FabSwingers.com forum: The Mystery of the MOT !

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

It's that time of year again, the annual check up of your motor's ticking.

Booked in to a garage we've used before and been quite happy with their service; and even better, walking distance from home.

Shock phone call, it's going to cost £458 to get our Corolla Verso passed

New o/s front tyre .... ok

Rear licence plate bulb. ... ok

Cracked cv boot .... ok

New windscreen wipers ..... not ok.... we bought those in January

Front suspension bushes, both sides .... ouch !!!

These last two come in at £160 each.

We can't afford that

A second opinion is required.

So off we toddle to another favoured garage, but this is in Holywell, and 10 miles from home.

Fortunately mother in law can ferry is home.

The quote here is £240 for the suspension bushes and arms. We have to bite the bullet and tighten our belts

Lots of googling and advice on car forums days we should just be able to replace the bushes alone, @ £20 each.

There is some hope 0

Phone call on Friday, oh the bushes are actually ok to pass and may last another one to two years

No major bills and belt tightening required

Advisory though of rear brake pads

This wasn't picked up by the first garage !

How can two garages, supposedly with the same duty of ensuring our vehicles are safe and road worthy, get it so different ?

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By *uzy444Woman
over a year ago

in the suffolk countryside

"It's that time of year again, the annual check up of your motor's ticking.

Booked in to a garage we've used before and been quite happy with their service; and even better, walking distance from home.

Shock phone call, it's going to cost £458 to get our Corolla Verso passed

New o/s front tyre .... ok

Rear licence plate bulb. ... ok

Cracked cv boot .... ok

New windscreen wipers ..... not ok.... we bought those in January

Front suspension bushes, both sides .... ouch !!!

These last two come in at £160 each.

We can't afford that

A second opinion is required.

So off we toddle to another favoured garage, but this is in Holywell, and 10 miles from home.

Fortunately mother in law can ferry is home.

The quote here is £240 for the suspension bushes and arms. We have to bite the bullet and tighten our belts

Lots of googling and advice on car forums days we should just be able to replace the bushes alone, @ £20 each.

There is some hope 0

Phone call on Friday, oh the bushes are actually ok to pass and may last another one to two years

No major bills and belt tightening required

Advisory though of rear brake pads

This wasn't picked up by the first garage !

How can two garages, supposedly with the same duty of ensuring our vehicles are safe and road worthy, get it so different ?

"
its called money.

i dont trust any garages anymore after i went to one one year and i replaced my cat converter..went to another place the next year and they said i needed a new cat converter..when i told them about the previous years change, they looked horrified..im like yeah im not as stupid as i look....

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By *ire_bladeMan
over a year ago

Manchester

Because it's the mot inspectors opinion. I've been in the car game since I was 18 and there are some real shisters in it. Best advice I can give you is always go to an mot station that's not connected to a garage. So they aren't going to get work out of it failing but it's still down to 1 man's opinion

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By *eovilcouple76Couple
over a year ago

yeovil

We were taking our cars to the same garage for any work needed and yearly MOT's. After a couple of years business, the fact that we had any work done there must have gone to their heads and they decided to fail one car on faults that totalled nearly £800. Took it somewhere else and it failed on an airbag light. None of their "faults" we're even mentioned. Never used that original garage since.

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By *obbytupperMan
over a year ago

Menston near Ilkley

Years ago when taxiing I saw a garage advertising free pre MOT tests. Took one and was told I needed a new steering rack at £800.

Took it for it's public service vehicle test a week later and it passed with flying colours. I asked the tester about the steering rack and he told me there was nothing wrong with it at all.

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By *rincesscaracoupleCouple
over a year ago

Saltburn

I have been an mot tester for 30 years, if you have one near you take it to a local authority testing station, they do charge the full mot price (currently £54.85) but they are totally impartial as they do not repair the vehicle if it fails.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Very good advice from fireblade and tingley. I've used the same garage for twenty odd years and never had a problem, I trust them! Never felt that I'd been ripped off. I run a skoda! The garage is solely for VW group cars.

