MOT...Not worth the paper it is written on....
Discussion
..and certainly not the £39 it costs for one to be done. Theiving sods!
Put my car through it's MOT on Friday and it failes
Not too bad though, minor thing, blowing exhaust, knackered wishbone and dodgy brake pipes £150 Job Done.
BUT, heres the deal.
Picked it up after work, Proprietor, Ian, came up to me,
Ian - "Are you here to pick up the Blue Orion
Me - "Yeah, Why?! Whats wrong with it?
Ian - "Well, Brake pipes are corroded, which is the bad one, lower ball joint on the nearside front wishbone is bust, and your exhaust is blowing."
Me - "Oh Dear, How much is that going to dent my bank balance?"
Ian - "£150 or so. But there is something else not covered by the MOT!"
Me - "Oh, sounds dodgy"
Ian - "Well, it is slightly dodgy, your passenger side engine mount has sheared off before the block and is not holding the engine in place, do you get a knocking noise when you change gear or lift off?"
Yes you read that correctly, THE ENGINE MOUNTS ARE NOT CHECKED DURING AN MOT!
So, your engine can be held in place by one mount and the gearbox and it will pass, but if you have a sticker in the wrong place on your windscreen you've had it!!!
So what is the point of doing it then if the mechanical servicability is not checked?
Anyone had similar experiences??
Put my car through it's MOT on Friday and it failes
Not too bad though, minor thing, blowing exhaust, knackered wishbone and dodgy brake pipes £150 Job Done. BUT, heres the deal.
Picked it up after work, Proprietor, Ian, came up to me,
Ian - "Are you here to pick up the Blue Orion
Me - "Yeah, Why?! Whats wrong with it?
Ian - "Well, Brake pipes are corroded, which is the bad one, lower ball joint on the nearside front wishbone is bust, and your exhaust is blowing."
Me - "Oh Dear, How much is that going to dent my bank balance?"
Ian - "£150 or so. But there is something else not covered by the MOT!"
Me - "Oh, sounds dodgy"
Ian - "Well, it is slightly dodgy, your passenger side engine mount has sheared off before the block and is not holding the engine in place, do you get a knocking noise when you change gear or lift off?"
Yes you read that correctly, THE ENGINE MOUNTS ARE NOT CHECKED DURING AN MOT!
So, your engine can be held in place by one mount and the gearbox and it will pass, but if you have a sticker in the wrong place on your windscreen you've had it!!!
So what is the point of doing it then if the mechanical servicability is not checked?
Anyone had similar experiences??
Not had that problem, but mums metro needed a new exhaust a few years back, so we took it into a company (no naming and shaming) who fitted a new exhaust. In it goes for the MOT, fails on one thing....you guessed it, the exhaust had about 6 of the 18 bolts (can't remember numbers) holding it on. 
so much banging on desks was done, problem solved.
Mate that is scary about the engine mounts, I'm gonna check all my mountings myself and get my local garage too as well (family run business) very thorough.
Can't believe it...
so much banging on desks was done, problem solved. Mate that is scary about the engine mounts, I'm gonna check all my mountings myself and get my local garage too as well (family run business) very thorough.
Can't believe it...
I think the point of the MOT is to ensure the car is safe on the road - so they check tyres, brakes, lights, etc, but there is no requirement for mechanical reliability. Until the emission checks, you could get an MOT for a car with no engine at all...
>> Edited by Size Nine Elm on Tuesday 26th November 08:43
>> Edited by Size Nine Elm on Tuesday 26th November 08:43
Size Nine Elm said: Until the emission checks, you could get an MOT for a car with no engine at all... 08:43
Think it still can - if there is no engine, then the emissions box gets a "N/A"
Another point to make is that the MOT (Ministry Of Transport...!) test is SUBJECTIVE. One person my deem it to be OK and another not - so for the same car, one might pass it, another might fail it..!
Is a loose engine mount dangerous? In an Onion, probably not – there are crossmembers, bits of transmission and such like (depending on model) to stop it dropping onto the floor and causing an accident.
The MoT is there for the safety of other road users – not just you, and certainly not to make sure your car's reliable. Jesus, the cars I've bodged through MoTs that I've known needed serious work doing to them... I can face a car breaking down – but not being unsafe, and for that I'm glad of the MoT. £39 is cheap for annual peace of mind.
I just wish all the unlicensed, uninsured scum had to have one too.
To be honest, I was always glad the MoT didn't check mechanical components. That'd just be more on top of the £150 for mechanics to rip you off.
The MoT is there for the safety of other road users – not just you, and certainly not to make sure your car's reliable. Jesus, the cars I've bodged through MoTs that I've known needed serious work doing to them... I can face a car breaking down – but not being unsafe, and for that I'm glad of the MoT. £39 is cheap for annual peace of mind.
I just wish all the unlicensed, uninsured scum had to have one too.
To be honest, I was always glad the MoT didn't check mechanical components. That'd just be more on top of the £150 for mechanics to rip you off.
My gripe is not with the Garage. They are the only garage in my area that I trust, they are also the best, and 75% of business's in the area use them, including most taxi's so they can't be bad!
The bloke mentioned my Engine mount to me when I had my clutch done. The bolts had come loose and one had fallen out, there was the tell tale knocking noise as there is now, and he fixed it FOC.
This time the mount has sheared off, which could be a factor in the wishbone as it's on the same side but the weight hasn't changed, so I can't see how!
£150 to sort the car is very very good, I have had quotes of £500+
so I'm definately not being ripped off, when I had my clutch done, I was being quoted £200-£300, he did it for £60. And he is a bloody good mechanic to boot. He hasn't started any repairs yet, I'm getting the exhaust done first and will have the wishbone sorted under warranty, was done by Kwikfit back in april and there is a 12 month warranty! 
I just can't believe that a Car can fail an MOT test on having a window sticker in the wrong place, and pass it with a busted engine mount.
The bloke mentioned my Engine mount to me when I had my clutch done. The bolts had come loose and one had fallen out, there was the tell tale knocking noise as there is now, and he fixed it FOC.
This time the mount has sheared off, which could be a factor in the wishbone as it's on the same side but the weight hasn't changed, so I can't see how! £150 to sort the car is very very good, I have had quotes of £500+
so I'm definately not being ripped off, when I had my clutch done, I was being quoted £200-£300, he did it for £60. And he is a bloody good mechanic to boot. He hasn't started any repairs yet, I'm getting the exhaust done first and will have the wishbone sorted under warranty, was done by Kwikfit back in april and there is a 12 month warranty! I just can't believe that a Car can fail an MOT test on having a window sticker in the wrong place, and pass it with a busted engine mount.
miniman said:
Graham.J said: (no naming and shaming)
KF?????
(Sorry Ted)
Naa it wasn't suprisingly, used Kwik Fit a couple of times when we were away from home and didn't have any problems with them, one KF we used were a top bunch of blokes and changed the dodgy spare for free as they had an 'old' tyre which was just the right size and were going to chuck it out, don't actually know why
Just a quick update.
Took the car to Kwik Fit on thursday told them the problem.
No Problem at all sir, we need to order the wishbone and it won't arrive until saturday, can you bring it in then? Oh, and the exhaust will be £75.
Fantastic says me and I buggered off home, happy that the car will just need new brake pips following that!
So, dropped it off yesterday morning, bloke said, when Darren (the guy that has always delt with my car) arrives, we'll whip in on the ramp, should be ready around lunch time.
Went back at 3.00 to collect and the car was still on that big workshop jack thing. Gulp.
Darren "Exhaust is done and is fine sir, but there was nothing wrong with the wishbone sir, is was the drop link from the shocker to the wishbone, and we can't weld it sir, it's a Gas Shocker!"
Me "How much? I take it I'll need to replace both fronts?"
Darren "Yes, thats generally whats recommended, it's £55"
Me "Thats pretty good for two shockers"
Darren "Erm, no thats each sir"
Me "Each, Holy cow..." THUD.
So something that should have cost nothing, will now cost £110!
But no harm to KF, they've been upfront everytime I've used them, all there work has been spot on and the only problem was when they got a dodgy part from there supplier. No hidden charges, friendly service, and Darren is always the bloke that works on my car. It's the other place I'm having second thoughts about.
Took the car to Kwik Fit on thursday told them the problem.
No Problem at all sir, we need to order the wishbone and it won't arrive until saturday, can you bring it in then? Oh, and the exhaust will be £75.
Fantastic says me and I buggered off home, happy that the car will just need new brake pips following that!
So, dropped it off yesterday morning, bloke said, when Darren (the guy that has always delt with my car
) arrives, we'll whip in on the ramp, should be ready around lunch time. Went back at 3.00 to collect and the car was still on that big workshop jack thing. Gulp.
Darren "Exhaust is done and is fine sir, but there was nothing wrong with the wishbone sir, is was the drop link from the shocker to the wishbone, and we can't weld it sir, it's a Gas Shocker!"
Me "How much? I take it I'll need to replace both fronts?"
Darren "Yes, thats generally whats recommended, it's £55"
Me "Thats pretty good for two shockers"
Darren "Erm, no thats each sir"
Me "Each, Holy cow..." THUD.
So something that should have cost nothing, will now cost £110!
But no harm to KF, they've been upfront everytime I've used them, all there work has been spot on and the only problem was when they got a dodgy part from there supplier. No hidden charges, friendly service, and Darren is always the bloke that works on my car. It's the other place I'm having second thoughts about.
jmorgan said: Booked mine in for an MOT and they spotted a loose nut on the suspension. Fail. Asked them to tighten up for me while its on the ramp. They said book it in, next appointment is next week etc!!!!!
Two experiences with MoT:
1.) First time failed (one headlight blew during the test), so got there again in the afternoon. Headlight blew again
Tester went around the corner and got me a new headlight (sealed beam) 
and asked me why I didn't go for a beemer, because I'm German. Left a sixpack beer there.
2.) (one year later, other place) Nuts on the rear leaf spring U-bolts were loose. Tester got a spanner, tighted (sp?) them up - passed.
Again, stuffed them with Warsteiner
Having worked in the motor trade as a mechanic, i have seen all of the above and more besides.
Franchised dealers are some of the worst around for rip-offs, suspect diagnosis etc.
A main dealer i worked for not so long back had a new service manager.
He used to work in the parts dept but was always a dodgy git.
When he got the service managers job he had all sorts of scams running.
Hell, he even employed mechanics with no papers or driving licences.....all the more funny when one of em did some pads on a customers car, took it out down the road and whacked it into the side of a parked Clio...ding! £4k of damage....
How bout these..... semi synthetic oil supplied, customer charged for fully synthetic?....inventing work, ie: front pads are a little low sir(10k still on them)?
I refused to go along with this twats "modernisation" plans and so lets just say he "invented" a reason to fire me.
Cost him dearly tho cos i got him back using the court system.
Some of us actually do give a toss about people.
Franchised dealers are some of the worst around for rip-offs, suspect diagnosis etc.
A main dealer i worked for not so long back had a new service manager.
He used to work in the parts dept but was always a dodgy git.
When he got the service managers job he had all sorts of scams running.
Hell, he even employed mechanics with no papers or driving licences.....all the more funny when one of em did some pads on a customers car, took it out down the road and whacked it into the side of a parked Clio...ding! £4k of damage....
How bout these..... semi synthetic oil supplied, customer charged for fully synthetic?....inventing work, ie: front pads are a little low sir(10k still on them)?
I refused to go along with this twats "modernisation" plans and so lets just say he "invented" a reason to fire me.
Cost him dearly tho cos i got him back using the court system.
Some of us actually do give a toss about people.
Another Update.
Car went into Kwik Fit Monday morning to have the shocks done, no problem, apart from when I came to pay, but I won't go there. Absolutely Fantastic 
It's like a go cart on steroids it's almost like it's running on rails. Amazing
So, Job Done me thinks....
Spoke to the MOT Garage on Tuesday, told him I had everything looked at accept the brake pipes he said, have you had the wishbone looked at. Yes and it was fine. So, Put it in yesterday, Did the Brake Pipes. Perfect. Timing Belt. Perfect. Oil. Perfect. Looked at the wishbone and decided not to retest as it would fail
There is play in the lower ball joint. Bolloks.
Asked him to show me, see that ball joint, watch, he moves the wheel side to side, not up and down which is where he said the play was, anyway, I couldn't see any.
Took it back to Kwik Fit today and got them to change the Wishbone (They Did it free of charge too 
) Darren said the wishbone that came off is in better condition than the new one they put on.
So, it's going in for it's retest tomorrow, on the exact day of MOT Expiry, and if it fails on the poxy ball joint I'm gonna punch the barsteward!
Car went into Kwik Fit Monday morning to have the shocks done, no problem, apart from when I came to pay, but I won't go there. Absolutely Fantastic
It's like a go cart on steroids it's almost like it's running on rails. Amazing So, Job Done me thinks....
Spoke to the MOT Garage on Tuesday, told him I had everything looked at accept the brake pipes he said, have you had the wishbone looked at. Yes and it was fine. So, Put it in yesterday, Did the Brake Pipes. Perfect. Timing Belt. Perfect. Oil. Perfect. Looked at the wishbone and decided not to retest as it would fail
There is play in the lower ball joint. Bolloks.
Asked him to show me, see that ball joint, watch, he moves the wheel side to side, not up and down which is where he said the play was, anyway, I couldn't see any.
Took it back to Kwik Fit today and got them to change the Wishbone (They Did it free of charge too
) Darren said the wishbone that came off is in better condition than the new one they put on. So, it's going in for it's retest tomorrow, on the exact day of MOT Expiry, and if it fails on the poxy ball joint I'm gonna punch the barsteward!
During my time as a student I had the luck to be able to spend half a year in San Diego. That's in the south of California, USA (very nice place, the Zoo is the spot to be if you once happen to be there). For my daily transportation I bought a Mark I Golf Cabrio. After the first and the third gear didn't want to move in, the whole gearbox fell off just outside the local McDonalds. I felt quite out of my skin at that moment. There was a friendly VW mechanic coming by (he was from Germany as well) and took the car to his shop for repair. That was just 2 months after the car went through the US MOT !!! Uhh, ah, and I paid twice to get it through the strict CA emission test. Funny, they didn't change the engine setup. I just paid twice and that was it, I got my sticker. Still, I sold the car with a profit.
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