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MOT Failure

In the case of the bulb, it was working when I dropped it off. It must've failed while it was in the garage. I'm not complaining about that, bulbs fail. But now I have a permanent record of a fail, when I would've been happy to pay to sort it first.

A fail also means I have an unroadworthy car for 2 weeks, until I can get it booked back in again.

Why not just change the bulb and you are good to go?
MOT is only good till you drive it out garage. ;)
 
MOT tests are something of a mixed feast.
A few years ago, while servicing my W210 E300TD, I checked the front spring perches, which I knew were prone to failure (Thanks to this Forum).
To my horror, one of them was clearly breaking away.
MB do a standard repair kit for this known problem, so I asked my garage to do both sides .... There was evidence that the other side was starting to fail.
I asked my very-experienced MOT tester if he would have spotted it at MOT test time.
His answer was:
"It's unlikely - unless you specifically asked me to look for the problem.
Given the time we're allowed for the inspection - In my opinion, the MOT test is little more than a walk round the car".


As said in previous posts - Many owners do not service their cars and use the MOT test as their only safety inspection.
Also - Many (Perhaps Most) owners are pretty clueless when it comes to the most-elementary safety checks.
Around 15 years ago, I worked with a guy in his 20s - an inspection engineer like myself - who had bought the boss's 10-year-old BMW.
About a year after he bought it, in general conversation about cars, he asked: "Do I need to check the oil on this car ?"
Following the answer, the next question was: "How do you check the oil ?"
When we showed him how to do it, the oil level was off the end of the stick.
😒
 
I totally accept they are necessary, I'm just finding the recent pedantry very annoying. To fail on things like a blown bulb and a worn wiper blade is just ridiculous when they could have been easily fixed as part of the process, which is what used to happen. And the "advisories" are even worse. If they'll tell me what it needs, I'll do it.
Yes exactly but you get this more often than you expect “i didnt authorise this im not paying” and the garage has to foot the bill as there is now a pass on the car, so blame this outcome on the something for nothing brigade! You wouldnt believe the depths some folks go to not to spend money on their car!
 
Many on here are well travelled whether for business or leisure. You don't have to go far in many countries that have zero (or minimal) vehicle safety checks before you see something glaringly dangerous on a vehicle that would not even be allowed on a European road.

In many countries it's often the first vehicle you see....you airport 'transfer' . Otherwise known as a 35 year old E class/Toyota/Bedford/TukTuk.....

I have experience of them , blood runs cold even now thinking about some of them .
 
I asked my very-experienced MOT tester if he would have spotted it at MOT test time.
His answer was:
"It's unlikely - unless you specifically asked me to look for the problem.
Given the time we're allowed for the inspection - In my opinion, the MOT test is little more than a walk round the car".

I guess you can't argue with someone's opinion, but I'd say the indie I use takes it very seriously and does a very thorough job. The list of advisories he produces is immense!

I don't know if all MOt stations use them, but the shaker plates for wheel / suspension movement are pretty brutal.
 
Pete is right.
In the late 1970s, I had some latin-american refugees staying at my home.
I was changing some wheels of a car.
The guy asked me - What are you doing ?
I told him that the tyres on the wheels were worn and I was taking the wheels for new tyres.,
He said - John - These are good tyres - Are they punctured ?
I explained all the niceties of UK law on the subject.
He said - This is very wasteful - In my country these are good tyres - We would use them until they go BANG.
and then (Here's the punchline)
We use them to re-sole our boots.

Perhaps that is why the COP26 is doomed to failure .... and us wuith it !
 
Yes exactly but you get this more often than you expect “i didnt authorise this im not paying” and the garage has to foot the bill as there is now a pass on the car, so blame this outcome on the something for nothing brigade! You wouldnt believe the depths some folks go to not to spend money on their car!
Another thing my MOT tester has told me:
"You wouldn't believe how many of my customer have threatened (and tried) to sue me for the most unfair and ridiculous things"
Sad really - He's a great guy, technically-sound, helpful and as straight and honest as they come.
One of the VERY FEW garages I would allow to do anything on my vehicles.
 
Yes exactly but you get this more often than you expect “i didnt authorise this im not paying” and the garage has to foot the bill as there is now a pass on the car, so blame this outcome on the something for nothing brigade! You wouldnt believe the depths some folks go to not to spend money on their car!
Sure but this is a garage that's 5 minutes from my house. I've been going there for years and they have my number
 
Sure but this is a garage that's 5 minutes from my house. I've been going there for years and they have my number
Picture this, its a busy day there is 10 tests booked in, the next mot has arrived and its a waiter and your car has failed on a bulb and a wiper, so the tester has to get a price for the parts either call you tell you whats wrong with your car and give you the price or ask the office girl to do this, then get the parts, fit them and remember some bulbs can be time consuming to do, so say all in its taken 20-30 mins to do and he could be half way through the next waiter mot, its much more efficient to simply fail, get 1 of the other guys to replace the parts and then put a pass on it, the poor guy is just trying to earn a living, do his job properly and keep everyone happy all at the same time! Once a tester is logged onto a test another test cannot be started until the previous 1 has been logged off of
 
My lad is just starting his training for his MOT Cert - as he's an FIA scrutineer in his spare time, I'm not sure I'll be asking him to go over the car now!

Reading the documentation he has to cover is really intersting - quite an eye-opener!
 
My lad is just starting his training for his MOT Cert - as he's an FIA scrutineer in his spare time, I'm not sure I'll be asking him to go over the car now!

Reading the documentation he has to cover is really intersting - quite an eye-opener!
Yup and all needs memorised! Mot game is a weird 1 folk complain cause they dont think fheir car should have failed and you get those that think their car should have (but personally i think they have some sort of mot insurance so again it comes down to folk mot willing to spend money on their car)
 
Brakes used to be tested with a Tapley meter, good, but didn't show up brake imbalance, as for the half wit with the oil drum ? what can I say ?
As for claiming that only so many can pass, it's always somebody else's fault isn't it.
 
Yes I did ! Still in love with them. I have an annual re-treatment with "Life of Brian". Still makes me howl.🤩
 

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