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Need a bit of advice

Ok i will cut this short (well try too).

On bank holiday Monday my FIL took us out and bought us a used car.
We were told all about the history and told the sale would include MOT and 6 months tax.
On Tuesday my DH collected the car and checked tax - which was fine!
MOT showed 3 tyres just above legal limit but advised to be done and `small leak in exhaust`.
SO DH said thats lovely thank you very much and home he came.


Today we took the car to our local council garage to have 4 new tyres done.
The mechanic removed the 4 wheels and found hardly any brake pads :eek:
This wasnt mentioned, i have re checked the MOT and nothing on there states brakes!!


SO we had 4 new tyres (which we knew about obviously as mentioned on MOT) AND new brake pads fitted.


THEN DH said i`d like my exhaust done please as MOPT showed a small leak.
The mechanic put the car on the ramp and was shocked to find not only a small hole but a bigger hole that had been welded over and over along with other defects along the different parts of exhaust - resulting in him ordering us a complete exhaust system which is being fitted tomorrow.
My DH saw this for himself and the `small leak` clearly was not just a `small leak` so it isnt a mechanic just saying it needs a new one.


SO advice is should we contact where we bought the car from and explain the `unreported` faults? Would the brakes and major exhaust problems not be noted on the MOT?
It was a car dealer with a mot/servicing on site.


(I`m not wanting money back etc just want to make sure the MOT place isnt dodgy iykwim.
I`m a non driver so dont know about MOT`s but i`m thinking these should of been picked up during the MOT!)
DebtFree FEB 2010!
Slight blip in 2013 - Debtfree Aug 2014 :j

Savings £132/£1000.

Comments

  • Guardsman
    Guardsman Posts: 991 Forumite
    What's a small leak to one mechanic could be a major disaster to another one.
    If they say there is a leak then that means it needs changing as for the brakes they worked when the car was being tested but that does not n mean that the pads will last until the next MOT.
    I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us.
  • savingmummy
    savingmummy Posts: 2,915 Forumite
    Debt-free and Proud!
    Oh i see ok. Thank you :)
    DebtFree FEB 2010!
    Slight blip in 2013 - Debtfree Aug 2014 :j

    Savings £132/£1000.
  • CoolHotCold
    CoolHotCold Posts: 2,158 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Just like to chime in, a small leak could just mean that, it doesn't have to be a particular sized hole.

    The engineer probably noted that the O2 detector (on the exhaust) is picking up slightly more O2 than usual/more than it should, and as such mentioned there was a small leak.
  • Also, you need to give the dealer a chance to rectify any faults first to mitigate losses, which it doesn't look like you did.

    To have a claim for repair, you'd have to have given them a chance to fix it.
  • savingmummy
    savingmummy Posts: 2,915 Forumite
    Debt-free and Proud!
    Lesson learned - check before you buy ;)

    The cars all done now thankfully, the garage did say there is no way he would of passed the service with the faults mentioned so we wont be using that place again!
    DebtFree FEB 2010!
    Slight blip in 2013 - Debtfree Aug 2014 :j

    Savings £132/£1000.
  • I had the same thing myself - I bought a cheap car recently for £400 with a full MOT. There's no way it should have passed - the brakes were scored / very worn and 2 tyres were illegal.

    Luckily I'm a home mechanic so sorting the brakes wasn't an issue, but I've learned it's far too easy for a trader to get a dodgy MOT as we've both found out.

    I hope the car does you well, 10,000 miles on and mine is still going strong.
  • arcon5
    arcon5 Posts: 14,099 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Break pads were obviously of legal limit and are a general maintenance item, that's a non issue.

    Tyres should have been inspected and are of legal limit, non issue.

    The exhaust you knew of the small leak when picking up.

    Come on now... Most of these are general wear and tear items easily inspected per-purchase. From your post there is actually nothing wrong or nothin you didn't know ab
  • arcon5
    arcon5 Posts: 14,099 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Also note the mot shouldn be used to determine the condition of the car. It shows the car is safe etc, doesn't necessarily mean the clutch, fly wheel, injectors etc are not knackered or about to fail
  • bris
    bris Posts: 10,548 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Factor in the other garage having Christmas come early when a punter who will buy everything they throw at them comes along, they do want your cash after all.
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