Second-hand car with multiple MoTs per year

[cbmaxyz]

I recently bought a second-hand Ford Galaxy and noticed it has a unusual MoT history in its early years. It was registered in Oct 2005 and then MoT’ed on the following dates:

Feb 2007 @6k (well before the first MoT was due)
Sep 2007 @30k
Jan 2008 @48k
Jul 2008 @72k
Jan 2009 @97k
Jul 2009 @121k

All MoTs were done in Erith, East London. During this period it was also serviced every 2 to 3 months.

I was wondering if anyone could guess why it was MoT’ed so frequently. I know the annual mileage was high, but surely it's still unusual to do more MoTs than you need. Are there specific companies or types of company which would do this? No real clues in the car except a load of no-smoking stickers...

I’ve tried calling the garage which did the MoTs and services, but being over a decade ago they don’t have records any more.

[t400ble]

Taxi

[Raino144]

Private hire taxis usually on a 6 month MOT cycle…

[ZX10R NIN]

As above.

[Andy OH]

I'd have thought a load of no smoking stickers in the vehicle would indicate it was a taxi or private hire vehicle in its early life and subject to more checks as stated above.

[_Yeti]

Some of the online car checkers like Vcheck can do "ex-taxi" search now.

[Driver101]

It'll be a taxi.

If it had done 121k miles in 2009 how many has it done now?

[Monkeylegend]

cbmaxyz said:

I recently bought a second-hand Ford Galaxy and noticed it has a unusual MoT history in its early years. It was registered in Oct 2005 and then MoT’ed on the following dates:

Feb 2007 @6k (well before the first MoT was due)
Sep 2007 @30k
Jan 2008 @48k
Jul 2008 @72k
Jan 2009 @97k
Jul 2009 @121k

All MoTs were done in Erith, East London. During this period it was also serviced every 2 to 3 months.

I was wondering if anyone could guess why it was MoT’ed so frequently. I know the annual mileage was high, but surely it's still unusual to do more MoTs than you need. Are there specific companies or types of company which would do this? No real clues in the car except a load of no-smoking stickers...

I’ve tried calling the garage which did the MoTs and services, but being over a decade ago they don’t have records any more.

If its black it was possibly an Addison Lee vehicle as well so good luck with that

[valiant]

Sounds like an Addison Lee taxi (esp if black).

They used to defleet around that mileage.


ETA, fks sake! Beaten by less than a minute

[Monkeylegend]

valiant said:

Sounds like an Addison Lee taxi (esp if black).

They used to defleet around that mileage.


ETA, fks sake! Beaten by less than a minute

A bit like London buses

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

Without a doubt it's been a taxi/minicab/private hire vehicle.

[anonymous-user]

It might be a fake taxi?

Look in the back for hidden cameras......

[cbmaxyz]

It’s blue, not black. After 2009 it looks like it moved to Slough and spent a few years doing 20 to 30k miles per year, with just one MoT per year. From 2015 it spent 3 years off road. It’s now just shy of 250k.

I bought it because it was very cheap (£650) and has the 1.9 PD engine. However, I got it inspected at my local garage and they told me it should have failed MoT due to deteriorated brake hoses and a hole in the chassis, so I've already spent £400 on all that, plus a £200 service, plus winter tyres

Edited by cbmaxyz on Wednesday 15th December 18:26

[cbmaxyz]

_Yeti said:

Some of the online car checkers like Vcheck can do "ex-taxi" search now.

Oh, thank you for that. Yes, it's an ex-taxi licenced in Slough Borough Council - supposedly until 2026, if I fancy a job change...