) easily done by shorting the alternator whilst the engine is running.
B@st@rds.

I could think of more profitable items to fail a car on. Perhaps it did 'fail' but they intended to replace the bulb after the MOT so passed it and then didn't finish the job.

More profitable items include both front wishbones on one of my cars, I asked them to quote and to them that meant taking the car to bits on the ramp, so not very happy when I turned down a £600 bill and told them to put it back together, then got an independent to press new bushes into the wishbones for a fraction of the price.

I'm not normally one for conspiracies but a bulb is an easy one to sell there and then to an unsuspecting woman.

It'd be easier just to say it failed, we replaced it. That's £10 please.

As an ex motor fitter I never have & never would use a big chain such as KF for anything.
Ever.

Not to try and dramatise it but my wife is heavily pregnant my 3 year old daughter was in the car with with her so the thought that they could of caused an accident for the sake of the sale of a light bulb is pretty disgusting.

That sounds like you're trying really hard to dramatize it.

I'm not normally one for conspiracies but a bulb is an easy one to sell there and then to an unsuspecting woman.

Can't beat a bit of good old fashioned #EverydaySexism !

Never had anything other than excellent service from our local KwikFit, same MOT tester has worked there about 15 years now, and straight as a die.

Having had to use kwikfit for tyres (lease company policy) I can honestly say if I had chance of a free mot for wife's car, I would take it elsewhere and pay. No way would I let them near a private car.
Loose wheel bolt resulting in new wheel and tyre ( supposedly checked)
Nicked phone
Nicked parking money
Rarely replace locking wheel nut
50% of time won't repair puncture but replace tyre instead.
Not my favorite place.

Ah yes puncture repair- my indie fave place closed Sunday. Kwakfit wanted 25 but advised should get a new tyre. Indie next day charged £5.

Used Apple now long gone, totally flat battery when i went to pick up car, and no help when i asked for a jump start, even RAC man said avoid them.

Halfords,kid with hammer bashing dents in sub frame of car, till he saw me,testing for corrosion he said ,sump plug bashed up into sump a nightmare to get out.

Kwik fit, given the keys to a new ford instead of a 10 year old ford cortina i brought in.The owner was not happy.

another multiple chain now gone, coil shorted out, and strangely clutch cable undone.

I think someone should publish a list of all those KF cowboys' addresses, I mean it all depends on your luck (luck seem to be on midlifecrashes' side at that particular branch of KF) with the KF branch you use. 😯

Many moons ago I took up the offer of a free brake check on my Escort at Kwik Fit. I returned to find the car with no where's on supported on axle stands. I was then informed that all my discs were worn as we're the pads and they were surprised that they hadn't failed. I was given the bill for the job which was nearly £500 so told them I would take it elsewhere. They refused to refit my wheels as the car was unsafe with the brakes in there present condition as it was dangerous. They then offered to set me up a store card to pay for the brakes doing. Again I refused and said I'd put my own wheels back on which they blocked me from doing. Nearly 2 hours later and as I was phoning the police did they start to put my wheels back on saying I'm going kill myself in that car.
I took the car straight down to Ford who checked the discs and pads over and they were all within specification. The Kwik Fit in question was Charterist Way, Morley 😈

Project, Apple Car Clinics went under after the undercover reporter working as a mechanic filming all their scams including charging for parts not fitted, cars not worked on and second hand parts fitted.

craigxxl - Member
They refused to refit my wheels as the car was unsafe with the brakes in there present condition as it was dangerous.

Crikey, they were even attempting a car-nap! 😯

Formula 1 like to hammer your subframe/bodywork as well, watching them "work" on the cars was disturbing to say the least, them one "mechanic" saw me watching and slammed the door into the reception area shut...

done an MOT there as they tyres were cheap, charged me for balancing and tracking, car vibrated at motorway speeds, took it to a local, tracking way out, weights were in the wrong place entirely... stay away.

Thanks for that, and as for Budget, as above free brake test, discs and pads beyond safe use, 250 quid to replace, robbing buggers.and there was anothe r chain of dodgy garages a few years ago got taken over by someone, cant remember what they where called.

