Halfords Autocentre

Anyone had a service/MOT done with them? They seem to get some pretty good reviews on line.

£209 for a full service and MOT.

I had our Clio booked in for them to look at the AC. They said they would call when it was ready to collect.

They never called, I phoned 20minutes before they shut, I was told that they had looked at it and it wouldn’t hold gas so they put it to one side and didn’t have time to look at it. Book it back in and they would have another look.

Can’t say I was impressed, I didn’t bother in the end took it to someone else that sorted it with in an hour, Halfords auto centre had it all day and all they could tell me was it wouldn’t hold gas.

My local VAG specialist will do a 10K service and MOT for only a tenner more. Plus they provide a courtesy car.

£209 doesn’t strike me as amazing value. I’d always look for a respected independent, even if it’s a few quid more.

Took my old car there for an MOT as it was next door to work. It failed on brake pipes as it would have done anywhere else but they also gave me a list of advisories which covered a sheet of A4. Every single one of them was along the lines of “Can’t inspect engine as cover is in place” or “Can’t inspect underbody as cover in place”.

No I’m not an MOT tester nor have I ever worked in a garage but this just strikes me as nitpicking. The MOT it had the year before was fine with a local garage so why do they insist on going to great lengths just because the car has bits of plastic attached to it that are meant to be there!

Wanted £500 to change my rear discs and pads. Lolled at them a little and got it done elsewhere for about £150 all in

I used them for a few years on both cars, usually with some promotion or other. They always did an OK job, and always tried to upsell on slightly questionable items that I either flat refused (engine flush, new brake lines) or let them do it as it was plausible (brakes for life anyone?!).

Last time I put my 10 year bimmer in for an MOT and oil service they cracked the sump, tried to tell me it was like that when it came in and it was going to cost me £400+ for them to fix. After some choice words they replaced it at their cost, but it left a sour taste and makes me wonder about the other stuff I’ve let them do.

I’ll not be going back now.

My mate took his Octavia vRS diesel estate to a Halfords Autocentre for a service. It also needed a cambelt, so they did that too.

They did it wrong. 😯

It cost quite a lot to put right……and although Halfords paid, there was a lot of not replying to e-mails/phone calls and generally getting nowhere with it until he e-mailed the CEO directly, which got things moving.

I wouldn’t use them. Depending on the car and type of service, it doesn’t sound THAT good value. My local does my minor service for about £120 and major for £170-200ish. That’s for a 1.9 diesel.

In my experience they are hopeless.

The leasing company used to use them for servicing and they only dropped the oil and left the car stood around whilst charging them full whack.

The leasing company now do mobile servicing and, on one car, I complained to the mechanic that it was freezing in the car and it turned out Halfords had charged for new Pollen Filter twice and never replaced it…….

£209 isnt cheap. Call a main dealer and ask them to price match.

Thanks all. That doesn’t sound too promising. May try and find a local garage.

If anyone knows somewhere in Bracknell or Farnborough please let me know.

what make / model car? best off looking for a specialist in that manufacturer

2011 Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer 1.7CDTi.