Zafar Automotive Repairs Kent House Lane, Beckenham BR3 1JT

"i bought an audi and was trying to book in a service which was due in 2 months time, he convinced me that i should do one straight away when buying a used vehicle and did a full service. I don't know if he was scamming me because I was a woman and he saw an easy target. When he turned up to my house he said that just looking at my wheels he thinks i need to change all 4 brake pads and all 4 brake discs. He charged me £260 for the service and £600 for the brake bits. He never provided an invoice for the service, i asked him 3 times because i wanted to the sell the car. he kept promising he would and then he blocked my number. prior to this, my brake pads were squeaking EXTREMELY LOUDLY so i called him and he said he’d have a look, he took the car and then said there was no problem and apparently oiled them up for me. i noticed my full tank of petrol that was on 290 miles had dropped to a 100 miles and the passenger seat was adjusted for a really tall individual. he had clearly taken my car for a joy ride for the 2 hours he had it and not done anything. because it came back with no change and squeaking like crazy. i took the car to someone else and they said he had used cheap brake pads (not the brembo pads he said he would use and charged me for) and put them on without greasing them. the other company greased them and said i should change the cheap pads (but i should get some use out of them first), the squeaking stopped immediately. i was unable to sell the car to my buyer because i couldn’t get an invoice from him. scammer. please do not use this company. It's been a few months and I am trying to sell the car again and this has frustrated me again. The new owners seem to be responding to all poor reviews with some story blaming the customer, doesn't seem trustworthy at all. If you unblock my number and send the invoice (I am legally entitled to) to the e-mail I had provided you with already, I will update this review. Thanks."

"Adz, was very helpful he knew what he was talking about, but the people working on my car, didn't know what they are doing... i felt like to me that they were talking parts out of my car to fix another car, they told me it needed this and that and nomyworking, I still had to pay the garage now my car sitting out my house, im still paying insurance for a car that can't drive. I spent over a 1000."

"Review on behalf of the company: Clutch Replacement: Collect & Return Collection: Good Return: Appalling Cost: £700 prior to work being carried out Listed as 'contracts with AA & RAC and major fleet services hence our engaging their services. However 1. After failing to deliver the van as promised, the Owner and wife collected it from a housing estate in Syndenham; not the Garage in Beckenham. 2. When the vehicle was being driven back to Kent, he noticed 'things weren't right'. He immediately called a mechanic locally to 'take a look'. 3. During investigation, the mechanic was appalled at what he found. The catalogue of what hadn't been done is greater than what had been. 1. The sump tray and fixings were missing and - to date - yet to be returned, even after 17 communications and false promises. Three months later he refuses to provide the original or a replacement. 2. Vehicle faults found after replacement clutch carried out. - This vehicle was not correctly re assembled, with 15 bolts left out. This was from the clutch bell housing, the starter motor and brackets holding pipes, hoses and cables securely in place. - The sump tray/ under engine tray is missing altogether. This has left the two front corner brackets lose and wobbly. The sump tray helps to hold these comers up. These are now hanging loose and unstable and will need alternative means of fixing them in place. This must be replaced or returned asap for re-fitting. - The starter motor only had one bolt loosely fitted. The starter motor was hanging out of its mounting, so was not earthing correctly and when it did activate, was free spinning due to hanging out. - The gear-change linkage was not re secured. - The drive shaft clamp only had one bolt tightened and the second bolt was put into the thread but left unsecured. – this was especially dangerous and a de-coupling of the drive shaft could have been very dangerous. - The power steering pipes were left unsecured and were rubbing against the engine block. - The air conditioning pipes were not secured and rubbing against the engine block. - Electrical cables were not secured and left rubbing against the engine block and had already started to show signs of heat damage. - There is a bolt missing from the clutch bell housing and the thread has been stripped. - There is another bolt started into the thread of the clutch bell housing but has been fitted incorrectly at an angle and was seized in place but would not tighten. - There was very little oil in the gearbox. The oil is lost as the bell housing is removed and needs to be topped up/ replaced. The gearbox required 1.5 ltrs of oil. This could have resulted in excessive wear and/ or early total failure of the gearbox. Since Zafar Automotive received this communication, they are adamant that they didn't leave the vehicle in this state and would have 'made good' any defects. - They advised that the vehicle had been repaired and needed collection. - They had taken payment for the clutch replacement prior to it being replaced. As a company, if someone does not fulfill their obligations i.e. remove and replace a worn clutch, there is no incentive to give them another opportunity to rectify mistakes they have created but not advised us of. Conclusion: These works have been carried out by inexperienced, unqualified personnel. Lack of care and attention has been paid to the safety and security of the vehicle at re-assembly after the clutch was replaced. It was fortunate that the only symptom we noticed was that the vehicle was not starting well and then eventually failed to start altogether. That was as a direct result of the starter motor not being re fitted correctly. If left much longer it is clear that there would have heat damage to hoses and electrical cables and a potential drive shaft de-coupling that could have been fatal."

"Adz the mechanic explained the work that needed to be done as my car hadn’t been driven in a while and was able to provide all the work that my car needed at the time. It was completed quickly and efficiently and brought back to me a few days later. Highly recommend and will be back again for any work my car may need in the future."

"I got a quote online for the repair on my wing mirror and they came out on the same day (also a Sunday) which was really helpful. Quick job and good communication. I asked for a quote for some body repairs which was followed up on quickly. Would recommend."