Mot failed

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Discussion

chriz1

Original Poster:

669 posts

216 months

Monday 8th October 2018
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I took my van for mot back a few months ago and when I picked it up in the afternoon they told me it passed no issues, when I checked online it said it had failed on headlight aim which I imagine they adjusted but would have liked to have been told but oh well...
Now my Mrs's car went in for mot today same garage and I drove it there today, she's just picked it up and they handed her the mot passed paperwork. I just checked online and it says it has failed and been retested 'all near rear side lights not working' it says online...

I know for a fact they were all working as if they weren't it would have come up in dash plus the fact they are all led isn't just a quick fix as a few bulbs so I know for a fact that's a lie

So why are they failing cars needlessly?

Should I bother going back and see What they say ?

Should they even be giving me a failed piece of paperwork?



Edited by chriz1 on Monday 8th October 16:13

edd344

242 posts

67 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
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First of all, this is probably the wrong topic for this post.

I know from past experience that some garages will fail your car to then re pass it so that they can say they've done so and so work on cars whether this is to wash money or to improve the reputation of the company. You can't get done for having failed an MOT providing the failures have been solved and the retest provided a pass. My old local used to fail it on the slightest of things usually so that things that may need doing but can't fail your car don't need mentioning.

In regards to getting a failed piece of paperwork I would say yes, but as long as online it says your car has passed its MOT and you have a pass document I wouldn't worry to much.

geeks

9,206 posts

140 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
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After querying it with the garage I'd be reporting that to the DVSA depending on what they say, could be a simple error of course!

designforlife

3,734 posts

164 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
quotequote all
Find a new MOT station.

Mine passed the other week, headlight aim was high on the passenger side but they simply grabbed a screwdriver and adjusted it. Fog light was playing up so we faffed about with it for ten mins and sorted it out to get it through the test.

Result, another year passed with no advisories.

chriz1

Original Poster:

669 posts

216 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
quotequote all
I went back this morning and was told it passed no issues. When I showed the online fail for rear lamp the conversation turned very silent with awkward silence and a guilty scared look, followed by a lot of ummming and arrring.
Then said oh yes the rear bulb was corroded so I cleaned it up and it worked.
Funny that I said as the rear light cluster is sealed led, then it was the wiring harness was loose at this point I said I would be repoting to dvsa.
Which i did and was told they will now watch this garage..
Id imagine the only reasin they are doing is bexause they are probably under investigation already and therefore would fail cars to look like they are thorough in their checking to keep ministry off their backs perhaps, but only when people leave their cars and pick up later which is what we did.
Won't be using them again for sure

HustleRussell

24,733 posts

161 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
quotequote all
chriz1 said:
I went back this morning and was told it passed no issues. When I showed the online fail for rear lamp the conversation turned very silent with awkward silence and a guilty scared look, followed by a lot of ummming and arrring.
Then said oh yes the rear bulb was corroded so I cleaned it up and it worked.
Funny that I said as the rear light cluster is sealed led, then it was the wiring harness was loose at this point I said I would be repoting to dvsa.
Which i did and was told they will now watch this garage..
Id imagine the only reasin they are doing is bexause they are probably under investigation already and therefore would fail cars to look like they are thorough in their checking to keep ministry off their backs perhaps, but only when people leave their cars and pick up later which is what we did.
Won't be using them again for sure
Completely unnecessary action IMO, you can only speculate about why they're doing it but it hasn't cost you any money or done you any harm and you clearly don't know their motives so why kick up a fuss and ruin their day about it?

No I'm not a mechanic or an MOT tester.

AJB

856 posts

216 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
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designforlife said:
Find a new MOT station.
I think I need to do that too!

designforlife said:
Mine passed the other week, headlight aim was high on the passenger side but they simply grabbed a screwdriver and adjusted it.
Mine passed the other week, headlight aim was just fine on both sides, but they simply grabbed a screwdriver and adjusted it... I've almost got it back to how it should be again...

designforlife said:
Result, another year passed with no advisories.
I also got an advisory for "Brake fluid close to minimum mark fluid level halfway between min and max (1.1.10 (d) (ii))". Quite how "halfway" is "close to minimum" I don't know, not to mention that it was on 3/4 when I checked it that evening.

Still, at least it passed and they didn't try to charge me for anything!

hooblah

539 posts

88 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
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HustleRussell said:
Completely unnecessary action IMO, you can only speculate about why they're doing it but it hasn't cost you any money or done you any harm and you clearly don't know their motives so why kick up a fuss and ruin their day about it?

No I'm not a mechanic or an MOT tester.
This. Don't rock the boat.

sparks_E46

12,738 posts

214 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
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We used to fail MOT’s on headlamp aim, adjust for free and re-test it. No one ever kicked up a fuss, and were generally appreciative we didn’t charge the £20 the manufacturer would expect us to. VAG main dealer.

