http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=203283&page=1
Hi,
I'am Frederic from france, I have a MK INDY RR for almost 2 years but couldn't drive it since then! I had hard times with MK, but when I say
this I mean horror stories.
I was really enthusiast about the brand but not anymore now, they messed up so much with my car you would be scared about the job done, not only light
fault due to lack of serious but bad stuff made on purpose !
I just would like to know if there is some others people that have trouble ? or at least what is the brand image overseas...
This is my personnal experience I can rely on but I've also heard about other stories...
Regards
What are the actual problem(s)
Well it's the whole story to tell....might not been seen from a good eye from some people or admins...
Can I ?
quote:
Originally posted by Fred48
Well it's the whole story to tell....might not been seen from a good eye from some people or admins...
Can I ?
If you have tried and tried again to get problems rectified and still you have had bad customer service then describe the issue and the facts.
I work in the service industry and there is no excuse for bad customer service.
You are not alone, the problem is you don't live near them.
From my own dealings with them and reading about others it would appear that they only give good customer service to the people that live close by.
Are the problems with service or the actual build quality?
quote:
Originally posted by YQUSTA
You are not alone, the problem is you don't live near them.
From my own dealings with them and reading about others it would appear that they only give good customer service to the people that live close by.
quote:
Originally posted by LBMEFM
quote:
Originally posted by YQUSTA
You are not alone, the problem is you don't live near them.
From my own dealings with them and reading about others it would appear that they only give good customer service to the people that live close by.
I disagree, I live near Dover, some 245 miles from MK and have had nothing but excellent service and advice from them over the years.
quote:
Originally posted by LBMEFM
quote:
Originally posted by YQUSTA
You are not alone, the problem is you don't live near them.
From my own dealings with them and reading about others it would appear that they only give good customer service to the people that live close by.
I disagree, I live near Dover, some 245 miles from MK and have had nothing but excellent service and advice from them over the years.
Nothing to do with their customer service, but an example of what MK are capable of
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=203283&page=1
Fred - you still haven't enlightened us with yours issues.
As above. You can't come here and say what has gone wrong or why they are so bad with nothing to back it up. That's not really fair is it.
I'am splitted between want to tell the story but I don't want to "name and shame" (yes I know I already did but it would be
another step here).
I can confirm that they have done a very bad job on my car and some stuff made deliberately, not just faults or "oups sorry we forgot"
Sincerly sorry guys...I really don't want to mess up with anybody including you...
Thanks for your answers, it already confirmed some thoughts.
I used to have an old saying when I worked on aircraft in times of pressure and cost.
"Pretty no, airworthy yes"..... In essence it may look untidy, but you'd let your mum fly on the plane you just repaired.
If your upset by a bits of dodgy trim and messy wiring, which still work you should accept that's the way it is. It's not a caterham.
If your upset by poor welding, bolt threads not protruding correctly through nuts or general unsafe setup you need to contact MK directly.
[Edited on 16/6/16 by Toprivetguns]
quote:
Originally posted by Fred48
I'am splitted between want to tell the story but I don't want to "name and shame" (yes I know I already did but it would be another step here).
I can confirm that they have done a very bad job on my car and some stuff made deliberately, not just faults or "oups sorry we forgot"
Sincerly sorry guys...I really don't want to mess up with anybody including you...
Thanks for your answers, it already confirmed some thoughts.
quote:
Originally posted by Fred48
I'am splitted between want to tell the story but I don't want to "name and shame" (yes I know I already did but it would be another step here).
I can confirm that they have done a very bad job on my car and some stuff made deliberately, not just faults or "oups sorry we forgot"
Sincerly sorry guys...I really don't want to mess up with anybody including you...
Thanks for your answers, it already confirmed some thoughts.
This has been a problem before, often for overseas customer
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=169236
quote:
Originally posted by Toprivetguns
I used to have an old saying when I worked on aircraft in times of pressure and cost.
