Council run MOT centres

Steerpike_2

Hi,

I've just booked my car into a Council run MOT centre on the advice of this site. It'll cost me £48.00.

I'm hoping it will pass or only fail on a few small points. I want to try and minimise costs but I'm unclear on:

1. Assuming it fails, can I take the failure cert. to another repairer / MOT centre and ask them to repair exactly as per the cert? i.e. do only what is strictly necessary to get it through.
2. Do I have to re-pay the MOT test fee or can I get a re-test for free within a time limit?
3. Is the car illegal to drive the moment it fails?

Thanks!

anewman

Steerpike wrote: »

1. Assuming it fails, can I take the failure cert. to another repairer / MOT centre and ask them to repair exactly as per the cert? i.e. do only what is strictly necessary to get it through.

Your fail cert will state exactly what is faulty. This is usually enough detail to phone around garages for quotes with. If you show the garage the MOT fail cert, then they will know they have to do the work to pass the MOT standard.

Steerpike wrote: »

2. Do I have to re-pay the MOT test fee or can I get a re-test for free within a time limit?

I think the usual system is half price retest on the failed items if returned within 10 working days. After that you have to have a full retest again at full price and it may fail on items it did not last time.

Steerpike wrote: »

3. Is the car illegal to drive the moment it fails?

It's legal to drive so long as you have some MOT left from the last test. However, remember you can be done for driving an unroadworthy car. I personally would not recommend driving anywhere other than straight home to phone around for quotes, and then to a garage for repairs, back home, and then back to the MOT test centre for retest.

catflea

1. Yes
2. Partial Retest Fee if repaired within 10 days (i think)
3. Its legal to drive home / to an appointed place of repair (i.e you've called and booked it in) within a reasonable distance.

catflea

anewman wrote: »

I think the usual system is half price retest on the failed items if returned within 10 working days. After that you have to have a full retest again at full price and it may fail on items it did not last time.

I had that problem on re-test. Blummin handbrake, worked fine on the first test on the retest absolute gash! (It failed on a brake imbalance at the front, so all brakes had to be retested)

Dr.Shoe_2

My garage do a free retests if you ask them to do the repair and they only charge £45 for the test...

Kurtis_Blue

Retests are a little more complicated now, some items are partial test some are full.

Best straight from the horses mouth.
http://mottesting.org.uk/mot-retest-information-fail.html

Steerpike_2

great - thanks folks.

So....I can't really see any downside to getting the council MOT centre to do the first test. Seems sensible to use someone with no vested interest in bumping up costs.

Anihilator

Steerpike wrote: »

great - thanks folks.

So....I can't really see any downside to getting the council MOT centre to do the first test. Seems sensible to use someone with no vested interest in bumping up costs.

Well the downside is it fails and you then need to go to mechanics etc who may not want to do the work without charging an inspection first and you will also incur a retest fee

I firmly believe a well trusted independent mechanic is the way to go. Most of these will only charge the MOT fee once and will be competitive for repairs without any hassle.

Steerpike_2

Anihilator wrote: »

Well the downside is it fails and you then need to go to mechanics etc who may not want to do the work without charging an inspection first and you will also incur a retest fee
.

But won't there be a re-test fee wherever I take it if it fails first time around?

Steerpike_2

Steerpike wrote: »

But won't there be a re-test fee wherever I take it if it fails first time around?

sorry - just read your post in full - seems not all repairers will re-charge.