MOT tester making up reason to fail test.
Discussion
pablo said:
My car failed on a main beam bulb which I know was working 20 minutes before the test. Couldn’t be arsed to complain as I knew what the response would be. My fault for leaving it late and using Kwik-bodge....
Hang on is this ‘a thing’? KF breaking bits of the car to fail the MOT and sell you a repair?Hub said:
I've had this before - it failed on headlamp aim too high, and then passed. I didn't know anything about the failure until I checked the MOT history online! To my mind they could have seen the aim was out (if it even was out!), adjusted it and then passed it!
How can undertrays and engine covers be an MOT advisory?If you really feel that your local test station is trying it on (which is really really unlikely) then take your car to the council motor depot who will carry out an MOT to the letter.
They will tell it how it is, but dont expect any of the little things that most garages will do for you like popping in a bulb, topping up your washer fluid, adjusting a beam for you, the sort of things many small businesses do for you in the name of customer service.
They will tell it how it is, but dont expect any of the little things that most garages will do for you like popping in a bulb, topping up your washer fluid, adjusting a beam for you, the sort of things many small businesses do for you in the name of customer service.
bristolracer said:
If you really feel that your local test station is trying it on (which is really really unlikely) then take your car to the council motor depot who will carry out an MOT to the letter.
They will tell it how it is, but dont expect any of the little things that most garages will do for you like popping in a bulb, topping up your washer fluid, adjusting a beam for you, the sort of things many small businesses do for you in the name of customer service.
They will tell it how it is, but dont expect any of the little things that most garages will do for you like popping in a bulb, topping up your washer fluid, adjusting a beam for you, the sort of things many small businesses do for you in the name of customer service.
Jader1973 said:
How can undertrays and engine covers be an MOT advisory?
Been almost 20 years since I was testing (still handwritten on blank certificates at the time) but was an advisory back then.Essentially to cover tester not being able to remove trays etc to test.
I tested a MK2 Astra GTE once.. plastic side skirts etc.
Car came back a few weeks later as a complaint. Driver ripped side skirt off on a kerb, and sill underneath was just a mix of filler, cardboard and fresh air. Totally rotten.
ejenner said:
A lot of it is based on opinion though. Brake pads having less than 1.5mm inspected through a hole in the alloy wheel... pull the other one.
But this is how we are instructed to test. It’s not the testers fault that he’s given an definite figure to test to but with absolutely no way of measuring it!ejenner said:
They did the MOT first so if something came up on the MOT which meant they could scare you with not being allowed to drive a dangerous car they could split a wedge off your wallet.
There are other ways of phrasing that which would give more grace to the workshop.
They did the MOT first because that is what they are told to do by DVSA. If the tester left the fail/advisory off because he knew it was going in for service and a VE arrived to do a spot check, they would take a very dim view. This subject is talked about in every trade magazine I read. There are other ways of phrasing that which would give more grace to the workshop.
If some of you unhappy chaps out there actually talked to the tester at the time instead of pissing and moaning on Internet forums, there would be a bit more understanding.
There is a forum on here to ask MOT testers questions if you can be arsed.
Athlon said:
So if your headlights are out of adjustment and they will adjust easily we can re-set them but we have to fail it as it was wrong at time of test.
Although they charge the full price, I had daughter's car MOT'd at our village garage for convenience. Owner cheerfully told me it passed and handed me the paperwork which I noticed also had a fail notice. He said the lights were low so we tweaked them up. Online it says:
Nearside Front Headlamp not in good working order (not working) (1.2.4a)
Offside Front Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)
I can't say 100% they didn't do anything but there were no marks on the plastic adjuster screw.
Little Pete said:
They did the MOT first because that is what they are told to do by DVSA.
I've twice been told by service managers that the have to test the car "as presented to the garage", ie before they do any work on it.I've also been told that's nonsense - it's "as presented for the test". There's nothing to stop the car being worked on first and then MOT'd.
Sheepshanks said:
Little Pete said:
They did the MOT first because that is what they are told to do by DVSA.
I've twice been told by service managers that the have to test the car "as presented to the garage", ie before they do any work on it.I've also been told that's nonsense - it's "as presented for the test". There's nothing to stop the car being worked on first and then MOT'd.
Sheepshanks said:
Athlon said:
So if your headlights are out of adjustment and they will adjust easily we can re-set them but we have to fail it as it was wrong at time of test.
Although they charge the full price, I had daughter's car MOT'd at our village garage for convenience. Owner cheerfully told me it passed and handed me the paperwork which I noticed also had a fail notice. He said the lights were low so we tweaked them up. Online it says:
Nearside Front Headlamp not in good working order (not working) (1.2.4a)
Offside Front Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)
I can't say 100% they didn't do anything but there were no marks on the plastic adjuster screw.
