Do MOT stations have "targets" or an average fail rate to me

Do MOT stations have "targets" or an average fail rate to me

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alex98uk

Original Poster:

245 posts

72 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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I have heard from a few sources that garages often have an average failure rate they should meet, which aligns to DVSA/VOSA data.

Failing too few cars could in turn alert authorities to a garage passing non-roadworthy vehicles. As such, garages often fail cars for very minor issues (mis-aligned bulb etc...) And then instantly re-pass them, so as to have an acceptable average fail rate.

My Kia was failed for a sidelight out, fixed and passed again instantly... but i know I checked 30 minutes prior to dropping it off that the bulb worked! Obviously coincidences happen, so can't say for sure.

Anyone know if this rumour really holds any weight?

Brads67

3,199 posts

97 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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If it was for a pre booked test , they are not allowed to carry out repairs.

It must fail first, then they can repair it and carry out a re-test.

alex98uk

Original Poster:

245 posts

72 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
quotequote all
Brads67 said:
If it was for a pre booked test , they are not allowed to carry out repairs.

It must fail first, then they can repair it and carry out a re-test.
It was a pre-booked test.

Car failed, bulb "changed" and I was invoiced £1 or so and then it passed again. I only found this out after I collected it as passed.

I don't really care, was more interested in whether garages are expected to fail a %'age of cars as average.

Alpinestars

13,954 posts

243 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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My understanding is that there are target ranges.

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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My car had loads of faults, yet passed so balances it all out.

Funky Squirrel

365 posts

71 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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alex98uk said:
It was a pre-booked test.

Car failed, bulb "changed" and I was invoiced £1 or so and then it passed again. I only found this out after I collected it as passed.

I don't really care, was more interested in whether garages are expected to fail a %'age of cars as average.
I've had the same thing, failed on number plate bulb, I checked day before and was working and car also informs if bulb is out. Invoiced a pound when I picked it up. Was the cars first fail in its 12 year history so was more miffed at that lol.

Dogwatch

6,221 posts

221 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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Lies, damn lies, and MoT fail statistics. jester

BIG DUNC

1,918 posts

222 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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I don’t know, but I would be surprised if they had targets. A main dealer in a well off area would be testing modern up market cars, probably as part of a service. A back street garage in an area with high unemployment may be testing much older cars, some of which may be maintained to a much lower standard, if at all.

Would you expect them to have the same pass rate?

alex98uk

Original Poster:

245 posts

72 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
quotequote all
BIG DUNC said:
I don’t know, but I would be surprised if they had targets. A main dealer in a well off area would be testing modern up market cars, probably as part of a service. A back street garage in an area with high unemployment may be testing much older cars, some of which may be maintained to a much lower standard, if at all.

Would you expect them to have the same pass rate?
I don't know if they're considered "targets" per se... rather, averages that may just be public knowledge and are utilised by garages to minimise any hassle from DVSA.

As you say, dealership garages would be expected to have a higher pass rate... that said, nothing to say that DVSA don't further drill down into data to know this. Could also potentially be that MOT pass rates are higher in more affluent areas where regular maintanence is done more frequently.



Edited by alex98uk on Thursday 25th July 15:21

ElectricPics

761 posts

80 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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I've had the rear number plate bulb fail thing twice, although I only got charged 49p each time. Not one bulb was out on the car the day before on both occasions so it does make you wonder if they're using a trivial and cheap fail to meet a target.

alex98uk

Original Poster:

245 posts

72 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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I suspect they do a bulb since you can't really prove it worked nor does it harm MOT history really when selling the car.

mike-v2tmf

772 posts

78 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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There are no targets.....though if a testing station has a high failure rate VOSA will visit the site and investigate. Each tester has a performance monitor "built in" to the computer software on the MOT website which can be monitored by VOSA

imagineifyeswill

1,223 posts

165 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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Ive been out of the MOT business for 12 years now but there certainly didnt used to be targets.

However DVSA do monitor all MOT tests through the computer system and work out averages which franky are a load of nonsense as different parts of the country have differing weather conditions, vehicles in coastal areas are frequently exposed to salt water carried on the wind, Highlands of Scotland and hill areas of Wales more snow and salt on roads causing more corrosion failures.

Dvsa take these figures very seriously and like handing out lectures to tester with results much higher or lower than the national average not just on test results as a whole but on the averages for individual failures, i,e lights national average 43%, brake pipes 28%, tyres 47% etc, these just being made up figures but gives the idea, they also use these results for recommending retraining intervals.

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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mike-v2tmf said:
There are no targets.....though if a testing station has a high failure rate VOSA will visit the site and investigate. Each tester has a performance monitor "built in" to the computer software on the MOT website which can be monitored by VOSA
Yep same as the driving examiners. There's no pass /fail target but if you pass or fail too many candidates, the area manager will pop down to see what's going on. The same as if you take the same test routes or ask the candidates to do the same manoeuvres.

Little Pete

1,513 posts

93 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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There are no targets for any station or tester. There are national averages against which you can compere your testers performance but percentage fail rates can vary massively from station to station let alone area to area. We test Class 7 vehicles and one of my testers failure rates was a lot higher than the others. This was mentioned to me in a desk based assessment by DVSA and when I said it was because he did the bulk of the Class 7 testing-think Transit tippers and the like- they were perfectly happy.
DVSA want us to test vehicles as presented. If a bulb is out, we can fix it but we have to record the fail then the pass. It even has its own term-PRS- pass, rectified at station. This is to make sure the failure rate is as accurate as possible so that -amongst other things-when idiotic ministers in parliament decide that making MOT testing a bi-annual requirement, DVSA have information to show why this really isn’t a good idea. Some customers get this and some don’t. I’ve had one of each today!

M_A_S

1,441 posts

184 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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DVSA have a traffic light rating for each tester. However they don't make it clear what it means or indeed how you can affect your score. As such there are a lot of rumours flying around as to how to keep your green rating or lose your red rating, test faster, test slower, fail more stuff, pass more stuff. It's a problem of their own making.

jondude

2,335 posts

216 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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I think it would be more for testing stations it is in their interest cars fail as then they can justify their existence.

A government forced test is a very steady business/guaranteed income and not one those working for it will want to lose - we saw this with the massive propaganda about how 'useful' the MOT test is when there were moves to make the first test on year 4 and the MOT every second year.

It would not surprise me at all when those fears were there for the MOT testers if failure rates went up - government officials won't check the finer details of why, just look at graphs and data showing an upward curve of 'danger' and presto....the MOT test is kept and recently toughened.

The more cars fail, the more the testers and government will say the MOT is needed.

Athlon

4,998 posts

205 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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There are no targets.

We have access to 'test quality information' which shows us what we have failed on percentage wise, same for the station as a whole and country wide. We are encouraged to analyse this and see where we may be 'off' as in my ave on lighting last month was 56% over an ave country wise of 30% so a bit high, it is not a bother because a bulb works or it does not, it's black and white.

The pass and repair scheme mentioned is good, we can do small repairs at the end of the test, note the problem then pass as repaired, ideal for headlight alignment or the odd bulb out etc, good for us as it does not tie us up on re-tests and good for the customer as no return needed.

Ask any questions, if I can give a straight answer or any other tester on here can then I am sure we will.

Bottom line, the test is to help keep you and your family safe, not everyone is a mechanic and even the most fastidious home mechanic can and does miss stuff we are very good at spotting.

Countdown

39,685 posts

195 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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@Athlon

How much profit do garages make per test? Mine charges £35 per test and it normally takes about 50min. There can’t be much margin in that....?

Athlon

4,998 posts

205 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
quotequote all
Countdown said:
@Athlon

How much profit do garages make per test? Mine charges £35 per test and it normally takes about 50min. There can’t be much margin in that....?
Not much, honestly, it used to be better but now it is hardly worth the hassle.

A test at £35.. You need to pay the tester, lets be tough £10 an hour? slots are £2.05, mandatory maintenance on the gas tester, beam tester and brake rollers at about £2K per year then rent on the building, electric, non maintenance repairs to the ramp (shaker plate bushes, lube etc). So fag packet maths would suggest about £5 a test on a standard day, £8 on a full day. To make it as a station nowadays you need about 10 a day and that is proper graft trust me.

Edit to add: we also now have to supply computers, printers, paper, ink, internet connection , phone line etc which was provided in the past..

Edited by Athlon on Thursday 25th July 22:03