MOT Due - Council Run Centre Or Usual Garage?

santer_2

Every other year, the usual garage replaces the rear brake caliper at a cost of £250 plus labour.

So would appreciate any thoughts on, or experiences of using Council Run MOT Centres

mikey72

A different garage at any rate, if they've done more than two.

SailorSam

I wouldn't have thought the brakes would have needed doing that often, if you think they were pulling a fast oneto get te work i'd certainly swop garages, whether to another ordinary one or the local authority. The Council garage probably doesn't do repairs so at least you know if they give you a fail it's not 'cos they're touting for business.

Weird_Nev

Well, they have no vested interest in selling you parts or services.
They're well run, and will give you an 'honest' MOT.

If you're confident of your cars condition then I'd not hesistate in using them ,just make sure you get it done a good few weeks before MOT expiry so you have good notice to fix faults.

I have a couple of garages I use: One is uber thorough, loves cars to be tip top and when you get your car back off him it will be 100% - but you pay. His MOT sheets have advisory lists a mile long, but when you talk to him he's absolutely open and honest about what it all means, and he'll say 'it's nothing to worry about' for most of them
My more regular garage doesn't actually do MOT's. What they do is an MOT Pre- inspection. For £90 they go over the car and rectify any little faults - Bulbs, fluid levels, handbrake adjustment. I've even had them do welding for me in that. They then take it down to the council tester and it goes through fine. If theres some huge problem then they'll phone you first to discuss it. I think it's an excellent service, and well worth the money to get pretty much a guaranteed MOT. I love old skool mechanics like that!

wealdroam

Might be worth reading MSE's Cheap MOTs Beat repair costs, use council tests article.

SteveJW

My more regular garage doesn't actually do MOT's. What they do is an MOT Pre- inspection. For £90 they go over the car and rectify any little faults - Bulbs, fluid levels, handbrake adjustment.

Just be aware, I work for a local council, we had one local garage that brought us a lot of work so we stopped charging him for retests. We then found out he was charging the customer for a pre-MOT, not checking the vehicle, bringing it to ourselves and just repairing the failure items. Mind you you can now check the MOT history on line so should reveal this sort of thing.

Weird_Nev

SteveJW wrote: »

My more regular garage doesn't actually do MOT's. What they do is an MOT Pre- inspection. For £90 they go over the car and rectify any little faults - Bulbs, fluid levels, handbrake adjustment.

Just be aware, I work for a local council, we had one local garage that brought us a lot of work so we stopped charging him for retests. We then found out he was charging the customer for a pre-MOT, not checking the vehicle, bringing it to ourselves and just repairing the failure items. Mind you you can now check the MOT history on line so should reveal this sort of thing.

Ah right! Nah, these are good guys, they look over it with me there first, we discuss what might be wrong (and what they know will be acceptable to the testers eyes, they both used to be testers but aren't anymore) and more often than not they sort it then and there.
The timings on the emissions tests etc point to them doing a proper job. Never had an issue.
They're the kind of mechanics who'll fix something for free if it's a moments work for them, while you wait. Shame more garages aren't like that.
In fact, when I took my car to have outer tie rods done, and it turned out they were seized to the inner ones, and it took them 4 hours with the rack off the car to unseize them and replace the whole lot, they were so ashamed that they hadn't done it within the (£40) hour they quoted that they only charged me parts.

Jonesya

Used one once; on initial inspection they advised on a couple of relatively obvious issues which needed addressing before putting it through the test, so I took the car away got it fixed and it passed its' test. I'd have used them again.

I've moved since then and there isn't a council depot local to me which offers MOTs so I've switched to using In-n-out. They're a garage chain but only offer basic servicing (filters and fluids) so I'm happy they've got no incentive to fail the car unnecessarily.

s_b

Jonesya wrote: »

Used one once; on initial inspection they advised on a couple of relatively obvious issues which needed addressing before putting it through the test, so I took the car away got it fixed and it passed its' test. I'd have used them again.

I've moved since then and there isn't a council depot local to me which offers MOTs so I've switched to using In-n-out. They're a garage chain but only offer basic servicing (filters and fluids) so I'm happy they've got no incentive to fail the car unnecessarily.

thought they had gone bust?
they had a great spot in doncaster but i see its shut ,shame i thought the concept they had was brilliant

Tucker

Council every time for me and take the wifes car there too.

I've not had them fail one in the 3 years I taken them there and very few advisories too.

I keep my cars well serviced though.

Jonesya

s_b wrote: »

thought they had gone bust?
they had a great spot in doncaster but i see its shut ,shame i thought the concept they had was brilliant

There's still a load of them scattered around the Midlands and their website still works.

[Edit] Looks like they did go bankrupt and shut down some of their sites:
http://www.thisiss!!!!horpe.co.uk/n-business/story-11188033-detail/story.html

Opps link won't work - MSE has taken the c**t out of Sc**thorpe!