MOT Fail - Rough estimate to repair

[AshleyWest]

Hey,

Hoping someone can help. Took car in for MOT and it's failed on the below. Just wondering on a rough estimate for repairs to ball park against as waiting for a quote from the garage. Feel like they've seen me coming a mile off

Car is a 2006 2ltr Volkswagen EOS

Thanks in advance ☺️

• Fail - Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))

• Fail - Rear Service brake excessively fluctuating both (1.2.1 (e))

• Fail - Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

• Fail - Nearside Headlamp insecure (4.1.1 (c))

• Fail - Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn both (5.3.4 (a) (i))

• Fail - Nearside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

• Fail - Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint likely to become detached (5.3.4 (a) (ii))

• Fail - Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

[njw1]

Why do you think they've seen you coming a mile off, that looks like standard failure stuff for an older car? What's the mileage and did it have advisories for any of the above last year?

[Pica-Pica]

Is the rear service brake disc or drum? If drum, that may well be linked to the parking brake fail, and presumably easy to rectify, unless the anchorage holes in the back plate have corroded away.
Is the car sufficiently rust-free to warrant the work required. That would be my take on it. Cost? Any shock failures would probably need both sides doing, same as any joint failures. What engine? Will it last another 3 years minimum if you have this work done? With a basic engine, it sounds like the cost may be getting some way towards its trade value. The question is do you like it, and do you want to keep it and is the bodywork including mounting points rust-free? If so it may be worth getting several quotes.

Edited by Pica-Pica on Saturday 2nd April 13:21

[blue_haddock]

AshleyWest said:

Hey,

Hoping someone can help. Took car in for MOT and it's failed on the below. Just wondering on a rough estimate for repairs to ball park against as waiting for a quote from the garage. Feel like they've seen me coming a mile off

Car is a 2006 2ltr Volkswagen EOS

Thanks in advance ??

• Fail - Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))

• Fail - Rear Service brake excessively fluctuating both (1.2.1 (e))

• Fail - Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

• Fail - Nearside Headlamp insecure (4.1.1 (c))

• Fail - Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn both (5.3.4 (a) (i))

• Fail - Nearside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

• Fail - Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint likely to become detached (5.3.4 (a) (ii))

• Fail - Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Nothing really major although the EML could be absolutely anything but I would estimate a minimum of £500 to get it through possibly more.

[steveo3002]

need more info

whys the mil on ?

headlight insecure...needs a bolt tightening or headlamp broken?

[paintman]

Pica-Pica said:

Is the rear service brake disc or drum? If drum, that may well be linked to the parking brake fail, and presumably easy to rectify, unless the anchorage holes in the back plate have corroded away.
Is the car sufficiently rust-free to warrant the work required. That would be my take on it. Cost? Any shock failures would probably need both sides doing, same as any joint failures. What engine? Will it last another 3 years minimum if you have this work done? With a basic engine, it sounds like the cost may be getting some way towards its trade value. The question is do you like it, and do you want to keep it and is the bodywork including mounting points rust-free? If so it may be worth getting several quotes.

Edited by Pica-Pica on Saturday 2nd April 13:21

If drums could also be wheel cylinder failure allowing brake fluid to leak into the drum.
Regular occurrence with the Pug 205 & 306's we had.

[TonyRPH]

How often do you have the car serviced?

Or are you one of those people that believe the annual MOT is a service?

[Spleen]

£10,000.

[NMNeil]

A 16 year old Euro 4 car with a long list of problems which are indicative of little or no maintenance, and a low estimated value. Is it worth fixing, or will you be throwing good money after bad?
https://www.parkers.co.uk/volkswagen/eos/used-pric...
Just asking.

[AshleyWest]

Hi,

I bought the car a couple of months ago as a run around and as I've been working from home it hasn't moved much although when driving has been fine. Bodywork on the car is fine and there is no rust that I can see.

All previous vehicles owned have had mid year services and MOTs. This car didn't come with a service history (probably my first red flag when buying)

Current mileage is 126,000 miles

Windscreen washer needs a top up. Mil and service brake he wants £30 each to investigate. Windscreen washer I can just topup. The headlamps fine so I think it's just a screw but again he wants another £30 to investigate as well as the parking brake.

£55 for the roll bar
£360 for the suspension arm pins
£160 for the shock absorbers

Quote £695 but could be more depending on further investigation.

I like the car so happy to repair but it's a garage I haven't used before and I know next to nothing about cars, no offence to the men here but being female and going to a garage is daunting. I've tried googling and came here as it seemed like a place for some great advice.

