Houndmills MOT & Service Centre Info
Amenities
Accessibility
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Wheelchair-accessible car park
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Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Payments
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Debit cards
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NFC mobile payments
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Credit cards
Best KPortal Reviews
I have been using this garage for years and they are fantastic. They will not try to rip you off and know what they are doing. When a Nissan Garage said my catalytic converter had gone and would cost £3k to replace Clayton and his team managed to fix it at a fraction of the cost using tools and knowledge rather than discarding and slapping in a new one. Would highly recommend.
***DID NOT CARRY OUT WORK PAID FOR***
Took my VW Polo to this garage for its MOT in late January. It failed based on the fact that it needed new near side and offside lower suspension arm bushings. The car was in need of these anyway and it had been a previous MOT advisory so no issues with this.
They charged me 3 hours labor for changing each bushing and there was a drop link which needed replacing to which I agreed to. Work was started at 0800 hours and finished (including re MOT) at 1030 hours. I had been monitoring the government website MOT checker which updates when a new test is completed so knew all of the work must of been completed. This is 2 hours labor completed max which they charge at £50 per hour. I understand that some placed usually operate on workshop hours but this is used to protect the consumer. At the time I wasn't that bothered as I needed the car on the road.
About two weeks after having the work done I noticed a singular clicking noise when moving off. I noticed the near side lower suspension arm bush wasn't seated all the way in so took it back and they said it was fine. The car was also shaking under acceleration at around 70Mph and off centering the steering wheel when under load. I had tracking completed at an independent garage and they said it was all correct. This gave me cause to check the bushings as It was the only part which had been changed/ tampered with which could cause these symptoms.
Low and behold the bushings were cracked, distorted and not fitted correctly. They looked like old bushings and had defiantly not been changed. A lower ball joint bolt had also been sheered clean off.
I took it back and showed a mechanic behind the till the pictures I had taken and he agreed they looked old and not fitted correctly. I left them with the vehicle which they said they would rectify. 20 minutes later I got a phone call from the owner stating they were new and there was nothing wrong with them. I immediately returned to the garage.
When I got there I was invited to look under the car and showed the owner what I believed was incorrect. I have attached photos so you can see for yourself. The near side bushing was a completely different pattern and brand to the off side and both had clearly been weather degraded. One had a bronze dirt on it. Both were cracked and perished. The owner continued saying they were new and there was nothing wrong with them. I put to him that both bushings were quite clearly different and he replied "we just use what we can get our hands on"...
I asked the owner to show me an invoice for the parts ordered for my vehicle. He did and it showed they had ordered two new bushings. You'd think any reputable supplier would provide the same brand bushings but according to the owner they don't always. He agreed that the near side bush had not been fitted correctly and offered to replace that. I stated he would have to replace both as they had not been done clearly.
The owner then tried to tell me you could replace these bushings without removing the lower suspension arm... This is just incorrect. He even produced a bushing presser to make the lie more convincing but when I went on to explained how the lower suspension arm works on my car and the fact that the whole lower arm would of needed to be removed to fit this part he said "Yup yup you're correct mate sorry". This all from and owner who had just stated he watched my car getting repaired and remembered it well.
I left them to replace both bushings again. When I returned on the 2nd of March 2021 I walked in and the receptionist who was on the phone threw the key at me. I said I wanted to look under the car first so another mechanic who looked agitated moved my car under the pit and walked off without even walking me under or supervising me. ( I'm not bothered about the lack of supervision but this was damn right rude). I checked under the car and the bushings were clearly new and fitted correctly so that was a relief.
No refund for labor and rude staff. Save your self the danger and hassel.
They put a new MOT on my car . Nice and polite employees, they actioned really fast my request. Definetely recommending
Not recommended at all , Too expensive, save your money. Change the oil and oil filter for 160 £!!
Otherwise , You will have no clue or clear idea about what happened to your car . You could have better service with better price .
Great service. Would definitely recommend.
Top quality service from all the lads in this garage.
Terrible turned up 8am man not even there, no idea what they were doing on my car, no communication, poor customer service.
These guys are really good. Have been using them for years for my cars and large van. Not expensive and several times have not charged for investigation and advice. They are honest, experienced motor engineers who’ll not rip you off.
Quick Facts About Houndmills MOT & Service Centre
Today
Opening Hours
| Monday | 08:00 AM - 06:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 08:00 AM - 06:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 08:00 AM - 06:00 PM |
| Thursday | 08:00 AM - 06:00 PM |
| Friday | 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM |
| Saturday | 08:30 AM - 12:30 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
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