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By *olgateMan
over a year ago

on the road to nowhere in particular

"I have been an mot tester for 30 years, if you have one near you take it to a local authority testing station, they do charge the full mot price (currently £54.85) but they are totally impartial as they do not repair the vehicle if it fails."

This

I'm lucky enough to know a guy for over 20 years that used to be a tester. He takes it to another garage I know for testing. Neither of them have any incentive to make things up. One, because he will lose the others business. The other because it will show up on the failure/advisory note

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

i allways take our car to an mot garage that does not carry out repairs .that way i know my car has failed for good reason and not for easy money for the garage to make

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By *rincesscaracoupleCouple
over a year ago

Saltburn

Done correctly to the letter of the law it is actually very difficult for a car to fail the mot. If you read the testers manual (available online) a component has to be pretty fucked to fail. I doubt whether the suspension arms would actually fail if tested by the ministry. Especially on a japanese car under 10 years old.

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By *oncupiscentTonyMan
over a year ago

Kent

"I doubt whether the suspension arms would actually fail if tested by the ministry. Especially on a japanese car under 10 years old."

Maybe a pothole or similar?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"It's that time of year again, the annual check up of your motor's ticking.

Booked in to a garage we've used before and been quite happy with their service; and even better, walking distance from home.

Shock phone call, it's going to cost £458 to get our Corolla Verso passed

New o/s front tyre .... ok

Rear licence plate bulb. ... ok

Cracked cv boot .... ok

New windscreen wipers ..... not ok.... we bought those in January

Front suspension bushes, both sides .... ouch !!!

These last two come in at £160 each.

We can't afford that

A second opinion is required.

So off we toddle to another favoured garage, but this is in Holywell, and 10 miles from home.

Fortunately mother in law can ferry is home.

The quote here is £240 for the suspension bushes and arms. We have to bite the bullet and tighten our belts

Lots of googling and advice on car forums days we should just be able to replace the bushes alone, @ £20 each.

There is some hope 0

Phone call on Friday, oh the bushes are actually ok to pass and may last another one to two years

No major bills and belt tightening required

Advisory though of rear brake pads

This wasn't picked up by the first garage !

How can two garages, supposedly with the same duty of ensuring our vehicles are safe and road worthy, get it so different ?

"
.ur better off going and buying the things u need urself .take the advisery to a car parts shop .things are cheap enought .garages charge loads to buy it for u .

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By *rincesscaracoupleCouple
over a year ago

Saltburn

"I doubt whether the suspension arms would actually fail if tested by the ministry. Especially on a japanese car under 10 years old.

Maybe a pothole or similar?"

If it was a ball joint in the suspension arm its possible but the suspension bushes are on the inner of the lower arm and can only fail the mot if the bonding is deteriorated to the extent that there is lateral movement in the arm. A pothole would not cause this.

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By *erfectman122Man
over a year ago

from somewhere nice

I'm fortunate to have a friend who does my mot so no shock bills

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By *carlet_heavenWoman
over a year ago

somewhere in the sticks

"It's that time of year again, the annual check up of your motor's ticking.

Booked in to a garage we've used before and been quite happy with their service; and even better, walking distance from home.

Shock phone call, it's going to cost £458 to get our Corolla Verso passed

New o/s front tyre .... ok

Rear licence plate bulb. ... ok

Cracked cv boot .... ok

New windscreen wipers ..... not ok.... we bought those in January

Front suspension bushes, both sides .... ouch !!!

These last two come in at £160 each.

We can't afford that

A second opinion is required.

So off we toddle to another favoured garage, but this is in Holywell, and 10 miles from home.

Fortunately mother in law can ferry is home.

The quote here is £240 for the suspension bushes and arms. We have to bite the bullet and tighten our belts

Lots of googling and advice on car forums days we should just be able to replace the bushes alone, @ £20 each.

There is some hope 0

Phone call on Friday, oh the bushes are actually ok to pass and may last another one to two years

No major bills and belt tightening required

Advisory though of rear brake pads

This wasn't picked up by the first garage !

How can two garages, supposedly with the same duty of ensuring our vehicles are safe and road worthy, get it so different ?

