Whats going on with MOT Availability at the moment?

[Eager]

Anyone else think the £29.50 retest fee is a complete p1ss take? Having to spend nearly £70 on a single MOT is a bit much. And the retest is just someone looking at something for 5 seconds in some cases, so how can it be justified?

Possibly to put more onus on do some prep and pass first time ?

Generally the rule of thumb for getting a MOT here is stick it in and fix what’s on the fail sheet, it’s a 2 part process

 

[svensktoppen]

Seriously, people get upset at £29:50? It's barely half a small tank of fuel, or a small shopping bag. Pay a mechanic to go over the car would cost a lot more than that.

It's easy to avoid too...

 

[_James_]

Seriously, people get upset at £29:50? It's barely half a small tank of fuel, or a small shopping bag. Pay a mechanic to go over the car would cost a lot more than that.

It's easy to avoid too...

I’d rather give £29.50 for a retest than trust a garage to inspect my car and tell me the truth about what it needs.

 

[gary1365]

I’d rather give £29.50 for a retest than trust a garage to inspect my car and tell me the truth about what it needs.

I was told by a local futuristic tyres depot recently my front tyres needed replaced for mot and he was pushing me hard to change them.

Car passed no bother and I measured the tread depth out of curiosity 3mm on both front tyres.

If I were someone who didn’t know about cars he’d of fleeced me for sure.

 

[_James_]

Only time I've used a garage since I got my first set of ratchets was last year. Apparently the girlfriends car needed new backing plates as they were rotten, plus discs and pads all round because there was no handbrake. I smelt a rat as the car certainly had a handbrake when I drove it.

Said discs, pads and backing plates when I stripped them off the car.

I actually brought my neighbour who recommended this garage over to see how they'd probably been ripping him off for years.

 

[Eager]

I was told by a local futuristic tyres depot recently my front tyres needed replaced for mot and he was pushing me hard to change them.

Car passed no bother and I measured the tread depth out of curiosity 3mm on both front tyres.

If I were someone who didn’t know about cars he’d of fleeced me for sure.

Seen a big reputable garage recommend a car needed a rear track rod end as part of a MOT check to a girl once. Along with lots of other highly questionable stuff. 80 quid to steam wash the underbody etc.

 

[111gsi]

Seen a big reputable garage recommend a car needed a rear track rod end as part of a MOT check to a girl once. Along with lots of other highly questionable stuff. 80 quid to steam wash the underbody etc.

My sister in law rang me in a state years ago after her first car needed £1000 of work to get it through the MoT. Garage off the Ravenhill Road had given a long list of dangerous faults and ridiculous repair quotes. I stopped her when she said "all 5 tyres need changed". Clearly they were ripping off a young woman with no car knowledge. Needless to say the car went straight through with minimal spend...

 

[hippyross]

I don't know if it's been mentioned already, but ramps have been found with cracks in them, so that's another hold up getting a booking.

 

[DJMCA]

On this morning, first available date is August Might hold fire on trying to get a date sooner and just hope for an exemption

 

[svensktoppen]

Got two for July, thought the exact same thing

 

['96dc2]

Why not. I’ve just taxed my car for 6 months and I’ll then do a year to split my mot and tax. At this rate I’ll need 6 months to get a date.

 

[Mel]

Why not. I’ve just taxed my car for 6 months and I’ll then do a year to split my mot and tax. At this rate I’ll need 6 months to get a date.

Exactly what I've just done

 

[anlygi]

I always talk about doing this, but never do. I take it I can just cancel my 12 months, then tax it straight away for another 12 months? MOT is only 4 months old, might be best waiting until May.

 

[svensktoppen]

From memory there may be a minimum amount of MoT needed... But I've done similar things before. Just try it and see what happens. If it works, happy days.

 

[DJMCA]

Any word of exemptions? Ive too much on atm to deal with MOT prep

 

[svensktoppen]

There is in practice an "exemption" already by allowing people to keep on driving as long as they have a valid booking at some point in the future.

Have not seen or heard anything beyond that. Don't know why anything else would be needed either?

 

[DJMCA]

Surely the book it 6 months away and drive on is only a 'get past the police' thing. If anything happens i really dont trust insurance companies to stand over it.

 

[cauld1]

Maintain your car to a roadworthy condition is really all you can do.

 

['96dc2]

Maintain your car to a roadworthy condition is really all you can do.

If it starts, it drives.

 

[cauld1]

If it starts, it drives.

I mean, basic maintenance isn't difficult, but yea that's a grand approach.

 

[gary1365]

I mean, basic maintenance isn't difficult, but yea that's a grand approach.

It’s the approach about 90% of the population take. A quick walk through a retail centre carpark and there’s always a scary amount of racing slicks on cars with child seats.

 

[Pumesta]

Surely the book it 6 months away and drive on is only a 'get past the police' thing. If anything happens i really dont trust insurance companies to stand over it.

Exactly, and if they do pay out, you will get a lot less for a car with no MOT than one with.

 

[svensktoppen]

Surely the book it 6 months away and drive on is only a 'get past the police' thing. If anything happens i really dont trust insurance companies to stand over it.

Sure, that definitely is a worry. Never mind going to England, etc. I've never ever been stopped there, but still. If I can I do try to get them through sooner just to be on the safe side.

But that's no different with "exemptions" either. Just a different name for the same thing. It's still only local admin policy.

At the end of the day, all anyone can do is just make sure the car is roadworthy.

 

[BobSpounge]

You really couldn't make this sh1t up....

MoT: Doubts over standard of new test centre equipment

DfI Officials are "not satisfied that the equipment is meeting the standards they expect".

www.bbc.co.uk

 

['96dc2]

Would you expect anything less?