Kwikfit MOT's - ok or avoid?

[Hades]

The rear tyres looked absolutely fine... until they shown me the inside edges which I genuinely missed pre-test-inspection.
The wipers were pants but I was hoping for a pass and how do you check pre-test-inspection if the tester will pass them or not?
And I had already replaced THREE bulbs pre-test-inspection but missed the plate-light.

All in all fairly pleasing as the majority of fail costs we're consumables... I've still got a couple of advisories mind you but nothing that FAILED the MOT test should be considered RECKLESS!

Apart from the fact you can't see in the rain and the tyre could blow on the motorway Haha, seriously though, I can see why you missed some of those things now you've explained it. I probably would have too.

The fluff!?! And how has Carol Vorderman come up with that bit of logic considering what the items were that failed & what they cost to repair!?! I'd agree I paid over the odds for the wipers by about a fiver!

Haha, just make sure its on its HOT setting, perhaps reminding him thats its a mk4 Golf might help!

Ok, ok, good point again. I'm drunk dammit!

 

[Coco]

You have to agree driving around with defective brake lights, bald tyres and dodgy wipers is a bit careless? You were lucky not to have been stopped by the police and given points!

After a careful & well considered thought I have the conclusion that... COCO was CARELESS by 41.25% - and heres why...

defective brake lights - COCOS CARELESS RATING - 25%
Background - I use this car to cover around ~35,000 miles per year which boils down to about 800 miles per week. I check my lights all round every three months, obviously with headlights & indicators its very obvious when these require replacing or are faulty.
The FAIL! - The brake lights worked but they had an intermitent fault which meant there was a delay in the operation. So they DID work but SOMETIMES they did not come on straight away. This was not picked up in my checks as it was an INTERMITENT fault.

bald tyres - COCOS CARELESS RATING - 100%
Background - The front tyres have recently been replaced as part of my agreement to use this car for company usage is to maintain legal tyre tread. I was not advised of any wear issues with my rear tyres when the fronts were fitted & during my own inspection pre-test all appeared fine...
The FAIL! - Totally and utterly my bad, I had checked the outside edges (VERY LEGAL) & centre of tyres (VERY LEGAL) but must have missed the worn inners (with some tread but ultimately ILLEGAL!).

dodgy wipers - COCO CARELESS RATING - 0%
Background - I thought they worked fine, they never ceased visability.
The FAIL! - They failed, they we're replaced, what percentage worn are yours? How do we actually measure an MOT wiper fail!?!


How could COCO be more CAREFULL...
brake lights
Perform a better lights check more frequently. - Hey, is it fair to say 99% of the people reading this could also be more carefull? How often do you check yours especially as no indication is given via the dashboard of the same fault that I suffered?
tyres
Perform a better job of checking tyre tread - ABSOLUTELY! No excuses - although the mk4 Golf drivers like a wet-pudding with or without ooodles of tread!
wiper blades
Not a clue to be honest, perhaps you can tell me how to be more carefull with this item?


Sooooooooo, would you agree that it is fair to say that MOST people would also have suffered the same percentage of CARELESSNESS that I have been?

 

[Coco]

Oh & for the record...

Do you not think it is an absolute Mickey take that the Goverment only require a car to be tested ONCE per year no matter what mileage they do or what the age of the vehicle is?

I would be more than happy to have mine tested TWICE of maybe even THREE times per year due to the mileage it covers to ensure complete & absolute road-worthyness throughout its usage as, despite what gun some of you have been jumping, COCO DOES WANT (& HAS) A 100% ROAD WORTHY VEHICLE.

This would also do a damn good job in removing a lot of the scrap & hazards off the road.

 

[Hades]

Oh & for the record...

Do you not think it is an absolute Mickey take that the Goverment only require a car to be tested ONCE per year no matter what mileage they do or what the age of the vehicle is?

I would be more than happy to have mine tested TWICE of maybe even THREE times per year due to the mileage it covers to ensure complete & absolute road-worthyness throughout its usage as, despite what gun you have been jumping COCO DOES WANT (& HAS) A 100% ROAD WORTHY VEHICLE.

This would also do a damn good job in removing a lot of the scrap & hazards off the road.

Yes I'd be happy with that because it would mean I'd only have to get my car MOT'd every two to three years

 

[MarkDavis]

dodgy wipers - COCO CARELESS RATING - 0%
Background - I thought they worked fine.
The FAIL! - They failed, they we're replaced, what percentage worn are yours? How do we actually measure an MOT wiper fail!?!

I'm afraid I'm going to have to award you a careless rating of 100% since it should be obvious whether your wipers work properly or not, especially given that you drive 35k a year....

However, if you're ever in doubt, just throw some horse dung with a 50% water mix (give it a good stir) onto your windscreen and leave it there for a couple of hours.

Then activate the windscreen washer jets and the wipers. If you have 100% vision throw the windscreen wiper area, you are fine.

You should thank Quack-Fit for picking up on the poor maintenance regime in relation to your car and saving you from getting points on your licence. Have you corrected the alignment/camber problem that affected the tyres now?

Do you not think it is an absolute Mickey take that the Goverment only require a car to be tested ONCE per year no matter what mileage they do or what the age of the vehicle is?

I would be more than happy to have mine tested TWICE of maybe even THREE times per year due to the mileage it covers to ensure complete & absolute road-worthyness throughout its usage

Er, you can do that by inspecting the car yourself or taking it to a mechanic, any time you want to.....

