Halfords - should I know better

DoHalfordsKnowAboutEngines · 2024-01-15T21:07:18+00:00

Random question prompted by frustration. What are others experiences of Halfords? MOT failed and then booked in for Diagnostics, only to be told no diagnostic codes, but lots of lights flashing. Sounds like nobody actually even tried to use a multimeter to trace if there was an earthing fault etc And if they knew there were electrical faults from the MOT and knew they couldn't do the work, why not tell never that point in time? Am I expecting too much?

FaiIureToLunch · 15/01/2024 21:08

Nope, won’t go there, they’re absolutely shit.

we spent 900 on a service that didn’t even manage to get the wheels tracked properly.

Mumaway · 15/01/2024 21:09

While Halfords might be convenient, a local garage is much more likely to actually help you get your car through the MOT for a reasonable price.

Shade17 · 15/01/2024 21:19

What did it actually fail on?

Original poster

DoHalfordsKnowAboutEngines · 15/01/2024 21:24

3 x electrical faults

OP posts:

Shade17 · 15/01/2024 21:25

DoHalfordsKnowAboutEngines · 15/01/2024 21:24

3 x electrical faults

Can you be more specific?

As476 · 15/01/2024 21:27

I work in an independent MOT station. The amount of cars that fail on headlamp aim, only for the customers to say “oh, I had that changed last week at Halfords”. It is ridiculous. It is always that the bulbs have been fitted incorrectly. I really really don’t rate Halfords. They might be convenient but half the time they do get it wrong.

RootVegAndMash · 15/01/2024 21:44

They're totally totally shit ime.

We once had an oil leak and it wasn't clear to dh (who's fairly handy with cars) where it was coming from. Took it to Halfords. They told us the engine was 'too dirty' (yes seriously) for them to be able to help and we'd need to get the engine professionally cleaned elsewhere, then returned to them to diagnose. The 'dirt' was of course oil - um yes, that was why we took it there in the first place because of the pissing out OIL LEAK going everywhere 🙄

We took it to a far smaller local mechanic instead who fixed it within an hour. He was unsurprised by our Halfords experience and said they have a habit of employing the lads who've done their college courses, ticked all the academic boxes and can do it perfectly on paper - but literally don't like to get their hands dirty and don't have enough real-world experience to be particularly useful.

His assessment seemed 100% accurate to us given our experience!

Shade17 · 15/01/2024 21:55

RootVegAndMash · 15/01/2024 21:44

They're totally totally shit ime.

We once had an oil leak and it wasn't clear to dh (who's fairly handy with cars) where it was coming from. Took it to Halfords. They told us the engine was 'too dirty' (yes seriously) for them to be able to help and we'd need to get the engine professionally cleaned elsewhere, then returned to them to diagnose. The 'dirt' was of course oil - um yes, that was why we took it there in the first place because of the pissing out OIL LEAK going everywhere 🙄

We took it to a far smaller local mechanic instead who fixed it within an hour. He was unsurprised by our Halfords experience and said they have a habit of employing the lads who've done their college courses, ticked all the academic boxes and can do it perfectly on paper - but literally don't like to get their hands dirty and don't have enough real-world experience to be particularly useful.

His assessment seemed 100% accurate to us given our experience!

In fairness to them (and I think Halfords are the shittest around), the first step in finding an oil leak is often cleaning all the oil off, so it wasn’t a crazy suggestion to get it cleaned. You often find oil “leaking” from one point but it’s actually coming from somewhere else. A steam clean is likely to be the gold standard there, otherwise it’s a case of some rags/brushes and a couple of cans of brake cleaner😁

Makeitmakesensetoday · 15/01/2024 21:56

FaiIureToLunch · 15/01/2024 21:08

Nope, won’t go there, they’re absolutely shit.

we spent 900 on a service that didn’t even manage to get the wheels tracked properly.

£900 on a service?! Wow they saw you coming.

Halfords are shite as are KwikFit

KellyanneConway · 15/01/2024 22:12

I had a shitty experience in one of their garages a few years ago where I took my car in for a service and MOT. Something about the look on the face of the manager when I dropped the car off (DH had booked it) made me certain that there was something dodgy / calculating going o behind the man’s eyes. Lo and behold they called and said it needed x doing for some extortionate price. I told them to leave it and I’d get it done elsewhere and despite some pressure selling I took it instead to a small tatty looking independent place and they did an excellent job for a third of the price Halfords quoted. I subsequently discovered that managers were incentivised to overprice jobs.

MandyMotherOfBrian · 15/01/2024 22:17

Yeah, Halfords are on a par with Kwikfit. Always use a local independent. Get recommendations from other locals, found some excellent garages that I’ll never sway from. A mechanic, a tyre place and a body shop, all superb and all probably a fraction of the cost of the likes of Halfords.

OnTheBoardwalk · 15/01/2024 22:25

FaiIureToLunch · 15/01/2024 21:08

Nope, won’t go there, they’re absolutely shit.

we spent 900 on a service that didn’t even manage to get the wheels tracked properly.

£900 on a service. What did they say they were doing?

ShoePalaver · 15/01/2024 22:31

I had a great experience there. Went in to buy a new car battery and asked for advice on which one. Was told it would be £120 for one I needed (big diesel car). Shop assistant then said "but don't buy one here, if you go to my mate's scrappy round the corner it will be cheaper". Went there and got one for £25.