Brake pipes corroded & kwik fit free brake check

[AndrewHill]

Hi all
Few years back I heard some horror stories of Kwikfit in documentaries ripping people off but I reckon they've had time to redeem themselves from that(?)

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on their free brake check? I'm aware they'll be looking to upsell on anything.

Advisories on the MOT say the pipes are corroded. Does anyone know how much they charge to replace the brake pipes?

How much would you expect to pay for brake pipes to be replaced? I've had quotes from £45 for both to upwards of £130 each (that quote came from an online mobile mechanic so I expect that's extortionate)

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[johnsco]

I've never been ripped off by Quickfit.
However - My experience of their competence is not good.
From personal experience - I would not recommend.

 

[saff]

Replacing brake pipes can be expensive. I've just had some of mine done due to MOT advisory. It will depend on the routing of the pipes and the length required to be replaced. I went to a trusted independent. I would not entrust this to Kwik-fit, nor anything else if I'm honest.

 

[190]

My car has had 3 MOT's with Kwikfit, a re-gas and they replaced a corroded rear brake pipe where it goes over the rear axle. I'd have done it myself but routing is so awkward it really needs to be on a lift. I can't remember the cost but it seemed reasonable at the time. All in all I have no complaints with Kwik fit. If you can be flexible with the appointment time they do very cheap MOT's and other than the brake pipe which is not an uncommon fail item on W204's they have not seemed to be looking to raise additional revenue by looking for faults.

 

[clk320x]

Hi all
Few years back I heard some horror stories of Kwikfit in documentaries ripping people off but I reckon they've had time to redeem themselves from that(?)

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on their free brake check? I'm aware they'll be looking to upsell on anything.

Advisories on the MOT say the pipes are corroded. Does anyone know how much they charge to replace the brake pipes?

How much would you expect to pay for brake pipes to be replaced? I've had quotes from £45 for both to upwards of £130 each (that quote came from an online mobile mechanic so I expect that's extortionate)

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

You could try these guys: MB Automotive - Mercedes-Benz Specialist Loughborough

 

[Deleted member 6183]

I've no problems with KF.

I needed discs and pads all around on my old S class, they quoted £1600 at first and I negotiated down to £800, was happy with the job, I might have been price conditioned by them though.

 

[Will]

I reckon places like KF would be more keen on stuff like discs and pads than a slightly more awkward job of replacing brake lines.

More markup on the parts, quicker and easier to fit and less to go wrong.

Get a second opinion on the brake pipes for sure, but depending on where you go there’s quite a large cost in the labour side of it.

Who does the other servicing/repair jobs on the car? Might be worth asking their opinion in the first instance. I imagine if KF were to take the job on they would price it quite high, I don’t think it’s the usual bread and butter work they would like.

 

[del320]

Advisories on the MOT say the pipes are corroded. Does anyone know how much they charge to replace the brake pipes?

How much would you expect to pay for brake pipes to be replaced? I've had quotes from £45 for both to upwards of £130 each (that quote came from an online mobile mechanic so I expect that's extortionate)

Everybody's brake pipes corrode and are subject of an advisory.

Don't worry - the rust will have disappeared by next year and they will be just fine!

q.v. MOT failure

 

[DSM10000]

Advisories on the MOT say the pipes are corroded. Does anyone know how much they charge to replace the brake pipes?

How much would you expect to pay for brake pipes to be replaced? I've had quotes from £45 for both to upwards of £130 each (that quote came from an online mobile mechanic so I expect that's extortionate)

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

Was the quote to replace brake pipes or brake hoses? £45 seems far to low a cost to replace brake pipes especially as the brakes would need bleeding afterward.

I had the rear brake pipes replaced on my previous C Class by my MB specialist, it was an awkward job that required the fuel tank to be lowered.

It came to £599.99, the parts were under £40, the rest was labour and VAT. Obviously with your car it will depend on which pipes and accessibility etc.

 

[Deleted member 134751]

Was the quote to replace brake pipes or brake hoses? £45 seems far to low a cost to replace brake pipes especially as the brakes would need bleeding afterward.

I had the rear brake pipes replaced on my previous C Class by my MB specialist, it was an awkward job that required the fuel tank to be lowered.

