mbf199t Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Hi All, I am totally new to this forum, and realise posting something about Kwik-Fit is going to send my street-cred plummeting, thankfully I have none to lose yet, so, here goes... I own a VW Golf GT TDI and quite recently received a warning that I needed to replace my brake pads, a month or so later I took it to Kwik-Fit to get an idea of price and was informed that I actually needed pads AND discs...this was fine by me as I could see a significant ride on the discs anyway. Kwik-Fit were very helpful and took the car then and there with the work done about 3.5 hours later at a cost of £230. All was well. I took the brakes for their "run-in" and the pads soon bit so I had my full braking efficiency back. A week passed by along with approximately 1,000 miles and on Monday I set off on a journey from Norwich to Guildford - 160 miles later I was on the A3 indicating myself onto the slip-road, I started braking at about 70mph and at about 50mph my brakes failed completely; pedal to the floor, nothing. I stopped the car without too much effort with gears, handbrake and a little gravity coming to a near-perfect stop at traffic lights, drove about another half-mile to a bus-stop, pulled over and called for recovery. Naturally, I recovered myself to Kwik-Fit (not the Kiwik-Fit I had previously used). I called in the next morning and explained the situation, the guys looked at the car, replaced a brake hose and bled the brakes twice (spongy the first time apparently). Interestingly they didn't even attempt to charge me for the work, which took them 5 hours, as "the other garage should really have checked the whole braking system when they did the brakes, or may have caused the problem when they changed them"...very interesting! However, I was also informed that when testing them this time round, every time the technician had pressed the brake pedal in a stationary position, the car had given an immediate STOP! error which only disappeared after the pedal was realsed. I was told "we don't really know why it's doing it but the brakes seem to be working. It might just be that the bleed has done something to the ABS. Drive it anyway and see if the error disappears".... So my opening question to the forum really is...are Kwik-Fit always this crap with brakes, or was I just unlucky? Considering the preceeding 160 miles before my brakes totally failed involved the A11, A14, M11 and M25, this could've been quite the catastrophic accident! Any advice or wrist-slapping (for using Kwik-Fit) greatly appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuprabob Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 To be perfectly honest I wouldn't let Kwik-Fit near my car. There are plenty of good VW indies and even a few good dealers that would do the job right, fit OEM parts for not a lot more. In fact some indies might have been cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 3 hours to change pads & discs? That IS a long time. I perform this on allmy cars and even the first time, it NEVER took 3.5 hours. Including time taken to go and get more tools! Your best bet is probably take it too a proper VAG indy for them to check. Where do you get your servicing done? Oh, it's a standard saying that your discs need replacing too. How many miles on the car? Have the discs ever been replaced? Not sure what come-back you have with Kwik-Fit - hope somebody else will be able to say a bit more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KwikFit Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Hi All,I am totally new to this forum, and realise posting something about Kwik-Fit is going to send my street-cred plummeting, thankfully I have none to lose yet, so, here goes... I own a VW Golf GT TDI and quite recently received a warning that I needed to replace my brake pads, a month or so later I took it to Kwik-Fit to get an idea of price and was informed that I actually needed pads AND discs...this was fine by me as I could see a significant ride on the discs anyway. Kwik-Fit were very helpful and took the car then and there with the work done about 3.5 hours later at a cost of £230. All was well. I took the brakes for their "run-in" and the pads soon bit so I had my full braking efficiency back. A week passed by along with approximately 1,000 miles and on Monday I set off on a journey from Norwich to Guildford - 160 miles later I was on the A3 indicating myself onto the slip-road, I started braking at about 70mph and at about 50mph my brakes failed completely; pedal to the floor, nothing. I stopped the car without too much effort with gears, handbrake and a little gravity coming to a near-perfect stop at traffic lights, drove about another half-mile to a bus-stop, pulled over and called for recovery. Naturally, I recovered myself to Kwik-Fit (not the Kiwik-Fit I had previously used). I called in the next morning and explained the situation, the guys looked at the car, replaced a brake hose and bled the brakes twice (spongy the first time apparently). Interestingly they didn't even attempt to charge me for the work, which took them 5 hours, as "the other garage should really have checked the whole braking system when they did the brakes, or may have caused the problem when they changed them"...very interesting! However, I was also informed that when testing them this time round, every time the technician had pressed the brake pedal in a stationary position, the car had given an immediate STOP! error which only disappeared after the pedal was realsed. I was told "we don't really know why it's doing it but the brakes seem to be working. It might just be that the bleed has done something to the ABS. Drive it anyway and see if the error disappears".... So my opening question to the forum really is...are Kwik-Fit always this crap with brakes, or was I just unlucky? Considering the preceeding 160 miles before my brakes totally failed involved the A11, A14, M11 and M25, this could've been quite the catastrophic accident! Any advice or wrist-slapping (for using Kwik-Fit) greatly appreciated! Hi there, We were concerned to read your comments about your experience with Kwik Fit. If possible, we would like to discuss this further with you - please could you contact me at [email protected]? Kind regards, Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Thanks for the post Andy - nice to see mainstream vendors on here. mbf199t, pls can you take it up direct with Kwikfit and then come back to us when you've got it resolved. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twinspark Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Just to add my 2p to this... I have no choice over where I take the company cars - brakes are always done at Kwik Fit. Even when the B6 Passat with electronic handbrake was new, they were still able to do them - my arguments in Kwik Fit waiting rooms have always been with the lease company when they try to restrict my choice of tyre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipex Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Kwik fit get a lot of stick on Internet car forums, personally I don't find them any different to any other garages, some are good, some not so, it all depends on the mechanics that work there. My experience of our local Kwik fit is all good, they helped the Mrs out once when her wipers failed in the rain, and got them working for her and didn't charge her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 I've also had generally good experiences with Kwik Fit - no issues taking any of my cars there for basic stuff tyres etc. Not convinced I'd take the M3 there for brakes/servicing etc. to be fair, but I can't imagine that's the kind of car that's their target market anyway. Branch in Docklands also spent a good hour re-fixing my exhaust once on the RS4 (it got caught on the post base on the way into my garage) - didn't charge me a penny, just had to take a couple of them for a spin! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hopsta Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 My personal experience of them is not that great. Fitting directional tyres the wrong way and 30 mins after leaving they denied fitting them at all, until I showed then the receipt! Be-grudgingly resolved and I vowed never to step foot in their doors again. This was some 12 years ago mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chody Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 my local kwik fit are very good and unusually honest took my a4 in there a couple of years ago thinking it was blowing and they asked out to the ramp and said cant find anything wrong and to be honest they had never had to change an audi exhaust for rot at that age of car, although the last time i took my car in for a puncture a new boy tried to tell me i needed a new tire, as the tire was less than a month old a took it to a local tire fitter who repaired it no problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FelixK Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 I'd be really interested to hear why you chose Kwik-Fit in particular for work on your brakes. By the sounds of it they're not your usual mechanic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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