Kaki Fit Torquay
Had rear springs replaced ( left hand side snapped just as I was driving past - although couldn't blame them for that)
Got to work, parked up then at home time rear tire was flat. Put spare on, took wheel to my usual tyre place, who checked it over and found the valve core had been loosened. I asked if he knew how that would of happened and he jokingly asked if I'd been to kiwk fit. Apparently he had worked there and it was one trick some of them used !

After my last visit to them (3 or 4 years ago) I realised they hadn't replaced the locking wheel nut.
Went back and the guy took me into workshop, pulled out a box and said 'have a look in there' - it was full of wheel nut locks, so obviously something they did regularly!

Not a real horror story but another illustration of the attitude and approach of some of their service centres.

Car needed four new tyres (Renaultsport Megane absolutely eats rubber) and for the sake of speed and convenience Zoe took it to our local KF. She rang me to tell me the price and it was something like 250 quid a corner but they would do us a 4 for the price of 3 with a total cost of around 850 with tracking etc.. Thought that was a bit steep so checked online and the KF site showed 160 per tyre for a higher spec. After much 'negotiation' they eventually agreed to match their own online price which was 300 quid lower than their original bill. Can't help but think they saw a lone woman in a quick car and were just trying to take advantage.

Haven't been back since.

Visited KwikFit Eastbourne for a price of 4 tyres for the focus, without even looking at the computer he gave me a once over look, like he was gauging how much I'd pay, quoted £115 a corner so I smiled and left. I took it to the local indie who after consulting the computer got the same tyres for £85.

Kwikfit tried telling me my exhaust was a one off that changed for my particular year only made a few calls and confirmed it was only available from one shop at double what I paid previously on a car same model but a year older.

So went across towm to a trusted place who rang the same company kwikfit did and what do you know price was exactly same as my previous exhaust

Not only that shop confirmed not only did the exhaust not alter thru the 5 years my car was produced. But that he had given the same price to kwikfit as he did the one I went to. But kwikfit just doubled the price

oldnick - Member

Took an old snotter for a discounted MOT at a big chain once, it passed but the alternator mysteriously failed during the test. Funny really as the electrics had been perfect for the previous 3 years.
The guy at the (independent) starter and alternator refurb place rolled his eyes, apparently it's a) oddly common at the big chains and b) easily done by shorting the alternator whilst the engine is running.
B@st@rds.

What would they gain by that though? Dishonest fails to sell you fixes I can buy, random vandalism, why?

Kwik Fit managed to set fire to my neighbours car when it went for a free MOT that he had got through his insurance.

I can't remember the exact circumstances, but it involved a burned out wiring loom.

Kwik fit once had a classic rally prepped mini of mine in for a new tyre and told me by brakes were unsafe to use. Discs overly worn and pads shot. £900 bill.

They soon withdrew that when I pulled out the invoice from mini sport, showing that a COMPLETE new brake system had been fitted the day before.

Robbing lying cheating bar stewards the lot of them!

I had the dangerous brakes one some years ago. Apparently the discs were so thin they'd over heat and boil the brake fluid. Not safe to drive. Only went in for a new tyre. Same discs were still on the car 75000 miles after numerous mots and services. Outright lying bar........s.

Never had a problem with them.

Or halfords.

Worst they managed was a numberplate bulb which was dim, and is still dim for some unfathomable reason.

And the tyres are always cheaper online, just like loads of shops.

My local KF (Bath) have been largely excellent. They've changed winter tyres on and off for me, recharged aircon and done MOTs when I've been too disorganised to book in advance for the local council place.

The only thing they've ever gotten a little wrong was an MOT fail for the headlight washers not working...it was out of screenwash fluid.

They have a big thumbs-up from me. 🙂

thisisnotaspoon - Member
Never had a problem with them.

Or halfords.

Halfords (Abbey Wood) is another story...told me both of my rear tyres were illegal and would have to be replaced immediately or it was an MOT fail. I'd checked the tyres fairly thoroughly and knew they were close, but it was summer and I was hoping to change in winter. Anyway, long story short, I took the tyres to the VOSA place up on the A46 and the tyres were at 1.7mm average and 1.9mm average. Therefore not illegal, therefore a forced sale. They told me they'd be following up with the Halfords Autocentre. I got my MOT refunded (including the bulbs which weren't orange enough) and a pass.

