National auto centre MOT TEST...problem

gsmmad

I was on auto trader and saw the 50% off on the MOT. So i booked it and went there and i own a car in very good shape and i had it fully serviced by a local garage who said there is no way it can fail.

I went in and 2 guys looked up and down on my car and i was sitting a far distance away and i couldn't see what was happening. Anyhow they came back said 2 of my tires were bad. One needed changing. My headlights were too high and that they had re adjusted it however they would charge me £13. Also my CV boot needed changing and they said its a big job and would cost £110.

So i asked the guy why he was trying to charge me for a job i didn't ask for. He went and he set my headlights both too high and when i got the paper work i checked and it said only the nearside was too high. So he set both too high when only one was. Also there was a massive confusion over if it was too high or too low.

The tire's i have checked and they are 1.7 ....so above the limit. and nothing wrong.

Got a new CV boot fitted on by the local garage who couldn't understand why the guy had failed that. They replaced it and preserved the CV boot so that we can examine it and possibly complain. It turns out its not split which is what i was told. But it had a small pin hole so that a little bit of grease had come out. I was advised that this small hole would hardly have happened why driving and was probably done by the tester.

I advice everyone not to take the £26.55 offer from auto trader. Also to never use nationwide autocentre. I'm taking it in for the retest soon. I would like some advice as i am really annoyed.

gsmmad

I understand from reviews that they do these types of things in order to boost sales and hit targets.

Do i have any grounds of appeal as the repairs have allready been done?

cheers

photome

Not much help here and i do see where you are coming from BUT No way would I be taking a car for an mot with 1.7mm left on a tyre..it is barely legal and ought to be replaced. The 1.7 has to be around the complete circumference and across 3/4 of the tread did you maeasure correctly

anewman

At 1.7mm they're best replaced (they're going to need to be done sometime anyway) but probably cheaper to look somewhere other than national auto centre. Either way, unless the tyre was less than 1.6mm at any point it should have been an advisory notice rather than a fail. But if they say one needs changing, stick the spare on for when you take it in for the retest.

There is a complaints procedure for unnecessary fails that is described on the MOT fail certificate if you want to go through with it - although you have had some rectification work done now which may invalidate that. I agree a pin hole in a cv joint gaiter is unusual, but obviously you can't prove that national auto centre caused this.

I recommend finding a good honest garage. I take mine to a place that charges £42 but doesn't do any work so does not unnecessarily fail cars to generate revenue. They always seem very genuine and honest. As you can see, that cheap can £26.55 quickly become more than you would expect. I understand some people take advantage of cheap MOT tests at various places and have no problems - not sure where though - and I am guessing with an older car like mine they'll be quicker to unnecessarily fail it..

hewhoisnotintheknow

put it down to experiance and take it somewhere else next time

gsmmad

thats the best advice. Thats what i am doing.

The tyre has been replaced. Im thinking not to take it in to them for the retake as im not too happy and i think it may fail again allthought the car is in perfect condition. So i may just pay 20 quid more and get it done somewhere else.

cheers guys

hewhoisnotintheknow

get the garage who said it was in perfect coniditon to do the mot, i assume if they dont dont do them, their mate up the road will

I often find that helps it pass too!

Conor_3

gsmmad wrote: »

thats the best advice. Thats what i am doing.

The tyre has been replaced. Im thinking not to take it in to them for the retake as im not too happy and i think it may fail again allthought the car is in perfect condition.

I'm sorry but who told you the car was in perfect condition, the garage who serviced it who I take it don't do MOTs?

gsmmad

Yes of course the people who serviced it. However i saw the cv boot viv my own eyes and it hardly had any greace on the outside.

I did take it by a MOT test centre and they saw the fail paper and just smiled and said that it was a con some places do. Anyhow ill take it to another test centre and im sure ill pass without a problem.

Conor_3

gsmmad wrote: »

Yes of course the people who serviced it. However i saw the cv boot viv my own eyes and it hardly had any greace on the outside.

And your qualifications as a mechanic are? How do you know he's set both your headlights too high?

I'm sorry but I've seen no end of people who have been told they've got a good car and then go off on one when it is rightly failed during an MOT.

anewman

Actually I've just been remembered my car had been to a garage not long before I had an MOT and they said it should pass - but it failed on a corroded brake pipe and a knackered centre exhaust. I guess you just have to remember when a garage does a bit of work they aren't doing a full MOT test which takes about an hour, and a 2 minute visual check can't make it pass a one hour test.