"Pretty no, airworthy yes"..... In essence it may look untidy, but you'd let your mum fly on the plane you just repaired.
If your upset by a bits of dodgy trim and messy wiring, which still work you should accept that's the way it is. It's not a caterham.
If your upset by poor welding, bolt threads not protruding correctly through nuts or general unsafe setup you need to contact MK directly.
[Edited on 16/6/16 by Toprivetguns]
I would still like to hear what the issues are.
Hi
Sorry for my silence, i didn't know what to do. I decided to tell everything now.
I'am the kind of guy very nice but you better don't mess up with me.
Sorry for my English, I'm french, I'am doing my best to avoid mistakes
Make yourself confortable and concentrate to follow my story...
Here we go.
Mid 2014 I brought a Westfield to MK headquarters and wanted them to fit gearbox and engine in a new RR chassis, both in very good conditions.
They had my previous Westfield during several days at their headquarters to study the implantation of the engine and gearbox and to confirm they could
do the job because I first asked if they could do it not I directly asked to do it.
They were no problem for them. so let's go...
End of 2014 it's delivery time and start of problems, first track day broken gearbox and I felt like the car had not 100% power by far (should
have been 250bhp).
Car goes back to UK, I take in charge to fix the gearbox and I ask MK to look for reason of lack of power and trust me I insisted !
March 2015, 2nd track day after I had my car back.....FIRE in engine bay caused a lot of damaged and almost killed a friend and me.
Inspection of the car showed an oil hose very very close of exhaust manifold, caused of fire.
At this point I'm still being cool, comprehensive and enthousiast about MK....see how I'am nice and patient whereas they are already messing
up.
MK fixed the car because it was their fault (thanks MK), but they didn't relocated that hose but just put a fireproof tissue on a steal piece to
create a "heatshield" between hose and exhaust.
During the track day I felt again a lot of lack of power even a feeling like the car was breaking, so again while they were fixing fire damages I
asked to look for and I asked for a dyno test...
Here comes the begining of winter 2015....third track day.
Oh by the way before that MK told me power was fine, they dyno tested the car as asked. Showing something like 230rwhp but they lost the print sheet
so I can't see...hum hum...
So I'am on my third track day, morning is OK, I feel like power is better but not 250bhp, even not close (I know what a 500kg/250bhp should feel
like).
I had a 175bhp Westfield by the past...was the same here...
Afternoon starts OK, but within a couple of turns I feel the car braking, meters after meters during a couple of seconds it comes so hard, I stop on
the side. Open the trunk and see that the car was overheating, liquid coolant boiling ! Could not even move it while towed to go out the track.
I start to be very confusing, more than I was already !
I took the car to a specialist near my place....and here are discoveries...
PICTURES
HERE
Here is what is wrong :
1) Intake manifold not properly tightened
2) Rear caliper : Hardly "seized up" (blocked), caused worn break pad whereas they are new (approximately 50km of normal use), brake the car
and caused lack of power, overheating, maybe broken gearbox at first track day. Caused broken steal part from bottom of engine, caused overheating at
3rd track day track with full stop of the car.
3) Brake master cylinder : Leaking and rust due to incorrect cleaning of circuit
4) Universal joint at the differential : Hardly worn, not tightened
5) Differential below : Hardly worn. Soon broken
6) Braided fuel line : Hardly patch up job / makeshift job. Incorrectly cut
7) gear stick incorrectly fixed (one tightened bolt out of 4)
8) rear wheels thread not long enough, it doesn't go until nylstop (both rear wheels)
9) rear wheels bolts not long enough and cuts.
10) Differential : Totally Worn and not safe to use. Seems to be junk yard with just a new paint.
broken gears and filings inside.
11) almost all wheels : worn hub (caused breaking the car / lack of power) (2 rears and one front)
When the car burned, it has not been repaired correctly.