Not fussed about the cost, but don't like being lied to and a sale forced upon you.

THere was a good KF on McDonald Road Edinburgh (mind it was 4 years ago since last used them). Went in for 2 new tyres on Golf, staggered at price. He told me to look up price on line, where they were much cheaper, book a slot for next week and they would move it on the system to today. Went back a couple of times and they were consistently good, much better than the main dealer who managed to hole the radiator on a service but kept shtum. I only found out taking my sister to the airport when she emmigrated to spain.

Think I used ats twice in 6 yrs for my old t4. First time mot had advisory for suspension bushes steering rack etc "needed doing" "well do it for you "etc. the following 2 yrs mot done at my local vauxhall garage (old fashioned village garage) and no advisories at all despite no change to the suspension/ steering rack. The following yr back to ats and the same old advisories, slightly different, same story. Next yr, back to usual place no advisories, passed first time, following yr, used regular place, no advisories, passed first time!

I sold it, mentioned the advisories to the buyer who is a mate. He had it mot'd, no advisories, passes first time.

It's like any chain. Some places have the odd idiot or two amongst their staff.

Kwik Fit on Chesser Avenue in Edinburgh aren't all that great. I pulled in with a slow puncture to see the guy behind the counter telling some obviously skint mother with her 3 kids crawling all over the place that the only tyres that would fit her Pug 106 were £90 a corner + balancing and fitting. I couldn't let it stand, so showed her one of the online places who did them for half that price. Kwik Fit chap was not amused, so tried the same on me. £150 for some kack hatchback-spec tyre that I knew were about half that online, and then tried to prevent me leaving saying it was stupidly dangerous and he would be phoning the police if I drove off without a new tyre. I wouldn't mind paying a bit more for the convenience of having a tyre fitted immediately, but a 100% mark up for 10 minutes work is taking the piss a little bit. I just limped it the mile-or-so home and got a more sensible tyre for a more sensible price. I didn't burst into flames, no baby robins were hurt, and I didn't run over a child's face.

But then it's not just Kwik Fit. I've seen various shows of incompetence and/or ****tishness from other national autocare chains and main dealers. It's what eventually prompted me to learn how to do it myself.

thing is with the halfords issue although the tyres may have been close, most people would not check them again until the MOT the following year so potentially there's a safety issue, although yes honesty would have been the right thing.

Took the wifes car there for a set of front tyres once (Bracknell branch)
They kept f**ing up the balancing, the thing vibrated like mad, they kept telling me it was fine, I kept telling them to get funked and sort it out, then the extra large fella in reception who was having trouble breathing, tried telling me it was due to oil settling in the tyres and going hard and balancing machines wouldn't pick this up!!
I started explaining why this was a load of utter sh1t on so many levels but the confused look on the useless idiots face just made me give up.

Anyhow, took the car to an independent and got it sorted.

I my recent experience of two Kwik Fits, one has been poor and the other good. They operate on a franchise basis and can understandably vary considerably.
At the poor one (Iver), have had locking wheelnuts not done up, damage from the trolley jack and one tyre left completely flat after deflating to replace with nitrogen. I had to ask the monkey to pump it up again !
The other (Berkhamsted) pretty good, courteous and helpful. Use them only for fitting of tyres previously bought on-line. Although the other day I did hear them on the phone to some guy pulling the old 'disks and pads' trick. They tried to flog me some expensive alignment check, "would you like me to explain alignment to you ?" Er, NO THANKS !
Am happy to use them again for fitting tyres, but wouldn't trust them with anything else.

It's so easy for an MOT centre to fabricate any old bollocks to sell you some repairs you don't need.

This is why I always take the time out to take my car to the centre myself and watch in the MOT viewing area whilst it is being done. The place I take it to has an area to stand in the actual garage and you can chat to the bloke if you want, he even shows you what it will fail on if you are keen enough.

For the sake of an hour out of your day it's worth it.

Indicator bulb? No-one uses bloody indicators anyway.

You entrusted your car to Kwik Fit? Jesus!

All together now: "Ya can't get thicker than a Kwik-Fit fitter...."