Don't usually post new threads but figured I'd share as I've been having an interesting weekend.

The car is coming up due it's MOT at the beginning of May so I've had it in for a service and health check in order to prepare for it. Kind of wish I hadn't bothered as the place it went to came back with a whole raft of things that just weren't issues and wanted £1,200 to fix them all. They also missed some significant issues that even I was aware of despite the wife having it as her car for the moment.

What they told me where issues....

Front brake discs worn below minimum thickness
Front brake pads nearing end of life
Exhaust suspension bushes failed, exhaust only suspended by 1 bush.
Play in near side front suspension arm
exhaust flexi nearly leaking
Rear beam bushes show significant play

What's interesting is.....

The front brake discs are probably only around 18 months old and have therefore covered probably about 7,000 miles. There is a slight lip on them but nothing exciting at all. The brake pads have something like 55% depth left on them. I measured because I have a new set in the shed waiting to be fitted but not necessary yet.

The rear exhaust hangers are quite new as I replaced when dealing with the delaminating back box. I had a spare exhaust bush floating around the shed and replaced one of the hangers out of sympathy but they're not the sort of thing that can fail, really (they're rubber wrapped with a nylon belt round them).

Someone explain to me how you diagnose a nearly leaking exhaust? If it's nearly leaking I'll nearly replace it then.....

I also had to explain to them that the rear bushes are supposed to move and that if they're not leaking fluid, there ain't nothing wrong with 'em.

The only thing I agree with is the bottom arm play - which surprised me. The arms were replaced before last MOT. I tested and there was indeed play in it that wasn't present before.

This bought my mind back to previous MOT when tested said there was a slight play in NSF but he could't work out where from, so didn't advise on it.

I replaced the bottom arm and pinch bolt which I thought cured it but after a road test and back there was still play in the bottom arm.

I've ended up having to replace the entire hub assembly with second hand part. Seems there was wear and play in the ball joint mount on the hub.

everyone I've spoken to is quite surprised that this could occur but I promise you it's the case. Was wondering if anyone else had come across this on their stilo?

replaced the hub over the weekend and all is well now. New one is obviously much, much tighter and was a hell of a fight just to get the new ball joint in compared to the old hub, so was definitely some slack in it.


As for the other bits the pre-check missed.... a seized handbrake mech on a rear caliper (which I'd known about for a while now if I'm honest), worn rear brake pads, a low rear tyre on tread depth and on doing my own inspection I noticed a tyre with a bulge in the side wall. All have now been rectified.

I like to keep the same tester year after year, one who knows I'll do the work myself for the most part. Keeps the cynicism over subjective fails that could get them work to a minimum.
Pre-M.O.T. check is called the pre-ReTest round here ;-)

It was one of those things... you take your car in for a service and everywhere does the "free health check" type thing, in an effort to drum up a bit more business for themselves, don't they....

They were never going to be doing the MOT and if they can't spot a failed tyre and knackered rear brakes I would have reconsidered by choice by this point anyway.

We have a local garage called WeOnlyMOT - bet you can't guess what they do.... And that's all they do. Funny that. So they're not really interested in your business / repairing stuff or even who does it. They've got no referral partners or nothing. Given the re-test rules being a free re-test they're fairly well interested in getting you passed first time if possible.

Don't get me wrong they're not one of these shady no questions asked here is your certificate jobs; they've failed me on stuff before. But I trust them enough to know they'll not fail me to make themselves a bit of extra cash and will do so objectively because the vehicle isn't safe or road-worthy.