I'd never take anything a Kwik-fit or similar chain told me without checking myself. I went in to one years ago for an annual exhaust check to comply with a lifetime warranty and they told me my rear shocks were leaking and the front disks were worn out and could explode!
The shocks were polihed by plastic dust covers and when I asked how thik the disks were he did not know and declined to measure them when I told him I'd measured them the day before and they were 2mm over the OEM limit.


Robert G8RPI.

I have always questioned the motives behind test stations which advertise cut price MOT's. In my view the price charged for a properly done MOT is reasonable and leaves a wee bit of profit for the testing station. So if you're going to throw that profit away by discounting then how are you going to stay in business? Draw your own conclusions folks!

For many years now I've been getting all the family vehicles tested at an independent garage who charges full price. He has a reputation for being strict but fair which is exactly what I want as I like to feel the annual MOT test might spot something I've missed at service time. Occasionally he does fail something but I've never found it to be something I would argue with.

So, combine cut price MOT pricing with organisations which are heavily into upselling and maximising profit and I would say the outcome is rediculously easy to predict. Wouldn't you?

Pugglt Auld Jock said:

I have always questioned the motives behind test stations which advertise cut price MOT's. In my view the price charged for a properly done MOT is reasonable and leaves a wee bit of profit for the testing station. So if you're going to throw that profit away by discounting then how are you going to stay in business? Draw your own conclusions folks!

For many years now I've been getting all the family vehicles tested at an independent garage who charges full price. He has a reputation for being strict but fair which is exactly what I want as I like to feel the annual MOT test might spot something I've missed at service time. Occasionally he does fail something but I've never found it to be something I would argue with.

So, combine cut price MOT pricing with organisations which are heavily into upselling and maximising profit and I would say the outcome is rediculously easy to predict. Wouldn't you?

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A wee update on this post and a reflection on the uncertainty and impermanence of modern life!

Having just serviced my youngest boy's wife's Jazz they reminded me it's MOT is due in just over a month. Pity they didn't tell me before I did the service, but as they hadn't let me have the car for about 18 months I gave it a particularly rigorous going over so I shouldn't have missed anything. Whilst feeling "quietly confident" (saying that is absolutely bound to guarantee a fail isn't it?) about the Jazz I'm just a little nervous about Becky's (our 2010 Panda) front strut top mounts. - MOT due in a couple of months. The nearside one is slightly higher than the offside. So thought I'd pop down to my "local friendly MOT facility" and ask one of the testers if it could be a potential failure.

Remember I've been going here for at lease the last 20 years, probably more, and know the owner and several of his mechanics really quite well, I got quite a surprise when I wandered into the workshop and couldn't see a face I recognised! Not surprisingly I was asked what I was up to and directed to the reception desk. Another face I didn't recognise and, perhaps because he didn't know me and I'd been wandering around his workshop, he wasn't all that friendly! Not that he was aggressive or unpleasant either though. I decided to cut and run before I made too much of a fool of myself and went round the corner to another small garage where I'm a known face. Asked him if he knew what the story was? It would seem the owner (the chap I know) is in poor health and the fellow I met at the reception is now running it - there has been a turn over of staff too!? Oh dear, not looking good is it? The "vibes" I got were a very different feeling to before. Also feeling sorry for the owner and his family, although I would call him an acquaintance rather than friend, and hope he gets well soon.

I have quite a high opinion of this chap (the small garage owner) and they don't do their own MOT's but, like many small workshops, can arrange an MOT for customers, say as part of a yearly service or stand alone, so I asked him where he goes (expecting him to reply with the place round the corner who are big on MOTs) but no! He goes to the small Fiat specialist who has been impressing me with his friendly and knowledgeable attitude ever since I first made contact last year. The day was getting well on by now so I took Becky home so we wouldn't get stuck in the rush hour traffic but as we were toddling along I decided to visit the Fiat chap and see how he approaches MOT's - in particular if it fails. I should say, by the way, that I'm in favour of a "thorough but fair" approach to MOT testing as I view it as a double check on the safety of our cars just in case I miss something at service time.

A couple of days later I stopped in at the Fiat chap for a chat and was most impressed. I mentioned that, if any of the cars failed, I would be keen to do my own repairs, and he said that wouldn't be a problem. The other MOT garage, on the infrequent occasion where one of the cars failed, did not charge a retest fee when I returned with the repaired car - how would that work if I started using him for my MOT's? Oh we don't charge for retests he said, never have!

So, whilst I'm very sad to hear of the fellow's illness and the way it seems to have impacted on his business. It would seem, he said cautiously, that I've fallen on my feet with my new find. Of course the proof of the pudding will be in the eating? But I'm not expecting to contract a "tummy ache" anytime soon. And, as an added bonus, IT'S A FIAT SPECIALIST INTO THE BARGAIN!

NEVER USE QUIK FIT THEY ARE RIP OFF ARTISTS my teachers at college even warned us about them basically they will inflate your bill to as high as possible and word things in a way that it sounds like it needs changing when it doesnt, if my brakes are worn they dont need changing, if my tyres are worn that means nothing, the minute u put a part on your car it's worn, I might if I was desperate and had no choice get a tyre changed there that's about it

Everybody knows, if your car has a cough do a Linford Christie away Sick Kwik. If they were the last car repairers on God's green earthI'd rather take my car to either the local whore house or a church.
I had a MK3 Cortina many years ago and they buggered up my suspension settings bent some parts (can't remember what now) but driving the car was like using a pogo stick. My local garage in Camberwell would not allow me to drive it, ****e Kwik demanded it back, this was refused as the car was dangerous. Finally Sick Kwik agreed to pay my local garage man and supply two front tyres. Kwik ****e? never.

A few years back a lady friend of our took her car to Kwik Fit Hereford and was charged for some work. When she told me she thought it was still not right I checked it out. I believe they had charged for an exhaust and a battery that had not been fitted and they had done some work on the brakes replacing parts I had done the previous week replacing top quality parts with their branded stuff. Suffice to say they were encouraged to put those parts back to replace teh things required and to refund 100% of the money to avoid unpleasantness....

A couple of years back they wanted to remove the bumper from a Vauxhall Astra to change a headlight bulb on my company car. Needed it for 4 hours.... Again a sensible alternative fitted a new bulb through the inspection panel provided for this purpose in about 30 seconds at no cost.

I would not consider them as a supplier - ever. I am sure largely this is down to the quality of personnel and their training, but it does not say a lot for them or their QA processes.

Good independent garage every time, and ditto for tyres from small suppliers which are vastly cheaper there.