[georgeyboy12345]

AshleyWest said:

Hi,

I bought the car a couple of months ago as a run around and as I've been working from home it hasn't moved much although when driving has been fine. Bodywork on the car is fine and there is no rust that I can see.

All previous vehicles owned have had mid year services and MOTs. This car didn't come with a service history (probably my first red flag when buying)

Current mileage is 126,000 miles

Windscreen washer needs a top up. Mil and service brake he wants £30 each to investigate. Windscreen washer I can just topup. The headlamps fine so I think it's just a screw but again he wants another £30 to investigate as well as the parking brake.

£55 for the roll bar
£360 for the suspension arm pins
£160 for the shock absorbers

Quote £695 but could be more depending on further investigation.

I like the car so happy to repair but it's a garage I haven't used before and I know next to nothing about cars, no offence to the men here but being female and going to a garage is daunting. I've tried googling and came here as it seemed like a place for some great advice.

This is the risk you run if you buy an old car with loads of miles on it and with no service history. Honestly those prices sound ok to me, I don't think he's trying to rip you off or anything like that.

[Bobupndown]

I'd be getting another garage to estimate, or perhaps put through another mot to see if these 'faults' are just money makers for the garage.
Having said that with a car with 126000 miles and no service history it may well need this work doing.

[AshleyWest]

Thank you

That's much appreciated. I may just take it to another garage for a 2nd opinion and book it in for the repairs before a new MOT is required.

[soad]

I was going to say, at least a monkey.

[stevemcs]

You need to start with the EML, it could be a simple fix it could be expensive, Once you have fixed this or at least got to the bottom of it can you move on.

It will either be the lower arms that need replacing or it might be the console bushes, either way with wheel geo budget £200 to £350, Shock absorber £150, drop like £50 for one side and about £15 for the other - if your replacing the shock we wouldn't charge labour as you disconect to swap the shock.

Rear brakes, it will be either the calipers or rear discs and pads, or both. Budget between £150 if its discs and pads £200 if both calipers or £350 if all of them.

Personally i'd budget £800-1000 to put it right.

[Mr lestat]

Certainly take it for another opinion. I would suggest you ask on a local fb group for garage recommendations as well. Good luck with it

[InitialDave]

Is the EML on, or is it not coming on when you turn the key?

£10 code reader to see if you get a code yourself, then report back?

[Davie]

It's an older car and one that would appear to be a bit neglected and I say that as any car that fails on fairly rounti e stuff like bald tyres, bulbs and the like usually paints s picture of the owners attitude towards it. Given its failed on the washer fluid being empty... safe to assume the car gets next to no preventive maintenance?

As for repair costs; how long is a piece of string? The EML is the great unknown... it could be something terminal / uneconomically viable to repair, so I'd probably investigate that first as it's the unknown quantity. The rest could be roughly estimated, but again who's to say it doesn't need discs, pads, calipers etc etc...

The only way you'll know is to entrust it to a professional, ask them to do initial diagnostics on the EML and estimate the rest but be ready for it snow balling to eye watering levels and you may find it's simply not worth fixing.

[OutInTheShed]

AshleyWest said:

Hey,

Hoping someone can help. Took car in for MOT and it's failed on the below. Just wondering on a rough estimate for repairs to ball park against as waiting for a quote from the garage. Feel like they've seen me coming a mile off

Car is a 2006 2ltr Volkswagen EOS

Thanks in advance ??

• Fail - Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))

• Fail - Rear Service brake excessively fluctuating both (1.2.1 (e))

• Fail - Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

• Fail - Nearside Headlamp insecure (4.1.1 (c))

• Fail - Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn both (5.3.4 (a) (i))

• Fail - Nearside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

• Fail - Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint likely to become detached (5.3.4 (a) (ii))

• Fail - Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

That is a lot of old car sickness.
The engine light absolutely needs to be investigated with a code reader before committing to spending on anything else.
But assuming the light is not anything terminal, the rest of it is just 'slightly unlucky' on the spectrum of old car ownership.
i reckon getting away with less than £1k a year on repairs and depreciation is good going ,and sometimes you don't do as well as average.
The big thing is to be clear what you are prepared to spend on the car, its mileage is not huge for a 2 litre car, it's a stylish car, if the rest of it is OK you should get a few good years out of it.

[Drive Blind]

as others have said , the EML light is the big unknown

Car must only be worth 1500 ? This might be a situation where it's uneconomical to repair.

16 year old, 100K+ miles, 2 months MOT, no service history. The seller saw you coming not the MOT place.