Send this information to your local Trading Standards office. I'm a single, blonde woman with a car I need to look after. Everytime I ask for a quote for anything (not just car stuff) I feel like I'm getting ripped off.

Also, by law, every MOT station has to nave a viewing area, so you can physically see the results yourself

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By *rincesscaracoupleCouple
over a year ago

Saltburn

A viewing area only enables you to see the test take place it would not allow you to make a judgement about anything the tester finds. All you will see him do to check the suspension bushes is jack it up and pull on the wheel. If it is an automated test lane he will also use pneumatic shaker plates whilst looking for lateral movement in the bushes. You would not see that from the viewing area.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It depends where you go .anywhere that offers a cut price mot will always claw it back on jobs that may or may not need doing.

The large national chains like quick fit will try to make you cough up for things that should pass.

I use my local independent garage . I know the lads and they are always fair .

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By *cd and scruffCouple
over a year ago

Rochester

it is all down to the testers opinion. being human we all have different opinions.

yes garages do rip customers off, even regular customers so use an mot station that doesn't do any repairs themselves. i have used 'just mots' for years and no problems, if it has failed it deserved it.

and yes even a viewing area doesn't mean you can influence the outcome, it doesn't stop them ripping you off either. it just means you can watch the tester doing his job. a bit like watching grease monkeys at the zoo.

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By *oobsandballsMan
over a year ago

st andrews

I found my current garage through the Good Garage Scheme. People leave reviews and you can check them out before you go.

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By *arry247Couple
over a year ago

Wakefield

"It's that time of year again, the annual check up of your motor's ticking.

Booked in to a garage we've used before and been quite happy with their service; and even better, walking distance from home.

Shock phone call, it's going to cost £458 to get our Corolla Verso passed

New o/s front tyre .... ok

Rear licence plate bulb. ... ok

Cracked cv boot .... ok

New windscreen wipers ..... not ok.... we bought those in January

Front suspension bushes, both sides .... ouch !!!

These last two come in at £160 each.

We can't afford that

A second opinion is required.

So off we toddle to another favoured garage, but this is in Holywell, and 10 miles from home.

Fortunately mother in law can ferry is home.

The quote here is £240 for the suspension bushes and arms. We have to bite the bullet and tighten our belts

Lots of googling and advice on car forums days we should just be able to replace the bushes alone, @ £20 each.

There is some hope 0

Phone call on Friday, oh the bushes are actually ok to pass and may last another one to two years

No major bills and belt tightening required

Advisory though of rear brake pads

This wasn't picked up by the first garage !

How can two garages, supposedly with the same duty of ensuring our vehicles are safe and road worthy, get it so different ?

The moral of the story is replace the obvious failures before you go for the test.

The bad tyre the failed light bulb this then shows the tester you are at least checking for obvious faults.

If you go with silly faults like the two above they take the view you can't be bothered to maintain the car and test it a little more thourly

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By *rincesscaracoupleCouple
over a year ago

Saltburn

The moral of the story is replace the obvious failures before you go for the test.

The bad tyre the failed light bulb this then shows the tester you are at least checking for obvious faults.

If you go with silly faults like the two above they take the view you can't be bothered to maintain the car and test it a little more thourly"

That should not be true in any garage, all testers are trained to test every vehicle to the same standard so even if it is the first test with only 3000 miles on the clock it should still be tested to the same standard as a 10 year old 100000 mile vehicle.

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By *uxom redCouple
over a year ago

Shrewsbury

It's not the garage it's the individual who holds the M O T certificate, the actual person who does the testing.

People make mistakes and an M O T is only valid while is been done. It can mean your car is road worthy at the time of testing but not necessarily on your way home from having the test.

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By *aughty_amazonWoman
over a year ago

BRISTOL

This is what I do.....we have an hgv testing depot....mine went thru with zero faults and advisories, helps my friend Fri..primary school.is a mechanic, trust him implicitly and I feel very lucky to have him on hand

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By *uxom redCouple
over a year ago

Shrewsbury

It's not the garage it's the individual who holds the M O T certificate, the actual person who does the testing.

People make mistakes and an M O T is only valid while is been done. It can mean your car is road worthy at the time of testing but not necessarily on your way home from having the test.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I doubt whether the suspension arms would actually fail if tested by the ministry. Especially on a japanese car under 10 years old.

Maybe a pothole or similar?

And that's what the second garage said

I agree it's all a con to get you to carry out repairs, I'm not that naive

But what I was trying to highlight was the differences you can find between two or more "testers"

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"It's that time of year again, the annual check up of your motor's ticking.

Booked in to a garage we've used before and been quite happy with their service; and even better, walking distance from home.

Shock phone call, it's going to cost £458 to get our Corolla Verso passed

New o/s front tyre .... ok

Rear licence plate bulb. ... ok

Cracked cv boot .... ok

New windscreen wipers ..... not ok.... we bought those in January

Front suspension bushes, both sides .... ouch !!!

These last two come in at £160 each.

We can't afford that

A second opinion is required.

So off we toddle to another favoured garage, but this is in Holywell, and 10 miles from home.

Fortunately mother in law can ferry is home.

The quote here is £240 for the suspension bushes and arms. We have to bite the bullet and tighten our belts

Lots of googling and advice on car forums days we should just be able to replace the bushes alone, @ £20 each.

There is some hope 0

Phone call on Friday, oh the bushes are actually ok to pass and may last another one to two years

No major bills and belt tightening required

Advisory though of rear brake pads

This wasn't picked up by the first garage !

How can two garages, supposedly with the same duty of ensuring our vehicles are safe and road worthy, get it so different ?

The moral of the story is replace the obvious failures before you go for the test.

The bad tyre the failed light bulb this then shows the tester you are at least checking for obvious faults.

If you go with silly faults like the two above they take the view you can't be bothered to maintain the car and test it a little more thourly"

Oh, we knew about the tyre and bulb, they were on the to do list anyway

We had the bulb in the glove box

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

scary isnt it - i have 2 friends that own mot service stations - they always advise me of stuff will last a while but keep an eye on

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By *riskynriskyCouple
over a year ago

Essex.

I'm very lucky with my trusted garage. I was told I needed a new steering box. Went to the garage and asked for a quote. He had a look and said, go home and tighten that bolt down there... Saved me a few hundred pounds, he's never given me a reason to doubt him...

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Here in n.Ireland it's a totally different mot procedure.garages can't do mots,they can prepare a car for mot but can't actually do the test itself.the car is put through rigorous testing at government test centres.thus cutting out certain unscrupulous garages taking the piss,by quoting or carrying out unnecessary work.

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By *asonnosaMMan
over a year ago

Grantham

"Here in n.Ireland it's a totally different mot procedure.garages can't do mots,they can prepare a car for mot but can't actually do the test itself.the car is put through rigorous testing at government test centres.thus cutting out certain unscrupulous garages taking the piss,by quoting or carrying out unnecessary work."
then get a push bike dude

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Makes no sense.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Mines due, I'm scared

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I have a couple of points. Always as said before, try and take your car to an mot center that doesn't do any other work. Not easy to find.

Secondly try and have some passing knowledge of motor vehicles. Being a member of the engineering fraternity i get highly pissed off by people being afraid to get their hands dirty these days. The more condescending ones deserve all they get.

Oh and if you're having a CAT changed, ask for the old one to be left in the car. Even when they have stopped working they're still worth money to the scrap man. And it proves they actually changed it.....

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By *ire_bladeMan
over a year ago

Manchester

"I have a couple of points. Always as said before, try and take your car to an mot center that doesn't do any other work. Not easy to find.

That's somthing I always do until late I'm asked not to. Leaving old parts in the boot that is

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I have a couple of points. Always as said before, try and take your car to an mot center that doesn't do any other work. Not easy to find.

When you say condescending. ...

Do you mean the customers or the mechanics ?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

As a tester myself it's not easy to get right everytime but believe it or not an MOT is to minimum standards only.

I've passed and advised cars i wouldn't drive myself.

As to the OP, my corolla went to 185,000 miles on the original bushes you mention, but the Verso is quite a bit heavier.

My pet theory is lots of testers are infact good mechanics but not too good at interpreting the manual.

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By *rincesscaracoupleCouple
over a year ago

Saltburn

"I have a couple of points. Always as said before, try and take your car to an mot center that doesn't do any other work. Not easy to find.

If you are having the cat changed the garage will pass on the surcharge they have to pay to the supplier if you wish to keep the old one and believe me it is not worth it

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By *anky_PankyWoman
over a year ago

Filthy Fuckeryville

I met someone off here a little while ago who had just come from having his mot. He had a HUGE crack across his windscreen - it was seriously shattered and massively impairing his vision - but it passed!?!?!?!?

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By *ire_bladeMan
over a year ago

Manchester

"I have a couple of points. Always as said before, try and take your car to an mot center that doesn't do any other work. Not easy to find.

When you say condescending. ...

Do you mean the customers or the mechanics ?

I think I can answer that. A lot of car drivers think that being a macanic is a menial job something anybody can do I do believe the comments term is a grease monkey. It's quite amusing how quickly that changes when they break down at 3 in the morning and need recovering

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Makes no sense."

The push bike or garages not allowed to do mot tests?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I have a couple of points. Always as said before, try and take your car to an mot center that doesn't do any other work. Not easy to find.

When you say condescending. ...

Do you mean the customers or the mechanics ?

Customers.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Makes no sense.

The push bike or garages not allowed to do mot tests?"

The sudden "push bike".

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By *illo0069Man
over a year ago

litherland

"It's that time of year again, the annual check up of your motor's ticking.

Booked in to a garage we've used before and been quite happy with their service; and even better, walking distance from home.

Shock phone call, it's going to cost £458 to get our Corolla Verso passed

New o/s front tyre .... ok

Rear licence plate bulb. ... ok

Cracked cv boot .... ok

New windscreen wipers ..... not ok.... we bought those in January

Front suspension bushes, both sides .... ouch !!!

These last two come in at £160 each.

We can't afford that

A second opinion is required.

So off we toddle to another favoured garage, but this is in Holywell, and 10 miles from home.

Fortunately mother in law can ferry is home.

The quote here is £240 for the suspension bushes and arms. We have to bite the bullet and tighten our belts

Lots of googling and advice on car forums days we should just be able to replace the bushes alone, @ £20 each.

There is some hope 0

Phone call on Friday, oh the bushes are actually ok to pass and may last another one to two years

No major bills and belt tightening required

Advisory though of rear brake pads

This wasn't picked up by the first garage !

How can two garages, supposedly with the same duty of ensuring our vehicles are safe and road worthy, get it so different ?

Also, by law, every MOT station has to nave a viewing area, so you can physically see the results yourself

I sort your MOT out no probs

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I met someone off here a little while ago who had just come from having his mot. He had a HUGE crack across his windscreen - it was seriously shattered and massively impairing his vision - but it passed!?!?!?!?"

Read the manual on line, not a fail if not in the swept area

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

But could be a bent ticket

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By *illo0069Man
over a year ago

litherland

If you think you may be being ripped you can appeal to vosa who will retest the vehicle

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By *carlet_heavenWoman
over a year ago

somewhere in the sticks

"If you think you may be being ripped you can appeal to vosa who will retest the vehicle"

Are you a mechanic, then?

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By *illo0069Man
over a year ago

litherland

"If you think you may be being ripped you can appeal to vosa who will retest the vehicle

Are you a mechanic, then?"

Indeed by trade i am, i owned several garages over the yrs before selling up and moving into engineering

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Yes ask or print off a VT17 form. The DVSA then retest it at a neutral garage

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By *rincesscaracoupleCouple
over a year ago

Saltburn

"Yes ask or print off a VT17 form. The DVSA then retest it at a neutral garage"

At a full test fee, it isn't a free appeal

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

MOT testers discretion of the rules. That's what it boils down too

Good luck with it all

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Wife Bought car last year with full12 months mot got it home and had to spend 480 on it for things that it should have failed on reported to vospa and because i had work done they could not investigate the mot station

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

What should it have failed on out of interest?

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