I'm not a massive feminist this has made me see red!.....

Apologies for the triple "the" above, I was trying to duel task in watching what was going on in parliament and replying to the thread.

I think I am getting to old for multi-tasking.

In fairness to the opening posters original garage, as many vehicles require a service every ten thousand miles, then the service manager would be correct to inform her that the brake pads would need replacement prior to the next service.

If they are not replaced they could be in a hazardous condition two thousand miles before the next service mileage is due.

That stated, most manufacturers state that a vehicle service should be every ten thousand miles (can be higher with the most modern vehicles) or every twelve months if the annual mileage is lower than the service mileage.

So, yes i feel that the garage was correct to inform her of the condition of the brake pads, especially if they were unaware of when the next service was due, or the the the mileage since the last service.

Service technicians are under legislation required to give vehicle owners/drivers hazard information that they find even when it is not part of the repairs or service they are carrying out.

Bradford

Kwikfit are totally shite!

I too have made a fantastic discovery in my small local garage and have recommended them via FB group. They literally laughed when I asked for a second opinion on my brake pads from Kwikfit! The loveky female mechanic told me they were totally fine.

Nowt sexist about men or women knowing or not knowing anything about cars.

"my DH wouldn't have known what a brake looked like- he probably couldn't tell one from a cauliflower."

Oh my, I can imagine his next meal....

Hate taking the car to the garage. The most recent MoT was quite a pleasant change. There was a female receptionist, a very chatty garage owner and a bookcase full of actual books! There were too many for the owner to keep all the ones he has read. Shame I probably won’t need to go again. The MoT the year before was a bit different. Needed various bits doing according to that garage. Fair enough, I took it to a different garage to get the work done as much nearer home, “Oh you don’t need that doing and it’s not that tyre needs changing but the offside front”. How the heck am I to know what the right information is. To cap it all, when I went in to pay at that garage I was the only customer in reception. Two men’s came through from the ramps wearing overalls. “What you have to do is include the word clitoris in your next conversation” one said to the other loud enough for me to hear. Blimey, I am so glad I won’t have to go to a garage again.

Oh apologies MawBroon it never occurred to me that my comment could be read like that. I will try to remember to put OP in future so there can be no confusion.

Sorry trisher I must have misunderstood you. Your comment that this post is a bit sexist as well came straight after mine and I did not appreciate you meant the original post - how could I?
Couldn’t see what was “sexist” in my comment .

My husband took our car to a garage in Cornwall several years ago for a repair, and had to come outside to ask me, the non driver, what the reg number was!

My local tyre place is very helpful, but I do get annoyed when they are filling in the invoice and ask 'Do you happen to know the car number?'. Of course I do! I noticed that a male customer was not asked in the same way.

DH was told we would soon need new tyres by the main dealer we bought the car from. He thanked them and said we had a good local garage. No surprise that they said we didn't need new tyres.

Loved your post MawBroon. Dizzyblone you are my hero, I would be terrified to drive an ambulance but admire people who do.

I went to hire a transit van recently to help my daughter move home. The young chap asked ‘ are you sure you wouldn’t like your husband on the insurance? They can be quite tricky to park’ He did have the grace to look embarrassed when I told him my profession, Paramedic who drives 5 ton ambulances at considerable speed. ??

MawBroon is no-one allowed to make a similar comment to yours then?

Yes - it was Kwikfit.
I have lodged a complaint on their site.
Yes Trisher - maybe my post was a bit sexist too but I did acknowledge that my DH wouldn't have known what a brake looked like- he probably couldn't tell one from a cauliflower.
He uses the small local garage where I took I my car. As it is leased it goes back for services -which are free- from dealer. It is due to go back in March when I will get a new one before any MOT is due. It works for me as neither of us is mechanically minded.

I've been buying and having my own car maintained for over twenty years and haven't come across these attitudes.

Though my Dh, (who is an engineer!) was recently told his car needed four new tyres. When he took it in to the original dealer they poo-pooed that and said just two needed replacing and there is still plenty of life left in the other two.

Rip-off merchants target anyone they think will cough up the readies, irrespective of sex or age.

I always used to buy our car as my dh was never that interested, I went to a dealer selling Japanese cars, had a look round asked questions, how many owners etc and how much he would give me in part exchange.
He answered my questions but then said I ought to bring my husband along. I gave him short, but polite, shrift and never went back.

Actually I think this post is a bit sexist as well. I have male friends who wouldn't know which end of their car held the engine, never mind what things did, and female friends who could inspect and replace most things on their car. It's nothing to do with gender, just if you have either the interest or the time to learn about it. And garages seem to be in the market to rip anybody and everybody off
My post?
Actually Trisher that was my point.

As we speak my daughter has a mechanic fitting a new alternator to her " big beast " of a car ( Chrysler ) completely electronic so it's a vital part of the car.
Before Christmas she forked out for a new battery but when the car came to a stop last week she knew exactly what it was and told her mechanic as she knows the car inside out and also because it has foreign parts to it knows who/where to contact.
Granted,it's about 12 years old but still has plenty of life left in it------well it will have when it's fixed. New tyres included.
The guy' s a trustworthy independent mechanic who she's used before, replacing the battery, so knows he'll do a good job with a guarantee.

Good job she's got a well paid job but it just means that she can't get further with jobs on the house until a month or two, but never mind, her new kitchen will have to wait.

Places like garages and the like will tell anyone who they think will not know better that their car needs repairs that are unnecessary. The K company are notorious for doing this. They have tried it on me several times.

Like others when ever we move one of the first things we do is find for a small local garage that we can rely on. DH does know abut cars and with a small garage with only a few staff they soon get to know him (and me) and we have always found good honest garages that give good service.

Great post MawBroon

Actually I think this post is a bit sexist as well. I have male friends who wouldn't know which end of their car held the engine, never mind what things did, and female friends who could inspect and replace most things on their car. It's nothing to do with gender, just if you have either the interest or the time to learn about it. And garages seem to be in the market to rip anybody and everybody off.

Many many years ago we made a sharp exit from a dealership when the 15 year old salesman asked
“Would Sir like to look under the bonnet while Madam looks at the upholstery options”
“Sir” would not have known a dipstick from a cocktail stick - but we both knew who the dipstick was!!

That happened to me many years ago after my 1st husband died! It was that that company whose name begins with K!!

I was told after my cars first MOT in 2015, by a tyre company garage [KF], that I would need 2 new tyres before the next MOT. This was a car that had less than 10k miles on the clock!

I have now had the same car 3 more years, had 3 more MOT's … with no warnings about the tyres since. Of course they will need changing in time but plenty of use left in them. They are safe.

They try it on, especially on female drivers. I just don't and won't use that garage again. They are idiots. I've been driving/taking my cars into garages for 40+ years and know the tricks they pull.