Athlon said:
Why would there be marks on the adjuster? We have expensive tools that fit correctly on the fixings so there is now reason for any marks. If he did not charge just maybe you should be grateful he did you a favour rather than looking for fault?
Because I don't think there was anything wrong. It was a few years when owners took pride in getting a clean sheet. I do wonder if people take less care now as MOT advisories have become almost random.
At a well known fast fit place just under 4 year ago when i was going to sell my car in a few weeks time it made a very slight noise - initially no one could pick it up as I got an ear for these things then a bit later it was the drop links and they confirmed this. But without taking the wheels off my E Class they worker came back into the waiting room and whispered into the ears of the manager - they told me re drop links that was fine then said your brake discs need changing. I'd only done a couple of thousand miles since the last mot and no advisories and my pads and disks last at least 30k miles. I said I'll think about the discs but in the back of my mind they did not even take off a wheel never mind wheels. The manager said "so you are going to put other people at risk." He caught me off guard and i said i need to go home and think about the cost and should have asked for a quote then reported him to the fast-fit chain it was no kwifit, national tyres but one of the others ones. I went to this place as the other garage ran by the outfit was busy. Managers/staff do get bonuses so be careful
torx_whisperer said:
DuraAce said:
It's more to do with not wanting a (near) 100% PASS rate I think.
The national average of cars passing first time isnt 100% - so if a station is up near that % they are potentially inviting a visit from DVSA to see what might be going on.
It could be genuine that a garage has such a high pass rate but it just looks out of the normal.
What is this based on? The national average of cars passing first time isnt 100% - so if a station is up near that % they are potentially inviting a visit from DVSA to see what might be going on.
It could be genuine that a garage has such a high pass rate but it just looks out of the normal.
Surely a new car dealership that does MOT’s could be quite likely to have a much higher pass rate than the council who or local classic car garage? I’d have thought there’s quite a big variation in pass rate depending where you go.
Not to mention the failures generated by the new car dealership will likely never get called out by the owners (brake pad thickness etc...)
Test stations now need to carefully monitor their monthly test information to be around the national average hence doing prs fails on lights etc . The pressure to artificially influence the numbers is a lot higher now the data goes towards your risk score . It’s a flawed system as those testers doing low amounts of cars can have massively skewed fail rates based on the number of tests done .
Sheepshanks said:
I've twice been told by service managers that the have to test the car "as presented to the garage", ie before they do any work on it.
I've also been told that's nonsense - it's "as presented for the test". There's nothing to stop the car being worked on first and then MOT'd.
You’re right, there is nothing to say you couldn’t have it serviced first and then mot’d however that’s no guarantee it’s going to pass, it may still fail on brake efficiency, emissions or headlight aim in which case it has to go back into the workshop to have repairs carried out. We simply don’t have the time for that so if it fails and you want us to repair it then chances are it’s a 7 day wait.I've also been told that's nonsense - it's "as presented for the test". There's nothing to stop the car being worked on first and then MOT'd.
We always mot first then carry out the service as it gives us time in the diary to carry out repairs and the customer can choose to cancel the service and put the money to repairs instead.
mighty kitten said:
Test stations now need to carefully monitor their monthly test information to be around the national average hence doing prs fails on lights etc . The pressure to artificially influence the numbers is a lot higher now the data goes towards your risk score . It’s a flawed system as those testers doing low amounts of cars can have massively skewed fail rates based on the number of tests done .
I don't agree, sorry, the stats that are generated on the TQI screen are just stats, they advise you to look at the stats to see if you are trending way off the perceived norm however this does not influence them as the way the system works allows it to shape your model to you, i.e. if you test 25 year old Ford Ka's all day you will have a high corrosion fail rate but the scheme will adjust to that.The figures are there to help the DVSA see what is commonly failing or being advised so they can look why, for instance the down grading of knackered discs due to fast fits failing every brake that wen't through at one time etc.
My stats are frequently way off the ave in both test vehicle age and certain sections but I am green and so is the station, we have not been checked by visit for three years either.
We don't have a risk score do we? just the same old points system for cocking up which has just been made tougher..
Robmarriott said:
ejenner said:
A lot of it is based on opinion though. Brake pads having less than 1.5mm inspected through a hole in the alloy wheel... pull the other one.
Have you ever stood under a car when it is on a ramp? You can, with very few exceptions, see how much material is left on the brake pads as clear as day.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff