Our test will definitely not pass a car that doesn't meet legal criteria, of course they have to test for the particular trait first!!!!!! Common sense will tell you that it can't fail something that isn't required to be tested or examined, then again common sense isn't that common. Don't forget that the VW case was specifically designed to fool the test equipment used.

What is the difference between a maintenance check and a roadworthiness check? , The idea of any statutory test is to check that a vehicle is safe to drive on the public road. I'd hate to have your idea enshrined in law, prosecuted for not changing your oil perhaps

Nope. Nowhere have I said that not changing your oil is illegal (although not doing so might ultimately cause your car to BECOME illegal). I have given you a couple of real examples of areas that cannot be checked in an MOT (or NCT) test but that ARE illegal. If you really want, I can even quote the relevant paragraphs of C&U that make it so - in the UK at least. It would take a bit longer to find the corresponding parts of the Irish legislation.

You even alluded to it yourself in an earlier post when you acknowledged that the type approval requirements were different to the MOT / NCT requirements! Much of the MOT test presupposes that the vehicle has not been altered from its type approved specification - so it would have no reason, for example to check that a seat belt had the correct approval number on it, or that the brake pads were type approved for fitment to that particular model of vehicle.

The "bottom line" is that an MOT (or NCT) is NOT a guarantee that a vehicle meets ALL applicable legislative requirements. It is ONLY a gaurantee that on the day of the test, it met SOME of them (i.e those which get inspected as part of the test). (Which, as you say, is simply "common sense")!

This has turned into a right " heated debate" MRS Merton voice
AKA the wonderful late Caroline Aherne

derbyshire gp said:

This has turned into a right " heated debate" MRS Merton voice
AKA the wonderful late Caroline Aherne

Click to expand...

Exactly what I thought!! haha