Is my garage talking shlt?

[Dan]

I took my cento for an MOT today which is a month before it runs out. This is so i had a month to get the work done, etc. It failed today, so ask them what needs doing... couple of sidelight bulbs needed replacing (never bothered checking them ) and the rear arm was rusted. So i asked how long i have for a free retest. They will give me free if they do the work, but if someone else does it in 48 hours it will be £20. Ok so ill bring it back next week and pay full price for retest. She then said 'do you know you will be driving illegaly as your car has failed' Apparently the rule was introduced three months ago. Apparently if the car then passes i get the month back like old rules...

So basically if i want to do it myself i have to tow it home...

Next surprise was that it will take 3 hours to weld it @ £58.... Which including bulbs, labour and VAT works out at £310. Is it really likely to take 3 hours to weld They also asked if it was ok to take the bodykit off. guessing they mean the rear standard bumper.

Really dont know whether to trust them or not.

Should i let them do the work then get them to put it on ramps to show me the work they did.

 

[Dan]

Oh and they also passed it with the breather filter fitted beccause the emmissions were ok... which should be a fail full stop...?

 

[Bushboy]

An oil breather filter is not a "full stop" fail. Just alot more likely to fail with one on due to emissions. if it passed, well done

As for the other work, depends what actually needs welding. £58 per hour is perfectly normal now. The welding could well take 3 hours but I expect most of the labour time will be spent stripping any parts that may be at risk. Fuel tank, interior parts in the area, bumper (as said) etc. Depends where it is and what needs doing. Weld work itself may only take 30 mins.

As for driving it with a failed MOT. I'm not sure on the real legalities of it. Just drive it anyway. No one will care.

Next time, find your local council test centre. Avoid garage/MOT station combos as they tend to fail on stuff that may not really have needed doing, just to get the extra work.

 

[Dan]

Didnt think about taking petrol tank off.. 3 hours still seems a lot though,

Wouldnt have let them repair the car if i thought i had an option to drive it away and fix it elsewhere. Need to find out if i could have done. Dan

 

[Bushboy]

I have driven failed cars away many times. I have never once had anywhere tell me I couldn't.

 

[Dan]

well neither had i, thats why i had it done a month before. apparently changed 3 months ago. She didnt tell me i couldnt drive, she said i would be driving illegaly....

All i can find on internet is i can drive it to another MOT test station as long as it is booked in.

 

[dave]

you are allowed to drive it to place of repair after a fail

 

[beau]

sounds expensive, find some private mobile mechanic.

i paid £50 for 6 hours of welding some big holes in my car which envolved removing the suspension shock and brake pipe and brakes etc so had to bleed my front brakes too.


and mot else where, we charge £40, no re-test fee what so ever.

 

[hennabm]

In answer to your thread title yes...

Nothing new like that was introduced 3mths ago. It has always been that if a car fails it's MOT you can drive it away to a place of repair and return it for test as long as it is booked in.

If the car still has some time left on the old certificate then that one is still valid. BUT the car is not road leagl because it has failed a test and therefore driving an unroadworthy vehicle is an offence if caught. It is easier for the Police to check whether there is a certificate or failure on it since it went computerised some 4 years ago as they have access to the database.

If you take it back for a retest while you still have some time left on the old certificate then you will get the additional time left added in if it should pass.

No garage can leaglly stop you from driving away even if the car is a complete shed. That is why there is the bit to allow you to take a car for an MOT and return, even though it may not have one. Again so long as it is booked in to the test station.

Any MOT garage can charge what they like up to the max (£54 for a car) for MOT or retest.

 

[usedcar129]

It sounds expensive. Mobile repairman is good in that situation.

 

[Racing Nige]

Ok so ill bring it back next week and pay full price for retest. She then said 'do you know you will be driving illegaly as your car has failed' Should i let them do the work then get them to put it on ramps to show me the work they did.

I never heard of this one, and really think HENNABM has given a good and concise answer.

The nearest I ever had to being told not to drive away was last year I had an Escort which needed some work that he garage advised should be addressed immediately and made the car "unsafe to drive" as opposed to just an emmissions type failure. But even that he let me drive away and return the next day (I was happy with his quote in any case). So I would say your garage was trying it on, and if you still have the month left you are OK to keep driving by law.