AJB

856 posts

216 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
quotequote all
hooblah said:
HustleRussell said:
Completely unnecessary action IMO, you can only speculate about why they're doing it but it hasn't cost you any money or done you any harm and you clearly don't know their motives so why kick up a fuss and ruin their day about it?

No I'm not a mechanic or an MOT tester.
This. Don't rock the boat.
Whilst I take the point, if I was buying a car with LED lights and saw that it'd failed an MOT on them not working properly I might worry that there was an expensive bill around the corner - failing on a made up fault isn't really on in my opinion, even if it doesn't cost the customer any money.

CS Garth

2,860 posts

106 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
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hooblah said:
This. Don't rock the boat.
Yep - go through life being a door mat and not doing the right thing rolleyes

Presumably they get enough fails to not have to enhance this.

If they are having to create artificial fails to up their rate I’d suspect they also have a sideline passing stuff that should fail to get it sold on.

Failing something, fixing it and passing it immediately is absolutely fine. Lying about a fail is not.

AJB

856 posts

216 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
quotequote all
sparks_E46 said:
We used to fail MOT’s on headlamp aim, adjust for free and re-test it. No one ever kicked up a fuss, and were generally appreciative we didn’t charge the £20 the manufacturer would expect us to. VAG main dealer.
That's all good as long as they were correct afterwards, not so good if they were correct before...

g7jhp

6,970 posts

239 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
quotequote all
hooblah said:
HustleRussell said:
Completely unnecessary action IMO, you can only speculate about why they're doing it but it hasn't cost you any money or done you any harm and you clearly don't know their motives so why kick up a fuss and ruin their day about it?

No I'm not a mechanic or an MOT tester.
This. Don't rock the boat.
Disagree. If there's something shady going on (which it sounds like there is) then you've every right to ask questions and flag it up.

What if they pass a car which should have failed and it goes on to cause an accident?

Well done OP, you did the right think IMO.

steve-5snwi

8,683 posts

94 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
quotequote all
sparks_E46 said:
We used to fail MOT’s on headlamp aim, adjust for free and re-test it. No one ever kicked up a fuss, and were generally appreciative we didn’t charge the £20 the manufacturer would expect us to. VAG main dealer.
We do the same, fail it and then restest it, we adjust it free of charge. There are lots of cars that fail on headlamp aim.

HustleRussell

24,733 posts

161 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
quotequote all
CS Garth said:
hooblah said:
This. Don't rock the boat.
Yep - go through life being a door mat and not doing the right thing rolleyes
Or, go through life with such cynicism and so little faith in humanity that you suspect everyone is out to get you, and spend your free time making snotty phone calls and writing angry letters to regulatory bodies- as you are doing 'the right thing'. Even though you have not personally been affected in any way, and have no evidence that others are either.

With reference to the OP- sure, you don't know what metrics the MOT tester is expected to fit within, and you weren't adversely affected in any way, but you sure can complain about it! That is 'doing the right thing'...

justleanitupabit

201 posts

108 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
quotequote all
HustleRussell said:
CS Garth said:
hooblah said:
This. Don't rock the boat.
Yep - go through life being a door mat and not doing the right thing rolleyes
Or, go through life with such cynicism and so little faith in humanity that you suspect everyone is out to get you, and spend your free time making snotty phone calls and writing angry letters to regulatory bodies- as you are doing 'the right thing'. Even though you have not personally been affected in any way, and have no evidence that others are either.

With reference to the OP- sure, you don't know what metrics the MOT tester is expected to fit within, and you weren't adversely affected in any way, but you sure can complain about it! That is 'doing the right thing'...
You don't think the questionable behaviour should be questioned? If they are happy to be a little economical with the truth do you not think that it will be extended further than unwarranted 'fails'?

chriz1

Original Poster:

669 posts

216 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
quotequote all
justleanitupabit said:
You don't think the questionable behaviour should be questioned? If they are happy to be a little economical with the truth do you not think that it will be extended further than unwarranted 'fails'?
The sole reason I brought it up

hooblah

539 posts

88 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
quotequote all
I agree about bringing up questionable behaviour, but only when it's affecting you. It hasn't affected you, or anyone else. So why bother?

CS Garth

2,860 posts

106 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
quotequote all
hooblah said:
I agree about bringing up questionable behaviour, but only when it's affecting you. It hasn't affected you, or anyone else. So why bother?
You honestly don’t know?

CS Garth

2,860 posts

106 months

Tuesday 9th October 2018
quotequote all
HustleRussell said:
Or, go through life with such cynicism and so little faith in humanity that you suspect everyone is out to get you, and spend your free time making snotty phone calls and writing angry letters to regulatory bodies- as you are doing 'the right thing'. Even though you have not personally been affected in any way, and have no evidence that others are either.

With reference to the OP- sure, you don't know what metrics the MOT tester is expected to fit within, and you weren't adversely affected in any way, but you sure can complain about it! That is 'doing the right thing'...
Faith in humanity?! He’s reporting a likely dodgy MOT station caught lying not reporting Mother Theresa for doing 32 in a 30 zone.