Had Full New Brakes but failed MOT

ClarkeEJ

Had all new brakes on my car about a month ago through National costing over £500. Hand brake wasn't quite right so took it back to have the handbrake adjusted on Monday last week. Took car in for its MOT today and the garage want £40 to adjust the handbrake to get my car through the MOT. If I take it back to National to get it done I will have to pay an MOT retest fee. Not sure what to do. Don't want to pay again for the hand brake when it should already be right.

Strider590

Handbrake adustment isn't what you paid for, you seem to have had the pads/discs replaced and because it was National, I doubt they actually needed to be replaced at all (but that's beside the point).

Handbrake wouldn't even have been checked during the above.

It's a simple adjustment though, 5 minute job on most cars.

Hammyman

It is quite possible that the handbrake mechanism has seized on the rear caliper/drum or the handbrake cable is too stretched. If you had new brake pads and discs for this £500 then that is not covered by the work. It is a separate problem. If that £500 included new rear calipers/handbrake mechanism and handbrake cable then yes, you have a cause to claim.

jlrtech

ClarkeEJ wrote: »

Had all new brakes on my car .

Strider590 wrote: »

Handbrake adustment isn't what you paid for, you seem to have had the pads/discs replaced

Handbrake wouldn't even have been checked during the above.

if the discs and pads were changed all round then surly the handbrake would have be disturbed during the job ? , regardless i would get national to put it right and get them to pay the retest fee

rodenal

Discs / Pads all round would have no effect on the handbrake - If you have drums on the rear it's possible they havent reset the adjuster correctly but otherwise it would be a seperate issue.

It's also usually very easy to adjust a handbrake cable, can often be done from inside the car.

Strider590

jlrtech wrote: »

if the discs and pads were changed all round then surly the handbrake would have be disturbed during the job ? , regardless i would get national to put it right and get them to pay the retest fee

Nope, handbrake will be a split cable which attaches to special levers on the brake calliper, unless the calliper itself needed changing the handbrake would not have been touched.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Much depends on the car involved, some cars have rear drum handbrakes as well as rear disc normal brakes, these, especially BMW's can be troublesome getting an adequate handbrake even with new drums and shoes.

vaio

I’d have said if you pay for new brakes all round then that should include a check of the hand brake and adjustment if necessary.

mikey72

"Had all new brakes on my car about a month ago through National costing over £500."

I'd expect the handbrake to be put back correctly if I'd paid £500 for "all new brakes"

I'd ring National from the MOT station and see if they were going to pay for the adjustment or the re-test.

ClarkeEJ

Thanks everyone for the replies. The full brakes did need doing as they were grinding. National have agreed to pay for the adjustment :-)

Strider590

^^ Wonder what else they'll find wrong