Fast fit nightmare - what to do?

netman

Not sure if this is for Motors or Consumer Issues, mods feel free to move the thread if neccessary.

I asked the wife to bring the car down to Fast Fit yesterday for two new tyres and get them to adjust the tracking. She got back and I happened to drive somewhere last night and noticed that the steering was off. I had to hold the steering wheel to the right to make the car go straight!

So I had to ask her to go back to them today, and it's about half an hours drive each way, they had a look at it again, said it's fixed, and she drove the car back and rang me to say it looks like it's steering off to the right now!

I rang the place, spoke to the manager and they assured me they will get it sorted and asked us to bring the car again.. The missus drove back the third time, they're looking into it now but the first thing they said was "oh it looks fine".

I mean wtf, how complicated is it to adjust the steering on the car after fitting two new tyres, if that's all they ever do?

I really don't want to be taking my holidays to sort out this shower of muppets, and if they don't fix it from the third try I seriously doubt they ever will, and I would have my concerns about them damaging something else in the process.

Does anyone have any suggestions what I could do?

At this stage, I'd want to take the car to a competent garage and ask them to adjust the steering and I'd want Fast Fit to pay for it, but somehow I don't expect it's going to happen that way. Any advice?

crosstownk

Basically they've adjusted the tracking which can cause the steering wheel to move 'off centre'. They should correct this in order to keep your indicator cancelling working correctly. As the steering wheel boss slides onto a splined shaft, it is not always possible to get it exactly straight, but it should be so slight that it is not noticeable.

That said, a lot of makes and models require the steering wheel to be locked by inserting a pin in the steering rack to ensure that the wheel does not go off centre. Then the track is adjusted.

My suggestion is that you bring the car back to them, yet again, and when the job is finished have the manager sit in the car with you as you drive it - if you are happy with it the all is well - if your are not satisfied at least he will see the problem. Do not leave the place until you are happy.

BTW, what sort of car is it?

TempestSabre

netman wrote:

...
I asked the wife to bring the car down to Fast Fit yesterday for two new tyres and get them to adjust the tracking. ....

Hound them until they do the job right. Get the numbers of increasingly senior people and bug them.

mike65

Dare I say the important word in all this is 'wife', I would go back with her and see what happens.

Mike.

netman

It's a Nissan Micra '96, hardly the latest breakthrough in technology
Do you think they should be able to get it straight, or should I be happy if the steering wheel is slightly off-centre?

I'd expect I'll be going over tomorrow to hassle them. Unfortunately being in work kinda interferes with these things and I was hoping a simple thing like this might go hassle-free.

mike65

Well off centre is disconcerting is'nt it? Mine is off by about a degree only but I still frown when I notice that fact in the straight ahead postion.

Mike.

Paul (MN)

crosstownk... what are you talking about? there should be no need to adjust the actual steering wheel!!??

TempestSabre

Paul (MN) wrote:

crosstownk... what are you talking about? there should be no need to adjust the actual steering wheel!!??

If Its really bad you might have to do that aswell.

But generally any muppet should be able to do this. Problem is a lot of places are too lazy to do it properly.

crosstownk

netman wrote:

Do you think they should be able to get it straight, or should I be happy if the steering wheel is slightly off-centre?

They should be able to get it so straight that you will hardly notice the difference.

crosstownk

Paul (MN) wrote:

crosstownk... what are you talking about? there should be no need to adjust the actual steering wheel!!??

I've seen - it done! It's not recommended practice but it happens. Sometimes the tracking is so far out that when it is adjusted (especially on cars with only one adjustable track arm) that the steering wheel is off centre. So now the tracking is correct, but in order to get it it right the steering wheel is off centre. So some mechanics will remove the steering wheel and recentre it. The problem here is that now the car will have a tighter turn circle in one direction and not enough in the other.

Usually in this case there is damage to the tracking - a bent track rod or steering arm. Maybe more investigation is needed to check for damage.

Day-wanna-wonga

Which branch of Fast Fit is it?

netman

Day-wanna-wonga wrote:

Which branch of Fast Fit is it?

Malahide road, by the Clare Hall shopping centre.

jayok

And I thought it was just me.

I too had a horror story with Fast Fit in Clarehall in the end they couldn't actually fix it and refunded me the money. I then went to Kwik Fit in Finglas, 10 minutes later and it was bang-on.

With FF I went through all the hoops and got the manager to drive it. At first he said it was ok when I asked him to drive straight and look at the wheel he grudginly agreed it was off. Got the money back then.

As a kid my dad had a garage and used to track cars. It's not rocket science thats for sure, but as another poster said, laziness means its not done right.

Dilbert75

My bad tracking experience was with my 97 Vectra in a city-centre tyre outfit in Waterford. When trying to adjust the tracking on the back wheels - they levered the back wheel with a nail bar - against the fuel tank. Naturally they damaged the tank and couldn't understand me complaining about it. Didn't pay and, up to the time I sold the car, the tank didn't leak..:rolleyes:

Guy:Incognito

I sent the mother out to get my tryres I bought off eirtyres fitted on my safrane as I was in work. She went to a place in ballymount but they wouldnt fit tyres the didnt sell so she got them fitted in a place behind the cherry tree. Only problem is they cant do tracking so she went back to the crowd in ballymount to get the tracking done. So she drops it back to me in work and all is well.

I went to head to my football a couple of hours later and to go straight the steering wheel had to be held very noticably to the right, which makes indicating and turning a bloody nightmare. Some places are just lazy to the extreme.


Regarding fast fit, I'd recommend the one in the square, I've had loads done there with 5 or 6 different cars over the last year and the lads are great. I brought the rover in to get the tracking done. They spent ages trying to get it right, but a track rod end was slightly bent so they did it as best they could and said that if I got it fixed they'd track it again for free. Always do decent prices on tryres and are quick to fit you in,

Gary ITR

If your wife has driven the car like this there could be undue wear on the new tyres? It might only be slight but still you jave paid for two brand new tyres.

Advance pitstop on the naas road are fantastic, you might have to wait a bit longer for your car because they are always jammed but thet are worth it

Shaybo

Onkle51 wrote:

Advance pitstop on the naas road are fantastic, you might have to wait a bit longer for your car because they are always jammed but thet are worth it

I've used the Advance Pitstops in Townsend Street in town, the one in Monkstown and the one in Loughlinstown. They were all brilliant. As well as being trained in their jobs those guys must go through some kind of customer service boot camp because I've never had a bad experience with a member of Advance Pitstop staff in a decade of using them.

colm_mcm

The only times I've seen a steering wheel taken off and placed back off centre are when a wishbone is bent, or if a steering or suspension component is damaged. even so, it's just disguising the problem rather than fixing it.

accordsir-t

went into fast fit on the malahide road to get the steering aligned on toyota 2000 wasnt that bad when i went in was waiting ten minutes and then i got the keys back job done!!!!! until i drove out up the road and the steering wheel was twice as bad took it back tried doing it again with no sucess and actually broke one of the hubcaps:eek:. Then got told if this doesnt work take it to the lads in coolock fast fit took it up there and they done it once it seems exactly the same and they stated my shocks could be poor or my track rod ends but had mechanic check it and its all ok . it only went through the nct not so long ago with no problems. anybody know any good places that will sort this small issue for me

-Chris-

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