What a con! – MOT failure

Ok, so took my c4r in for its MOT … it failed on handbrake efficiency and worn front discs …

Firstly, all the handbrake was/is is a sticky cable … I tightened the cable a bit and its good to go (could prolly do with a new cable mind?) … they tried to tell me I needed a new calliper …

Now for the con … ok so they say “Discs excessively worn” … yes they have a bit of a ridge (most discs do), but they haven’t quantified it … i.e. if they say summin like ‘minimum thickness is 25mm, your discs are 24mm sir!!” then fair enoguh … to me ‘excessively worn’ is a bit ambiguous … they haven’t even been near it with a micrometer I bet!! Oh and the brakes were fine on the efficiency test, so it's not like they are fooo-d ....

Ok, so worse still, if I take the car away and put new discs/pads on myself, I have to pay for a full re-test … if the garage do it however it is only a part re-test fee … bearing in mind the MOT is ~£50, that’s essentially £100 just on MOT fees …

What ever happened to free re-tests within 3 working days!!?? (or whatever it was).

Worst of all is that I pretty much never use the car … its just a toy … and its is gonna cost me £hundreds to get an MOT on it ...

Sorry just felt like a vent/rant

There's an official fee of 38.50 (i think?) that it should have been. That sucks though! Was it a reputable garage?

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

Ok, so worse still, if I take the car away and put new discs/pads on myself, I have to pay for a full re-test … if the garage do it however it is only a part re-test fee … bearing in mind the MOT is ~£50, that’s essentially £100 just on MOT fees …

I do believe that this is incorrect. You do have 3 days to return the car for a free re-test. They should only check what has previously failed. The only way they can tell you that it should stay at the garage is if the class the vehicle as dangerous and issue a certificate stating so.

However, it is illegal to "drive" a vehicle away from a testing station if it fails the MoT. So catch 22 really.

Unless something has changed these are the rules as I last knew them.

Originally Posted by gettin2dizzy

There's an official fee of 38.50 (i think?) that it should have been. That sucks though! Was it a reputable garage?

I got charged £50 for my MOT a short while ago. I also thought this was steep so did a bit of checking. All the garages around my area were within £5 of the £50 quote.

Originally Posted by gettin2dizzy

There's an official fee of 38.50 (i think?) that it should have been. That sucks though! Was it a reputable garage?

The exact fee I was charged was £46. The garage has been there for years and is a busy little garage ... I have never been there before mind ...

Originally Posted by BigApe

...

I was told 10 days to fix it before its a full fee regardless of who does the work ... if I get them to do the work, its a 1/2 fee to do the re-test (£23) ... there was no mention of a 3 day free grace period ... they have me over a barrel really ...

Originally Posted by BigApe

I do believe that this is incorrect. You do have 3 days to return the car for a free re-test. They should only check what has previously failed. The only way they can tell you that it should stay at the garage is if the class the vehicle as dangerous and issue a certificate stating so.

However, it is illegal to "drive" a vehicle away from a testing station if it fails the MoT. So catch 22 really.

Unless something has changed these are the rules as I last knew them.

Yes thats right, but it is not illegal to drive the car back as long as you head straight home or to the nearest convenent garage for repairs. Or even better if you MOT has yet to run out, then you have till that one expires.

Try this...

After failure, fees for re-examination vary according to the following circumstances:

If your vehicle is left with the Testing Station for repair and re-examination – NO FEE

If the vehicle is taken away from the Testing Station and returns for re-examination on other than one or more of the items listed below, the vehicle must be fully inspected on all Testable items, for which the Testing Station may charge (up to) the full Test fee.

“NO FEE” RE-TEST ITEMS
Free re-test* items which do not require the full Test to be conducted if the vehicle is brought back to the station and re-Tested before the end of the next working day:

*Only one free re-test is permissible per MOT

ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) WARNING
BODY CONDITION
(WHERE THE EXAMINATION OF THE BODY IS CARRIED OUT SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASCERTAINING WHETHER THERE ARE ANY SHARP EDGES OR PROJECTIONS LIKELY TO CAUSE INJURY) BOOT LID
BRAKE PEDAL ANTI-SLIP DEVICES
DIRECTION INDICATORS/ HAZARD WARNING
DOORS
DROPSIDES
EXHAUST EMISSIONS
FUEL FILLER CAP
HEADLAMP AIM
HORN
LAMPS
LOADING DOOR
MIRRORS
REAR REFLECTORS
REGISTRATION PLATES
SEAT BELTS (BUT NOT ANCHORAGES)
SEATS
STEERING WHEEL
TAILBOARD
TAILGATE
V. I. N.
WINDSCREEN
WINDSCREEN WIPERS/ WASHERS
WHEELS AND TYRES (Class III, IV and VII only)

So looks like you miss out on the disc's

Further, I thought they were supposed to write

Brake disks below the manufactures recommend minimum thickness

Or words to that effect. Just stating that they are too thin is a bit of a vague description is it not

Originally Posted by Grinch

Yes thats right, but it is not illegal to drive the car back as long as you head straight home or to the nearest convenent garage for repairs. Or even better if you MOT has yet to run out, then you have till that one expires.

Cheers for the correction Dan. I shall store that in the empty part of my brain until it's needed again.