12) Wiring of spark plugs : Still melted because of fire, not replaced
13) Side oil catcher tank cap : Melted cap not replaced
14) rust indise carbs and on chassis, because of carbonic snow (from exthinguiser)
15) Cause of fire was a oil hose too close of exhaust manifold, they fixed it with a piece of steal and a heat resistant tissue but it's not
enough, it still dangerous.
Some parts are second hand parts but not even repacked. so they are worn and dangerous to use like the differential who seems to be junk yard with
just a new paint on it.
In conclusion crap, broken parts, shoddy workmanship, cut parts that are not mean to be cut, place parts where they are not mean to be placed and so
on...
Untighted bolt for harness...
I really doubt my car has been Dyno tested...no in fact I'm sure they didn't do it.
I ordered strenghtened chassis point to handle better the 250bhp of the engine, i don't have it !
I have also seen hoses pushing on sharp edge (picture).
I was supposed to have a new brake master cylinder, they have put the old one from the westfield (it was leaking as is said).
I asked several time to find out why the car had a lack of power and nothing has been done since the beginnning whereas it was their fault ! (brake
caliper, differential)
it caused damage to the car...
I did a compression test on my engine, and compression are perfect, so it doesn't come from here. But there is filings in my oil now.
Mid 2016, I still didn't ride my car properly...
I had to negotiate with MK to fix my car AGAIN, I asked for them to work on point I mentionned, so again went back to UK, had to wait for months.
Had my car back in may. They didn't work on all the points I mentionned at all.
- They painted the inside tunnel over rust with spray bomb !!!!!! (wtf...)
- They relocated the battery whereas I never asked for and they were no problem with it. (but why ?)
- They din't work on security points I asked for.
Now I said stop ! car is being fix in another garage in France. (by the way they confirmed all of the sh** done on my car)
Now icing on the cake.
I asked for MK to give me money because all of their sh** is costing me money, I hardly negotiate to obtain what is fair to me.
Several time they lied to me saying they did the wire transfer whereas no...
Please don't put a blame on me because I hardly name and shame here, sincerly I was really enthousiast about MK, I was nice to them and I dont
think we can call me a "bad customer", I thought it was a good brand but finally they are just big crap !!!!!
I know it's small brands, craftmanship, kit car, I did expect some minor issues or stuff like that.
But here do you realise at what point they were f****** craps, liars...?
I'am upset against them.
Of course I didn't name him but you all gueesed with who I dealed at MK...
[Edited on 25/7/16 by Fred48]
[Edited on 25/7/16 by Fred48]
That's more like it! Thanks for filling in the details. Don't worry about your English, we can pick through it to make sense. ;-)
There's a few things that you must take responsibility for. Driving with the rear calliper/callipers seized on for example. It may well be their
fault that the callipers were faulty, but the fault could have developed after it left them. You should know when you have a brake dragging and stop
to rectify it. Likewise, if you can see faults that you're not happy with, don't use the car. If you can see the oil line is still too close
to the exhaust, don't use it. Don't send the car back to the UK to have it fixed, just fix it yourself (or get it fixed where you live).
Having said all that, MK should be doing more. They should appreciate that you're shipping the car about and should have got it right the first
time. Once it came back to the workshop with faults, they should've made doubly sure that everything was perfect before it went out again!!
I've heard a few horror stories about MK recently so let's hope they sort themselves out!!
Good luck Frederick
For 2 years I drove something like 30km in 3 track days, it make an average of 10km per track day, so +/- 6 laps on a 1.5km track. (most of laps done
on third track day during the morning because the car was better)
I don't think we can call this "driving the car while it was faulty"
Especially because at the begining (first track day for example) I only felt a lack of power, not that the car was braking...
I forgot to say that during the first track day, MK was present and I directly informed them that the car had not full power, they didn't do
anything about it.
between each track day car went back to UK for MK (try) to fix it.
Of course I stopped when needed, on my second track day I stopped just before fire started because I felt the car was braking.
