I'm just back from visiting Brooklands this week, and unfortunately I feel standards have slipped a little. I've been using Brooklands (/Byfleet) since around 2010/11, and in my time with my GT3, it has had all services performed there with the exception of one or 2 done at Hatfield
Last year I noticed on collection (following a service) that the front lip had been damaged while at Brooklands, it looked like the car had been driven into a high kerb when parking up. Whoever did it would have known what they had done, as I'm sure they would've heard the crunching noise and thought 'hmm, why isn't the car moving forward anymore? ... Oops". Brooklands did rectify fully however and fitted a new front spoiler at no charge after it was agreed the damage wasn't there on drop off (the paperwork proved this too). All sorted with minimal fuss which was nice. However what still bugs me about this though, is why didn't the person that did the damage own up so that the damage could be fixed before I even knew about it? A lack of integrity there it seems
Also on that same service, the TPMS was giving a puncture reading on the drive home, however there was no puncture. I reckon that whoever had filled the tyres must have got mixed up between bar and psi. When I got home and checked the pressures, they were 21/22 psi front/rear, much lower than spec. I wonder if someone had read 2.1/2.2 bar somewhere and adjusted pressures to 21/22 psi accordingly ...? Filling the tyres to the correct pressures got rid of the warning after resetting the TPMS
I later joked with Brooklands after the event, and asked them to please not let any 12 year old technicians loose on my car again...
This week I took the car in for an oil service. After collecting the car and driving home I checked the oil levels (as I always do after a drive) and the first bar on the gauge was merrily blinking away indicating low oil, below minimum. I've since topped up about 1 litre to bring it back within parameters
My initial thought was ... WTF, seriously? How can an OPC stuff up an oil change? Especially at the price I've just paid for the service
Additionally, the health check stated 'Front brake discs are cracked out of spec. Brake Pads are approx 10% worn. Requires new discs, recomend changing pads as well." The cracks are hairline surface cracks that have not got any worse in the last 5 years, and secondly, who throws away pads that are 10% worn? I'll get a second opinion, and if I do change the front discs and pads it won't be at the price quoted (£1800)
I don't think I'll be returning to Brooklands. I felt I had a decent relationship with the old team, but things seem to have gone a little downhill since they became more corporate. I've lost confidence in them, and given my recent experiences with them I don't feel they actually know what they're doing anymore. Maybe I've just been unlucky. The issues I've experienced needn't have happened if everyone involved had simply taken more care, time and pride in what they were doing, and so I put this all down to management. Whatever it is, poor team management, misconceived bonus structure, whatever, it's clearly just a numbers game now with everyone in a rush to get you in and then get you out the door. Very different to how it used to be (well, it never really felt like that, even if that was the case) :what:
