Courtesy car - dangerous?

tinow

I got a courtesy car on fri from a local garage, I failed to do basic checks although we were told it was in working order. Its a 98 rover.

there was no petrol in it & the cap was suctioned onto the tank when we finally prised the cap off the tank hissed!

the tyre was flat (7 psi at the time - pumped up now) theres knocking, vibrating and rattling noises if we go over 30 mph, in 5th gear the gearstick shoots back and slips into neutral when driving and theres a dodgy clutch or 1st&2nd gears are misaligned. (as an aside the rear wipers broken)

I need advice on if they can legally put this car on the road. I spoke to the police and they said if I question the cars safety not to drive it. They also said if I had been spotted driving with the tyre flat, engine problems and rear windscreen wiper probs (in rain) I could have had a fine and points according to the road traffic act. from my description they would quesry the reliability and roadworthiness of the car. She also asked if I could confirm if there was an MOT cert told her it was a courtesy car (has to if its on their insurance surely?)

please help - need legal/general advice on this one.

dacouch

Have you spoken to the garage yet?

anewman

Only thing I see that the police should be interested in is the flat tyre. Dodgy clutch, jumping out of gear - both road legal in terms of the MOT, but obviously if you can't select any gears and the clutch is so bad it won't move the car, or you go backwards on hills, then the car is not drive-able.

Would need MOT and insurance to get the road tax, although the MOT and insurance could have expired since as they only need to be available at the point of the start of the tax disc.

Rolandtheroadie

Dont drive it. Especially now you've called the police for advice. (I assume they took your name).
If you were concerned enough to call the police in the first place, you cant possibly think it's ok to drive.

paulofessex

I would phone the garage who supplied the car, advise them of your concerns, request another car or if no car available request they show you current MOT.

Not sure where you stand but l wonder if they refused would they take notice if you expressed that you would hire a car and bill them.

Kurtis_Blue

If you confirm that the car has no mot to police it will be YOU that is liable for prosecution, Why would you phone the police to tell them YOU have been driving a car you believe unfit to be on the road?

Phone the garage tell them to pick it up and drop of a proper car if not just hire one.
Oh and if that's how they treat their cars good luck when you get yours back

Lil306

You shouldn't have been given the car to drive.

The courtesty car should have been road legal when supplied by the garage or person giving it to you.

Sounds like the synchromesh or clutch is gone if it's jumping out of gears, but the car itself is far too dangerous to drive like that. Additionally the car should have been in a roadworthy conditions when given to you by the garage. The whole point of a courtesy car is you have a "road legal" vehicle (i.e it won't fail an MOT) to use whilst your vehicle is out of action.

The vehicles are required to have TAX / MOT by the company issuing them, but beware on the insurance.... you have to be over 21 I believe to drive vehicles on courtesy car insurance and some policies at least 25....

vaio

As Anewman says, only the tyre will be of interest to the boys in blue, now you’ve pumped it up it’s perfectly legal.

What did the garage say?

tinow

I havent spoken to the garage, conveniently theyve been closed all weekend.

I spoke to the police enquiry desk, I did not give my name or the garages name or any details about the actual car apart from my concerns.

The reason Im posting this is to find out if theres a min requirement a courtesy car has to be at before its released to the public?

Im not gona drive it, and kinda want to get an idea how difficult its going to be to get them to pick it up?!

thanks re the age details - Im 27 and my husbands 36. I havent driven it because I only got my licence 3 months ago - they didnt ask and put us both on the insurance but ive google the terms and conditions - says I need to have a full licence for 1 year.

Kurtis Blue - I rang to see if the problems listed would have warrented a £1000 fine and 3 points. I have no intention of driving it anyway - even before I posted this and was prepared to have them pick it up tomorrow. Surely peace of mind and confirmation is better than driving an illegal car. Plus as stated there was no info given about the car at all.

tinow

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

If you confirm that the car has no mot to police it will be YOU that is liable for prosecution, Why would you phone the police to tell them YOU have been driving a car you believe unfit to be on the road?

How the hell am I meant to know if it has an MOT?! its a courtesy car - its on them to sort that out surely.

Lil306

I'd say the responsibility is with the garage, if they have offered you a vehicle as being a Courtesy Car, it must have an MOT with it.

Problems with MOT is that they only check the car at the time.... so if anythings gone wrong since then with the mechanicals of it it's still technically legal.