Can we belive MOT Advisory Notices

[glojo]

Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):​

• fluid coming out from under o/s undertray suspect brake fluid Dangerous
• Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))
• Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))
• Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Yup this was from my MOT history. I was VERY surprised when the main dealer wrote out these advisories and surprised that a 'Dangerous flag was not an instant failure.

Whenever the service or in this case, the MOT examination has found an issue, I have always immediately instructed the dealership to go ahead but this time.... It made NO sense. The workshop wanted my authorisation but I said no and requested the car be returned to our home address.

I immediately booked the car into a local garage and asked that they replace the corroded brake pipes and replace the rear number plate which is 16yrs of age. Now before I go any further, our car is 16yrs of age, always kept in our garage and has only done 60k miles.

I have attached a copy of the note sent to me from the examining garage and what was not said was that the fluid on the undertray was a few drips from the brake reservoir when the front discs were replaced. Most definitely NOT dangerous and not worthy of even being mentioned.




On receiving this report, I was not a happy bunny and wrote a scathing review on the main dealer web-site.

The service manager very quickly contacted m,e and after a brief conversation they collected our car and re-examined it. Gosh, gee wizz, they agreed with my independent findings. I received an apology and was told it was 'an over-exuberant examiner!!'

Oh so that was alright then... Hopefully |I have learnt a valuable lesson but how much should we rely on these advisory notices?

 

[Darrell]

I’ve had advisories one year only for them not to appear the following year even though I’ve done nothing to rectify it and taken it to the same testing facility.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

Can we belive MOT Advisory Notices?​

I couldn’t believe mine.

 

[Gazwould]

I’ve had advisories one year only for them not to appear the following year even though I’ve done nothing to rectify it and taken it to the same testing facility.

Same here .

Inc some mechanic/ tester that was passing his own shoddy work .

And said above tester that suddenly decided a left hand drive headlight had suddenly been fitted to my brother's car despite no accident or replacement and his 3 years previous testing .

Definitely some cnuts out there .

 

[del320]

There have been many, many threads over the years recording the ineptitude, sloppiness and ignorance of MOT testers.

I appreciate the tester cannot know the foibles of every car which explains why, over the years, my coupe has failed on two occasions because the "front seats cannot be secured in the upright position. (6.2.a.2)". (For those who don't know, they only lock pneumatically when the doors are shut and the engine is running).

Some are of the opinion that the tester always looks to fail on at least three things - probably to justify filling up a sheet of paper.

This year my coupe failed because "Offside front coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))" - perfectly reasonable and justified, but the bugger then went on to add "Nearside front headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))" and "Offside front headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))."

The thing is, he was the guy who tested it last year and I had done barely 3900 miles over the year - and probably about 500 during the hours of darkness. What on earth can headlamps do by themselves over that sort of mileage and timescale?

My brakelines have been quietly corroding over the past decade or so and randomly appear as an advisory before magically curing themselves again.

 

[Wolfie1]

You have to mind each tester is left to their own discretion, where 1 may find something an advisory/fail another may not, testers have to cover themselves as if something is missed ie not reported and then down the line an event occurs and its not been reported the tester can fall foul of the law and be in a lot of bother, safer just to advise stuff then risk potential repercussions later, the issue comes with folk going straight to dvsa and moaning/complaining about something instead of going back to the garage, like all the others i have to cover my ass just like everone in the world does no matter their job

 

[C43AMG]

Absolutely not !! I have on two occasions re Brake pads. Once on the CL had Olly order a set of Front Pads. They still had 60%.

The Bentley had an MOT just before i bought it same Rear brake pads low. Had it serviced at Bentley, 70% left on Rear pads !!

You cannot be certain of the condition unless the wheels are taken off, which does not happen.

 

[glojo]

Absolutely not !! I have on two occasions re Brake pads. Once on the CL had Olly order a set of Front Pads. They still had 60%.

The Bentley had an MOT just before i bought it same Rear brake pads low. Had it serviced at Bentley, 70% left on Rear pads !!

'ang on, 'ang on....

How can you fit the same pads from your CL onto your Bentley and isn't daft to buy your own pads? Tis all very confusing .

 

[C43AMG]

'ang on, 'ang on....