It came to £599.99, the parts were under £40, the rest was labour and VAT. Obviously with your car it will depend on which pipes and accessibility etc.

I'm glad you said that because I paid roughly the same to have my rear brake pipes replaced last year by a Mercedes main dealer. £130 seems far too cheap.

 

[AndrewHill]

Aw what? That's more than I hoped they'd cost... Can fully replace brakes on a bicycle for £20 [emoji23] I didn't think brake pipes would be so expensive... Seems its labour that's the main cost rather than the parts though

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[SteveASmith]

That's where Kwik fit make a lot of money, brake lines is an easy mark up for them.
Unfortunately when the downturn hit, I lost my offshore job, got one working in a kwiKfit center for 11 months as a supervisor. Hated working there.

It's very dependent on where you are and who the technitions are. Some are fantastic, others I wouldn't trust with a brush!

Unfortunately there's no real way to know how good they are beforehand.
One way to gauge the centre is how busy they are.
If they are extremely busy, it's probably a good sign that the workmanship is reasonably good.

 

[190]

My rear brake line replacement at Kwikfit was less than £130 and they made up the line with copper/nickel which will last. I guess the materials cost for them would have been low so it was mostly labour. If MB lines had been any good they wouldn't rust out in the first place so I don't understand why anyone would want to pay MB parts and labour prices for another steel line that's going to rust again.

My experience with Macclesfield Kwikfit is they have always busy so that sounds like a good sign.

 

[Datadogie]

Had to drop the tank. Remember, you can re-route as long as the pipe is fixed properly.

 

[DSM10000]

Had to drop the tank. Remember, you can re-route as long as the pipe is fixed properly.

Because that is the way to correctly route them, Agreed that pipes may be routed in a different way and it is not in danger of being damaged.

 

[DSM10000]

My rear brake line replacement at Kwikfit was less than £130 and they made up the line with copper/nickel which will last. I guess the materials cost for them would have been low so it was mostly labour. If MB lines had been any good they wouldn't rust out in the first place so I don't understand why anyone would want to pay MB parts and labour prices for another steel line that's going to rust again.

My experience with Macclesfield Kwikfit is they have always busy so that sounds like a good sign.

I did not pay MB prices, I paid my independent for his expertise and Cunifer pipework.

 

[rf065]

When Mercedes did the rears on my CLK, I got a 50% discount because the car was over 7 years old, it was actually 10 years old before they failed an MOT, but I'd had advisories for 2 or 3 years before. And in Scotland, we use a lot of salt on the roads all winter.
Given that Mercedes drop the tank & subframe and replace like for like, it only came to £480. So, it's probably a job you'll only do once unless you keep the car and think it's going to last for 30 or 40 years.

 

[chrisk2010]

Kwik fit for me is like mobile stone chip repairs it varies from area to area.

The one next door to work i stopped using because they just condemning everything which is a shame because they're so convenient next door.

The last visit with the Golf i had a slow puncher which i took the wheel off and walked it in one lunch time they said the alloy needed replacing so i took it to nick's tyres who in ten seconds found it had corrosion and repaired it for £10 in under 15 minutes.

They also changed a front tyre and tried to charge me for a rear alignment .

They flagged up all sorts of silly things at MOT time however when i gave the car to my sister she took it the Colindale Kwik fit who said it was the cleanest car they'd ever seen lol.

I had the brake pipes replaced by an indy on a 3 series once it cost about £330/£350 if i remember but it was a long time ago parts are cheap enough but it's all labour.

 

[Petrol Pete]

If the brake pipe take an easy route and not much needs to be stripped or lowered out of the way then OE parts are a good thing if the car has value and you intend to keep it.

Buying the copper pipe , nipples and flaring tool from Halfords and go D.I.Y is the other option. Whatever suits.

 

[DSM10000]

If the brake pipe take an easy route and not much needs to be stripped or lowered out of the way then OE parts are a good thing if the car has value and you intend to keep it.

Buying the copper pipe , nipples and flaring tool from Halfords and go D.I.Y is the other option. Whatever suits.

Cunifer not copper, copper is far too soft.