So when rolling to a stop, you didn't feel the car braking itself? You didn't notice the brakes smoking or getting hot? I can tell instantly
if my brakes are sticking on by the way the car rolls to a stop.
I'm not saying MK are blameless at all and you do have a right to be annoyed.
quote:
Originally posted by owelly
So when rolling to a stop, you didn't feel the car braking itself? You didn't notice the brakes smoking or getting hot? I can tell instantly if my brakes are sticking on by the way the car rolls to a stop.
I'm not saying MK are blameless at all and you do have a right to be annoyed.
It sounds awful, but can you clarify As I'm a bit confused as to what the deal was.
Did MK build you a NEW car in an RR chassis using a Westfield engine--gearbox that you supplied?
Fred48 - Thanks for sharing your issues.
I'm a little shocked myself, did you have a detailed receipt of work from MK or at least emails explaining work carried out ?
quote:
Originally posted by owelly
So when rolling to a stop, you didn't feel the car braking itself? You didn't notice the brakes smoking or getting hot? I can tell instantly if my brakes are sticking on by the way the car rolls to a stop.
I'm not saying MK are blameless at all and you do have a right to be annoyed.
quote:
Originally posted by ReMan
It sounds awful, but can you clarify As I'm a bit confused as to what the deal was.
Did MK build you a NEW car in an RR chassis using a Westfield engine--gearbox that you supplied?
I'm not at all surprised at the troubles you're having.
I paid MK to do work on my car. Beyond them losing/stealing bits of it that I'll never get back, 80% of what they did I am having to redo.
There is no point in going back to them because they'll only do a sh1t job again and how's that going to give you confidence?!
Pretty much everything Danny has done on my car never been right to start with. He still owes me a clutch, flywheel and gearshift. It took me 6 months
to get a fibreglass panel from him that he lost too. He fitted a new clutch but didn't grease the input shaft So I have had to take the engine
out to do it myself. I told him to fit a 4-1 collector on my exhaust, he didn't and the car only makes 214bhp instead of 235-245bhp (that S2000s
get on that dyno) that it should all because of the exhaust. He charged me for fitting the fuel system but never did, just ran the pipes I supplied
down the transmission tunnel. I asked him to look at parts of the chassis that had been 'missed' from welding (Don't get me wrong,
Roadrunner Racing who made my chassis are equally as sh1t as MK, probably worse if I had to say thanks to their non existent support. You can read
about that here: http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/9/viewthread.php?tid=203077 ) and they weren't touched. He fitted the front cycle wings
with one bolt - one of them fell off on the trailer! I asked him to fit an oil cooling system that I supplied, box fresh. He did, but upon first
startup the car pi55ed oil everywhere because none of the hoses were fastened tight. He charged me for a rad fan that I supplied. I told him to fit
black coolant hoses so he fitted blue ones.
In the interest of fairness, what they did right:
The prop seems good as the one RRR supplied wasn't. They cut holes in the bonnet in the correct place. They removed the air pump system from
the F20C and blanked it off. They fitted the headlights correctly. They fitted the seatbelts correctly.
Not just my car either. I have had to do work on other cars fresh from their visit to MK. I won't say too much, as it's not my place to do
so with other owners cars.
WTF....same story as me. I don't understand, they go so far in doing shit....what about their reputation...
quote:
Originally posted by Fred48
WTF....same story as me. I don't understand, they go so far in doing shit....what about their reputation...
I took an MK in PX against a Radical a number of years ago. It was put together by a guy I know who really knows his stuff, and he did a great job.
Still, I'd heard about the MK 'reputation' so I didn't plan on keeping it (I took it as I figured I'd have a better chance of
a straight-sale of the MK than the Radical).
Sold really quickly (as expected) and the guy who bought it loved it (we still keep in touch). Didn't end well though as a few months later
chassis welds at the rear failed and the offside corner basically collapsed! Thankfully he was driving it through town when it happened, so he
didn't come to any physical harm.