How can you fit the same pads from your CL onto your Bentley and isn't daft to buy your own pads? Tis all very confusing .

Not sure what you mean ??

They where on separate occasions. Yes very confusing

 

[91dm]

On a few occasions I have seen a car pass with the opposite, very rusty pipes that the examiner didn't bother to fully check. The latest was a HGV with only one brake pad in the caliper!

 

[Teego]

I have used the same test station for all the family's cars for 20 years and have grown to trust them. Not always the same tester over the years but consistent. We have a detailed discussion after a failure or advisories. They've never tried to upsell repairs. I want my MoTs to be thorough and accurate for my peace of mind.

 

[Jukie]

Like Teego, I've been using the same indie for the past 16 years. I trust them 100% and never once have I felt they've tried to con me over MOT advisories, etc.

On a related note, I'm staggered at the number of times, when checking a vehicle's MOT history, I'll see an advisory for one or two years, then it disappears for a couple of years and then returns again. It happens too often for it just to be a coincidental return of the same fault/issue. Clearly there is a lack of consistency when it comes to MOT testing and a wide spectrum from the very lenient to the over zealous.

 

[vijilants]

Had an MOT done once at Kwickfit as there was an offer on. I got an advisory to state that the front brake pads were low. However I had personally fitted new new front pads and disks 500 miles earlier...!!!

Never again !

 

[Piff]

3 years ago I had an advisory that one of the wheels was slightly buckled. Tested at the same main dealer since an no mention of it again. Did it straighten itself?
A couple of years ago the car went in for service & MOT. I knew 2 new tyres were needed and the main dealer offered to price match my lowest quote which I agreed to. They did the MOT first and failed it on tyres. Not a happy bunny, I complained, they said that they didn‘t have the new tyres in stock at the time (despite them being pre-booked a week earlier.
This year the SLK wnent in for service & MOT at the same main dealer and failed MOT due to a split boot on a front suspension joint, requiring (according to them) a new suspension arm. They quoted over £500 with a part cost of £83 +VAT. On the service report (not the MOT) they mentioned corroded brake pipes. I took the car to an indi for the suspension repair which was done for £180 incl VAT. I asked him to look at the brake pipes. He said the corrosion was so minimal he was surprised that they mentioned it. He said at least 2 or 3 years before they may want looking at.
I told him about the MOT failure on tyres and he thought it was part of a policy instructed by the MOT people. There has been a suggestion that MOT intervals are changed to 3 years. They don’t want to loose the 1 year interval so have instructed testers to fail a proportion of cars to justify the need for annual tests.

 

[Teego]

Had an MOT done once at Kwickfit as there was an offer on. I got an advisory to state that the front brake pads were low. However I had personally fitted new new front pads and disks 500 miles earlier...!!!

Never again !

I had that scene with a bike test. We took the caliper off to check the pads. More than 90% left. Ho Hum.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

“Brake pipe excessively corroded” seems to be a favourite of all testers, there one MOT, gone the next!

 

[Deleted member 126969]

There’s always that sneaking suspicion that things like this are just to generate work. I’ve been using the same garage for about 30 years for MOTs now and one of the key things for me was that they are a Landrover specialst and have more work than they need, without generating bogus jobs on random cars. Never had a single issue reported there that I didn’t agree with. I always do my own work on the cars, apart from the MB anyway, as up until buying that, I only ever drove cheap sheds or cars I built myself. I’ll be back to DIY on the MB once it reaches 6 years and the HV warranty expires. £400-odd for an oil and filter change is just a wee bit of a piss-take if you ask me, but that’s a whole different topic

 

[Larkone]

On my CLS they keep saying 'slight play in the steering rack'. I asked if this needed to be replaced and the answer was 'no'. I asked can it be repaired or adjusted, answer 'no, not worth it as it is so slight'. Should I live with it, answer 'yes it is not dangerous and not bad enough to warrant a fix'.

It would seem they are just covering their a**e, surprised they haven't advised there is a 'wheel at each corner' .

 

[slade1]

Years ago I had an advisory rear suspension ball joints on a BMW E23, there are no ball joints on rear suspension.

 

[baxlin]

It would seem they are just covering their a**e, surprised they haven't advised there is a 'wheel at each corner' .

I’d better not take my 3 wheeler there then.......