A loose handbrake that almost caused a rolling shunt while trying to park was last report’s news, so it was time for an early Kia dealer visit to the Chinese Garage in Beckenham, Kent.
Booking the car in was a polite process and I was reassured that a loose handbrake sounded like a fix that could probably be done while I waited. Finding the dealer was made easy, as it was listed on the Optima’s satnav – and it happened to be topped with oriental pagodas. Although there didn’t seem to be a record of the exact nature of the fault on the original computer booking, she suggested I have a coffee across the road while the technicians checked it out. After about an hour it was established that the whole centre console would have to be removed, so she asked if I could come back later that day and kindly arranged for a driver to take me to the nearest train station. By early afternoon it was ready, and I was soon back behind the wheel with the handbrake duly tightened. A good experience overall then, only slightly marred by me gaining the initial impression that I might have been able to wait for the job rather than drop off and collect.
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