Citroen C4 VTS. 06 plate.

Padstow

Took the above to the main dealer for MOT, it passed but the new style form states what needs to be done, adding to over £1600 of work. From clutch to tyres, even the the boot needs new struts.

The previous MOT was done at a station where it was solely that, no servicing, gave it a clean bill of health. Of course I realise I need new tyres, but really can so much have developed within one year at less than 10,000 miles since?

My question is what to do? I can't afford all those repairs, so do I advertise it and name the faults in the advert?

Due to the pricing being from a Citroen main dealer, I am thinking that a mechanic could do the repairs and sell on for a profit.

Something else, which I can never prove. After collecting the car after the Mot, a warning showed that the directional head lights were faulty, they were perfectly ok before.

Now I know for a fact that damage can be done in a workshop.

I owned an Audi A4 that went in for repairs. When I picked it up, it had little power. The manager of the Audi dealership admiited to me in the forecourt, that yes the turbo could have been damaged by them, but wouldn't help me out.

OT there sorry, as what I need to know please, is how to advertise my car for sale.

James_Lahey

Fix obvious MOT failures like tyres then take car to a council run facility for the test & see how it does -

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-mot#hidden

Probably dealer trying it on for extra money - fix any issues at local trusted garage and get retested. The car will sell much better with full ticket.

forgotmyname

The clutch and struts are not an MOT item so they are just repair items the dealer wants you to hand money over for.

The dealer wants to replace everything so its like a new car.

If your mad enough to pay main dealers prices then they will think your mad enough to get the items fixed.

Padstow

James_Lahey wrote: »

Fix obvious MOT failures like tyres then take car to a council run facility for the test & see how it does -

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-mot#hidden

Probably dealer trying it on for extra money - fix any issues at local trusted garage and get retested. The car will sell much better with full ticket.

I was wondering whether I could get the car re -tested but I understand that mot is now on the national register.

I still want to to sell this car, which has, and still is, completely reliable.

James_Lahey

MOTs are now held in a data base for police etc. to have access to - it wouldn't be used to see what things a previous tester had failed you on (in fact if it did then the competent garage would probably have a good laugh.)

We have a great local guy who passes fairly and doesn't tout for unnecessary work @ ~£30, but if we didn't I'd be straight to the local council testing center - these quotes should give you hope -

I took my ten year old Renault to my local Council Depot for a test last year, it passed first time. This has NEVER happened in my life. RESULT.

I took my Mini for a service at a London dealership. They told me it needed £1,700 of repairs, many of which would be likely MOT failure issues. Having read this thread, I took the car the following day to the Camden Borough Council MOT Test Centre. This has just saved me £1,700 - more than a month's pay. I can't tell you how happy I am!

Took my 4x4 to the local garage only to find out it had failed with a £1200 bill. My council-run MOT centre passed it... Massive thank you to this site

James_Lahey

Sorry re-read OP and see you have the MOT but worried about all the advisories - you can still get the vehicle retested and get another doc without all that stuff on - my most recent car had a 4 month MOT ticket with an (minor) advisory and a 12month new one also that had no advisories (as seller wanted to sell with full MOT after inheriting the car.)

flashg67

To be fair, the advisories were always noted by the test centre, just not available online.

The non-MOT related problems shouldn't be recorded online though as the fails & advisories have to relate to a section of the testing manual that that they've failed on, and AFAIK there isn't a section for a worn clutch, failed tailgate struts etc- have you had a look for yourself online? If these problems are just noted on a seperate health check sheet, there's no reason a buyer would know?

Ref the headlights, have they had to adjust the beams at all for wrong heigh?t (a common MOT fail) - it might be that there's a specail method to adjust these dircectional lights that the garage don't know

colino

This is a problem that VOSA have to sort out. Your car passed it's MOT and at the time of presentation was roadworthy to the legal standards. The advisories section has become a shopping list for some garages to generate work and frighten non-technical people into being duped into paying for unnecessary work.
All well and good someone rolling up to a MOT station with 1.7mm tread and the tester pointing out it is borderine, but commenting on clutch and hatchback struts is taking the proverbial.
I think the garage in question has made a first class job of driving a customer away.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

if these are infact in the advosry section of the MOT sheet then i would be forwarding a complaint to trading standards, and making a complaint to the branches headoffice and branch manager.

clutch and tailgate struts shouldnt be on the sheet its unrelated MOT items.

colino

Unfortunately as it stands examiners are entitled to give their opinion in the advisories box on the vehicles condition if MOT testable or not.
Just as useful as a TV repair man fixing your telly and commenting on the receipt he doesn't fancy the colour of your sofa.