Save on MOT Bills 16 January 2004 at 3:55PM in Motoring 221 replies 152.8K views

WeirdoMagnet

This is a brilliant thread/tip - you never really know whether you are getting ripped off by garages.

In trying to find the Council VTS for York (or even Leeds) - no joy yet - I came across the following government sites which have quite alot of info but no actual listing of testing stations - the search continues. http://www.via.gov.uk/mot/index.htm or http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/

Would agree with Jack_Potts that Japanese cars are v reliable - we've got an old Toyota and a Nissan! Have also recently found that the newer the car is, the more electrics/computers it has, which seem to equal more problems, and recalls!

Georgina

System

For information Derbyshire County Council carry out MOT Tests at the following locations:-

County Transport
Ripley Road
Ambergate
Derbyshire
DE56 2ER
Tel: 01773 85667

County Transport
Brimington Road North
Whittington Moor
Chesterfield
Derbyshire
S41 9BE
Tel: 01246 450705

County Transport
Halstead Garage
Dove Holes
Buxton
Derbyshire
SK17 8BJ
Tel: 01298 813141

Major

I posted a query 5 days ago about Testing Centres in Reading, Berkshire and does anyone know of any? No answers as yet, but I am pleased to see others are getting help for other parts of the country. Give me a break and some help, I am still having difficulty in finding any.
I am a complete novice at this and feel everyone is ignoring me.

System

I'd like to paraphrase and develop a point that was made earlier. Let's not lose sight of the fact that what is sought first and foremost is a roadworthy car that meets the standard. If this does not hold true, the certificate that has been bought is expensive however cheap the cost.

I do not know that local authority vehcle testing stations are any better in terms of quality than any other. Further, it might be thought that there is less scope for determining their quality than testing stations which have a repair and maintenance facility attached.

Perhaps find a garage you trust and let them fulfill all your requirements including MOT testing. A good place to start might be using the following link:

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/directories/?blk=DirGoodGarages

Galstonian

Ideally we would all like to go to a garage we know and trust, honestjohn helps to find them but, public bodies that operate test centres are under an obligation to perform the tests to the same standards are any commercial garage. Unfortunately many commercial garages use the MOT test to enable them to perform expensive repairs which are not required. Personally I'd not feel comfortable letting the local council check my car bcause "public servant" is not the first description that springs to mind when thinking about council staff (an appalling generalisation I know but I'd say it is justified). However, another suggestion was using the ambulance service and I will probably look into that.

Major: have you contacted the council and/or ambulance service in that area? These duties may be contracted out to a commercial firm, it may not be available where you are.

System

Theres a testing station between York and Leeds just outside Thorpe Arch trading estate near Wetherby.

System

You can go and get your car tested upto 30 days before your current MOT expires, if it fails you then have 14 days in which to get the fault repaired, you can then go back to the MOT station for the test no charge 2nd time. If you leave it after 14 days you will be charged for 2nd test.

If it passes they will then give you a certificate post dated to your current Mot date if you supply the old one at the time of the test. Which means you are still legally driving with a current MOT in the 30 day period.

Moneysaver

The 14 day rule used to be the case but the law recently changed and now you get 24 hours to get repairs done at a different garage and return for the re-test or you have to pay the test fee again.

This new rule in reality make things extremely difficult to avoid re-test fees

System

Excuse my ignorance, but what is WYMAS? ???
My wife works for the NHS, and her car is due for an MOT shortly. I normally pay £25 at a local garage.

kevmaxthom - WYMAS stands fo West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service. Hope this helps.

GMAS (Greater Manchester Ambulance Service) also offer this service from their Walmsley Rd, Bury Station. Ambulances do tend to take priority however and as such spaces for MoT's are limited.

WeirdoMagnet

Theres a testing station between York and Leeds just outside Thorpe Arch trading estate near Wetherby.

Thanks, I had given up looking.

Georgina

[Deleted User]

I do not know that local authority vehcle testing stations are any better in terms of quality than any other.  Further, it might be thought that there is less scope for determining their quality than testing stations which have a repair and maintenance facility attached.

Essex County Council garage does do repair and maintenance, just not for the general public. It's to be hoped that they're competent, it's not just council cars that are maintained there, but everything else, from gritting lorries to ambulances to fire engines. (Police do their own.) Furthermore, when Essex Trading Standards use a "stooge" car to check out ropey traders with, this is also prepared at the council garage.
It's not a question of who's competent, but who's honest.
Another point on the subject of ends rather than means, if anyone is worried about having an accident whilst driving home after a fail, they should bear in mind that the car is no more dangerous than it was half an hour earlier, before the test. If the objective is to avoid an accident, rather than the blame for one, then ones interest is best served by having the car tested more frequently than once a year, rather than worrying about maintaining the continuity of valid certificates.