A Tale of Two MOT's

[JonB]

Who said don't trust tyre fitting outfits for MOT's or maintenance?

My wife's new style Mini went in for the annual MOT today. We bought the car second hand about the same time last year and the garage who we bought it off had it MOT'd by a local HiQ centre, another Kwik-Fit, ATS kind of place. Passed the MOT, with advisories on front tyre wear, which I negotiated a new pair of front tyres into the deal. Also it said the front discs and pads were very worn and the rear discs and pads were worn.

I had a look and nothing seemed untoward, I asked a neighbour who does a lot of work on cars, owns a BMW and his missus a new style Mini and he said the discs look fine. So I left it.

Fast forward a year. Took it into our local Mini dealership for the MOT fully expecting a credit card rape for new discs and pads all round. Failed. On a exhaust hanger which I knew was bolloxed. No mention of discs and pads.

Either the Mini garage have missed something, or the HiQ garage last year were trying something on. What's the verdict lads and lasses?
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[J.M.]

I think most places try it on.

Mum had a fault with her Renault Scenic. I told her it just needed a new spark plug on one of the cylinders. About £5. Explained my reasoning.

She called out a mobile mechanic. Told her exactly the same thing... except added on the fact that she should get them all changed because if 1 went then the others would start going in short fashion. Total bill about £50.

Should have listened to me.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[Rogue_Shadow]

Never let a Dealership change your tyres, they cost ridiculous amounts of money!

For example, a local garage offered Pilot Road 2 for £110 + £25 fitting


Unless it's illegal, take your car elsewhere for the rubber

[dgo1212]

[Raffles]

[JonB]

[Codemonkey]

Similar thing happened to me. I have a Toyota Yaris which I've owned from new. Took it in to Gordon Lambs in Sheffield for its annual service & MOT at 4 years old. Received a call later from some tosser saying it would pass the MOT but there was some corrosion on one of the brake pipes which could of course become dangerous and which needed treating. They could either replace the pipe (££££££), or apply some "treatment" (£££). I told them if it wasn't a failure not to do anything. They then tried to scam me into paying for new brake fluid to which I argued they could bollox, if the service schedule said it needed changing, it should be included as part of the cost which had already been agreed and that they should change it but that I wouldn't be paying for it

Picked the car up later that day and was told by the scumbag that had phoned me earlier that "oh, we checked and it seems the brake fluid is covered in the cost".

The car has since had 2 more services and MOT's elsewhere, no mention of any corrosion on the brake pipes so draw your own conclusion from that. Needless to say, they've not had any more business from me since
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Test Passed 10/05/2011 Current bike: XJ6-N

[Nb]

[stuarthouston]

I think all garages are hit or miss until you find one that you can trust.

Last year for example, I took my car for an MOT. It failed on a sticky brake caliper, rear subframe bushes, rear top mounts and a bit of welding. Took it away and did everything bar the welding, which I said they could do when I brought it back for the retest.

When I took it back for the retest (just outwith the 10 day period, thanks to exams), the same guy failed it again, this time on front top-mounts and drive shaft gaiters. The car had covered something like 40 miles in the interim. Absolute cowboys. Thankfully, the place I took my bike to seemed a far more professional establishment, so the car will be going there this year.

[ZebraDriver]

I had something similar to your experience.

My Range Rover failed its test on a number of items. As I wasn't needing the car urgently I took a month to complete the repairs. Presented it for the retest only for it to fail on two wheel bearings. Now it had been away from the MOT garage for a month but it had only covered a mile in that time - half a mile to the garage and back, so no way had the wheel bearings become loose in that time.

The guy was busy issuing the fail paperwork when I pointed this out to him but he wouldn't budge and an argument ensued as I pointed out that this was unreasonable as they could keep finding one thing after another an keep me coming back and forwards as they "found" more and more things to fail it on - things that they should find on the first test.

I was losing the argument until I asked him for the phone number and details of how to make a complaint to the Ministry, as I pointed out to him, not because my vehicle had failed, with a legitimate fault, but on the fact that the tester had failed to find two faults when it was originally presented for its test.

Suddenly his attitude changed and I was given a pass certificate instead (with the instruction that I was to go and adjust the wheel bearings before I went anywhere with it).



I don't mind having to get an MOT test done - It's a very valid safety check provided that the tester does his job properly.....

ZD

[J.M.]

[Aff]

I always take my car and bike to the council MOT testers.

A bit more strict but they aren't allowed to do any work on it, so don't try and con you.
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