Please tell me that you get the car serviced more than once a year given your supposed 35k a year mileage.....

 

[Coco]

I didn't & wouldn't use Quack-Fit for any work! As I originally commented:
"Kwik Fit have earned its 'poor' reputation for good reason, i'm sure with every happy story about them we can find many which aren't no matter what the task."

Have you done this test on your own car? I'm going to guess... ... ... and i'm using a crystal ball here... that you... have... NOT.
And i'm also going to guess that NOBODY ELSE reading this has used Horse muck to check there wipers!

Da' MOT webbysite says:
'The wipers and washers
Operate to give the driver a clear view ahead.'

Coco - I have a clear view ahead, my wipers work fine, lovely.
MOT man - FAIL - two minutes & £15 later the wipers were now a pass!
Coco - I have a clear view ahead, my wipers work fine, lovely.

 

[MarkDavis]

Have you done this test on your own car? I'm going to guess... ... ... and i'm using a crystal ball here... that you... have... NOT.
And i'm also going to guess that NOBODY ELSE reading this has used Horse muck to check there wipers!

I tend to use cowpats as they're easier to find where I live. Most people use horse dung though as it clings to the windscreen better.

It's quite clear to me why you failed your MOT as you're not even doing the basic maintenance checks.

 

[Coco]

Er, you can do that by inspecting the car yourself or taking it to a mechanic, any time you want to.....

Please tell me that you get the car serviced more than once a year given your supposed 35k a year mileage.....

Not that you have missed the point or anything but to answer... my car is serviced every 10,000 miles. No mentions of tyres, brakes or wipers being an issue. I guess the garage I used must be rubbish etc etc etc

The point, if I may, is that Joe Bloggs with his snotty old Nova only needs an MOT certificate ONCE per year which means for 11 months he can have his tinted windows, loud fumey exhaust, tiny italic number plates etc etc...


Oh & wow, just wow:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18026883

Sister's Alfa147 has just had the following diagnosed:-

- oil leak from somewhere in the engine leaking onto heatshield
- both front lower wishbones need replacing
- front ball joint has play in it and needs replacing
- strange 'tinkling' sound from NSF suspension area
- both rear gas struts need to be replaced as hatch doesn't stay open
- tracking / alignment problem with steering
- need new cambelt / water pump etc
- remote boot release has malfunctioned
- needs a new clutch and floorpan needs to be removed to replace it
- windscreen has developed a crack and needs replacing
- remote central locking only works intermittently and needs a replacement key


Perhaps you could pass on some of your 'advice' to your own family as *cough*in true jumping the gun mode*cough* EVERYTHING IS ABSOLUTELY UN-ROADWORTHY WHY DIDNT YOU THROW A COW AT THE BONNET, SHE IS INSTANTLY GOING TO CRASH BANG WHALLOP etc etc.

Unfortunately I'm away on business over the next couple of days so I may not be able to reply to your next ramblings.
I will be using my GOLF OF ULTIMATE DOOM to drive up the M1 tomorrow morning. Watch out- it has twelve months of MOT.

 

[BigglesPiP]

Due to past discrepancies Kwik-Fit and National tyres have had a change in their MOT licences.

Both companies have one licence for the whole company, rather than per garage. Meaning one bad apple means no Kwik-Fit MOTs anywhere in the country.

Dad discovered this on his last MOT refresher course, there were a couple of Kwik-Fit fitters there who said they then had to go and do 2 more weeks of MOT training with Kwik-Fit.

At the moment Kwik-Fit do some of the most honest tests in the country, you can trust them to test your car. You absolutely cannot trust them to do any repair work though.

 

[Scania]

Plague

Like

Avoid

The

 

[Akira]

Here's a quick test you can do yourself, drive up and park outside your chosen shortlist of tester's garages for about ten minutes and observe their mechanic's activities. Should take less than an hour of your time on a saturday morning. Make up your own mind. I'm willing to bet if you include Kwik Fit your ad hoc survey, you'll not leave your car with them. I did this and I won't, and I'm entitled to a free MOT and oil change every 12 months, being insured with them. Find a good local independent who actually works for a living.

 

[Luke]

Plague

Like

Avoid

The

Spot on. Wouldn't trust them to clean my windscreen, let alone anywhere near the car with a spanner.

 

[osc89er]

Why would they want to defraud customers to generate some business? Its not as if they're on commission. They'd lose their job if they looked to defraud and the company would be prosecuted by trading standards. The damage done to Kwik-Fit's reputation would be immeasurable.

They already have a reputation as shysters and people still take their cars there. As for why? All it takes is lack of a culture of honesty and pressure from regional/head office to match high sales targets.

 

[Duke]

Why would they want to defraud customers to generate some business? Its not as if they're on commission. They'd lose their job if they looked to defraud and the company would be prosecuted by trading standards. The damage done to Kwik-Fit's reputation would be immeasurable.

I think you must be quite naive to think they don't do this to the customers they can get away with it from.

 

[BigglesPiP]

The garage dad works at regularly has irate customers coming in after Kwik-Fit find a problem with their car:

"Why have you let me drive away with these dangerous defective brakes? Why didn't you spot this? I should sue!"

"Hello? There's nothing wrong with this car, they are conning you!"

You won't see them chancing this on an MOT though.

 

[eatcustard]

An MOT tester is an MOT tester.

They are no better or worse than any other place, else they would lose ther right to be an MOT tester.