And then there's a mate who's missus booked him on one of MK's (not cheap!) 'trackday experiences'. He arranged his
accommodation, travelled down the night before... and then got to the circuit to find the track day had been cancelled. Was told by MK that they had
been let down by the circuit... turns out MK had actually been barred from the circuit as the had been booking themselves on charity day track events,
then selling passenger rides as 'trackday experiences' for profit.
Wouldn't now touch anything of theirs with a bargepole!
its Frank halls track days at blyton for disabled children's charity! Could anyone possibly stoop lower than that EVER?
Frank.his team and us locostbuilders have raised loads of money for them! They are great days and will hopefully remain unspoiled after this
disgusting turn of events. I'm surprised frank took it so gracefully when it happened,as I certainly wouldn't have done!
I've only ever had parts from them and to be fair the service has been good. However the track day incident was lower than a snakes belly. I won't be buying anything again.
They damaged my car to the total of £800. They also kept promising to finish my car and after 9 weeks had to go get it back.
I live local.
Would not use them even if free.
Last news, I asked MK for a small amount of money back after all the sh** they did, Danny told me he did a wire transfer and even sent me a proof
(bank paper), I never had my money of course.
He did a fake proof ! and lied again !
He also broke my trailer while it was in UK to fix the car and lost straps !
Stay away from that sh** guys !
[Edited on 1/9/16 by Fred48]
[Edited on 1/9/16 by Fred48]
You couldn't make this up could you?
How is it even possible to do so much stuff wrong?!
If you're reading this thread Danny, what's going on?!
It sounds to me like you REALLY need to up your customer service efforts!
Danny reading this? It appears to me that he only ever comes here to promote his business and is not even a registered trader, how tight is that ?
I don't see how anyone can be unhappy with their service, seeing as THEY NEVER EVEN ANSWER THE PHONE!!!!
Been calling almost everyday for the past two weeks, and they haven't answered.
Yes, I think they are just giving up on their business !
if you read those lines and are not a customer yet, just go away from them, buy another brand !
Haven't been on here in ages and I see Mk are still up to there old tricks ...
I built an Mk back a few years now an again I am in Ireland I got totally ripped off by them
They were supposed to supply me with everything to build a car but I ended up making 3 trips to the uk to get my parts as I was promised they send
them but never did
They also supplied me with was appeared to be a stolen engine .... Yes stolen !!!!!
DO NOT DEAL WITH MK
phew...sounds like ive sold mine just in time...price must be about to plummet!!
Apart from the lies, charging me for work not done, £800 of damage to my car and not bolting things in properly like my propshaft and me having to
repair my trailer that they damaged and the no replies to legal letters they are Good.
Roll cage was good
Reverse set fire
Turned up to a car resting against my car a week after a 200 hour paint job
Promised electrics done for 9 weeks they did nothing.
Got my nose cone resprayed after not strapping my car into the trailer properly but it was different colour
Electric wire on reverse cable tied to brake line when they knew it was for iva
Cable for starter was touching chassis to exploded after 2 weeks
That said they did lend me the car they own for a track day cos they didn't get mine ready.
Oh and they charged me for a dyno and dyno kit but ab performance confirmed non fitted.
[Edited on 14/9/16 by jossey]
Has anyone taken legal action? this is crazy.
Where is the best alternative for MK parts?
Keeping you update guys
Further inspection on my car showed no fuse box and only one relay for the entire car !!!
WTF
How can you be a brand like MK and do this !
About taking a legal action...
If I already fixed some issues and have an invoice of a company who did the work, is it enough ?
I know very well how things are in France but not in UK, in France expert has to see the car and judgement need to be prononced before you do anything
on the car.
Oh Dear did Danny used to be called Darren in a previous life???
This Danny guy must have so much money he doesn't need to worry about making any more..
How can we get hold of all this surplus stock then.. ?