Has anyone used Halfords for a car service?

[rumblypumbly]

If yes what was your experience like?

I used to have someone who would help with sorting the car stuff but now dont so having to figure it out myself. Service is due and oil light has come on.

Thanks

If the oil light is on, I wouldn't drive it anywhere without topping up the oil. Not to the garage, not to a shop to get oil. Leave it where it is and top up the oil first.

Can you ask friends for garage recommendations or of Facebook or Nextdoor. I've never used Halfords before. Had OK services from KwikFit. I tend to use whichever local independent garage most people recommend. There's also the Good Garage Scheme for looking up reviews and Google often has reviews for a business.

Yes I've used two of their branches. Fine both times.

If the oil light is on it needs oil. You can do this easily with the use of the car manual and YouTube if necessary. Don't go to Halfords, find a good independent garage / local pages with recommendations are the best for finding these.

i used them as they were close to my work (pre covid) so it was easy to drop off and collect never had a problem with them

Dont use Halfords for the love of god....use a local recommended independent garage.

Absolutely would not use Halfords (from bitter experience!).

Don’t go to Halfords! Find an independent garage and use them.

You need oil if you go onto euro car parts type in the reg plate it will tell you the oil it needs, don’t drive the car until you have put some in

Halford will rip you off. Tried to charge me 600 for new brake pads. No, ta.

You can't drive it anywhere though until you've topped the oil up. Not if you want an engine left when you get there.

U will be surprised how many independent garages are in back streets of most urban areas, u could try that for the service.

But u should be ok to top up oil yourself, it will say in the book what oil to use.

I have my car serviced at a main dealer but MOTs at Halfords (all got out of sync due to 6 months covid grace last year), found Halfords ok.

Our Halfords is great, really nice and competent. Saved my car after a disaster.

Thanks for all advice. Bought oil and went to fill using a video... its completely full. The oil light went off again after 15 mins.
Serviced booked asap with arnold clark (i'll sort a better independent one for next time) - booked for 5th jan.
Any other ideas why the light would come on then off when the oil is full? I even drove to nearest halfords to check and they confirmed it is completely full.

My oil light came on. Oil fine. Mine was a faulty oil switch or something along them lines.

But go with a reputable garage. Not Halfords and such like because the will 'find' other problems and convince you they need doing

Oil pressure switch is what I think it was called ill ask dh later.

In my experience the only people who "find" problems to fix when there aren't any are main dealerships...

No help on oil light but maybe it's due oil change at next service?

Arnold Shark are most certainly worse than Halfords.

It probably needs an oil change

I would never go near Halfords again. They fitted my brake pads the wrong way round so they wore out is 3 months and damaged the discs to the point the brakes didn't work and the car was unsafe. They then told when I took the car back that the problem the second time was the callipers which they could replace for £800, plus the cost of knackered discs and pads. There was nothing wrong with the callipers. Either they didn't spot their mistake due to incompetence or they were deliberately dishonest in trying to sell me work I didn't need. Never again.

Look up the good garage scheme and find your local independent. (Mine's 5 star and I've been loyal for 15 yrs). I've never gone wrong with them. However everyone I know who has used Halfords (including me) has had bad advice, wrong work and overcharging. Especially if you take them up on an MOT special. They will find lots of expensive "advisories" to scare you with and sometimes they go ahead without permission leaving you with a massive bill. The most I'd let them do is let a sales clerk change my bulbs or wiper blades but I'd supervise them doing it.

no..buy a bulb from them and thats it....!!....almost as bad as kwik fit with the extras etc....oil pressure could be low if light on....sensor needs checking....any leaks...?

Bulbs windscreen wipers yes, had a service there once, would not return

Thanks everyone - sounds like i've done the right thing avoiding halfords for the service although in the past I have, like others, got bulbs and wipers etc there and been ok. Arnold clark might not be any better but I only bought the car in July and every service since new has been done there so I figured they must be ok for the previous owner to continually go there.

Anyway, I will find a local one probably for the MOT in March.

Thanks for all advice.