MOT at Dealers?

[RJSLK]

My 2002 SLK is due MOT in March. I was wondering how many of you book it in at the dealer? Would they be more expensive than an Independent, or is it a set fee?
Any thoughts/experience of MOT at dealers please?

Thanks,

Ray.

 

[Pietre]

MOT fee is set by Govt. Tell them not to fix anything without getting permission first.

 

[Shude]

I have had two MOTs at the stealership, both free when booked in for a service at the same time.

Imagine paying for an MOT!

 

[SilverSaloon]

yes i have my 7er MOTd at the dealer. Mainly because in the service book i have with the car it has a section for the dealer to stamp for the annual inspections.... so it looks good on the service record. cant rememeber if merc service books have something similar, but something to think of.

price should be the same anyway and rememebr if it fails, if you take it there 1 month beforehand you have the month to take it away, get it fixed and then retested for free..... so the work doesnt have to be done there but they will still MOT it.

 

[Roy Newling]

I get my MOT free if I book a service at the same time :bannana:

 

[BTB 500]

I got my MOT done free at the local main dealer, not even part of a service. Felt very strange picking it up without having to pay anything, AND they had valeted it!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

My dealer MOTs my cars for free even if completely separate to service - even give me a courtesey car.

THe first time I said they'd made a mistake as I hadn't paid yet, and they said they do free MOTs for the regular customers. Back then I wasn't really regular at all, although I have been since.

It seems some dealers outsource the MOT tests to local MOT test stations - presumably because when space is at a premium they can get a better return on a bay charging £100 labour plus parts for serving and repairs, rather than a fixed price MOT. Good thinking really.

 

[SG CL500]

Not tried to get mine MOT'd at a dealer - never knew they might do them for free - but I have a local centre that can do them easily. Will give it a go next month!

My experience with another manufacturer was that they charged an admin fee on top of the MOT testing charge - all they did was drive it round to the local station. I found out (from the MOT cert) who did the test and took it straight there thereafter. I complained about the charge but got nowhere.

 

[glojo]

price should be the same anyway and rememebr if it fails, if you take it there 1 month beforehand you have the month to take it away, get it fixed and then retested for free..... so the work doesnt have to be done there but they will still MOT it.

Hi Silversaloon,
I think recent legislation has changed and there are now stipulations regarding failures and what happens?

Regards,
John

 

[dagd]

I got my MOT done free at the local main dealer, not even part of a service. Felt very strange picking it up without having to pay anything, AND they had valeted it!

I also had a free MOT and valete done at my local dealer on my SLK last week (Mercedes Brooklands) . Service not due for another few months yet!

 

[SilverSaloon]

Hi Silversaloon,
I think recent legislation has changed and there are now stipulations regarding failures and what happens?

Regards,
John

didnt know that.... surly if you take it there 1 month before (can still do that up to a few months ago) and it fails, because u still have a vaid mot u can drive it away and get the work done, then book it in again.....?

 

[RJSLK]

Thanks

Thanks for the helpful replies, I shall certainly be ringing the local dealer to see about getting it done for free....and hopefully a valet too!

Thanks again to all who replied.

Ray.

 

[Alex Argent]

I got my MOT done free at the local main dealer, not even part of a service. Felt very strange picking it up without having to pay anything, AND they had valeted it!

My dealer MOTs my cars for free even if completely separate to service - even give me a courtesey car.

THe first time I said they'd made a mistake as I hadn't paid yet, and they said they do free MOTs for the regular customers. Back then I wasn't really regular at all, although I have been since.

It seems some dealers outsource the MOT tests to local MOT test stations - presumably because when space is at a premium they can get a better return on a bay charging £100 labour plus parts for serving and repairs, rather than a fixed price MOT. Good thinking really.

I also had a free MOT and valete done at my local dealer on my SLK last week (Mercedes Brooklands) . Service not due for another few months yet!

Wow!!!

Didn't realise dealers were this friendly.

And they say there's no such thing as .....................:bannana:

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

MOT-ing an MB for free is a powerful positive statement.

Sub-contracting the MOT-ing of an MB to a local backstreet garage is a powerful negative statement. But people look past that if it's for free.

Worth meeting the cost to get more service/repair work done at higher margins, and no MOT-related training and audit overheads to worry about.

Clever stuff.

 

[BTB 500]

Wow!!!

Didn't realise dealers were this friendly.

Plus when I have anything done I get 40% discount on labour (because my car is over 6 years old), and 10% discount on parts.

 

[glojo]

didnt know that.... surly if you take it there 1 month before (can still do that up to a few months ago) and it fails, because u still have a vaid mot u can drive it away and get the work done, then book it in again.....?

A very good point but the huge snag is that with the modern MOT it is INSTANTLY updated. My son took his car to be MOT'd about ten days before the old one expired. The car failed the MOT on a defective middle section of the exhaust system. Like you I thought oh well take it to an exhaust centre, get the exhaust fixed and then have a free re-examination at the same venue. The snag is and I did NOT believe it myself.

When I checked the current MOT state of my son's car, it stated it had failed the MOT. It gave the section it had failed, the date and location of the failure, all this within minutes of the garage phoning us to say it had failed. Is that amazing or what?

There are certain faults that have a free re-test, but I believe it must be done within 24hrs? I know exhaust emissions is one, but those not listed have a re-test fee that is discretionary. The car though shows up on the database as having failed its MOT.

Here is a link I have just found as I don't want to spread false information.

I hope this information is accurate.

Regards
John