Car tyre limits

74jax

Iceweasel wrote: »

How long ago did this happen?

The VOSA ceased to exist in March 2014.

The DVSA has been responsible for all MOT matters since April 2014.

I haven't a clue who you phoned in Newcastle - but it can't have been DVSA.

To contact the DVSA see here - phone an 0300 number or write to them in Wales.

https://www.gov.uk/contact-dvsa/y/mot-vehicle-tests-and-approval

74jax wrote: »

I was given -


Vehicle & Operator Services Agency, Testing Station, Sandy Lane, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE3 5HB 01912364286


on a note from the dealer?


I just called that.


I'm wondering what the dealer gave me now......

Was in the last week of November. I didn't look up the details, just called the details on the paper the dealer gave me. Appears they didn't give me the correct ones from reading on here. I'm on my phone so can't do any searches etc. At the moment. Not sure why they would give me these details though, bit strange but it's a while ago now.

jbainbridge

Given that your tyre was legal - have you taken the time to report the testing station?

loskie

https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/problems-with-your-test-result

74jax

jbainbridge wrote: »

Given that your tyre was legal - have you taken the time to report the testing station?

I called today but was told I had left it too long. MOT was November.

I've had too much on lately, just happy I can use my 'old' tyre and that other people wear down their tyres too.

Johnmcl7

I tend to replace my tyres as they're approaching 2mm.

I have had the scary warnings from the garage though as I put the car in for a service and MOT while it was still under warranty to try and reduce hassle for any issues that occurred under warranty (stupid I know). They phoned me to say the car has failed the pre-MOT check because the tyre tread was dangerously low and the tyres needed immediately replaced. I pointed out there was a decent amount of tread left but the reply was they were warning me as the car was likely to fail the MOT, I told them if it failed the MOT on the tyres I'd be taking the car to another garage and reporting their garage. They quietened down after that and they'd noted the tread as 2.5mm.

I can see them catching out other people who aren't so sure about the tread depths as I'm sure the garage would be charging a lot more than I paid for the eventual replacements.

John

AdrianC

Of course, it's entirely legal that the tyre DOES have 4mm, but is still illegal and an MOT fail.

Johnmcl7

AdrianC wrote: »

Of course, it's entirely legal that the tyre DOES have 4mm, but is still illegal and an MOT fail.

True but in this case they were claiming it was specifically because the tread depth was too low, the car passed the MOT with no advisories.

John

AdrianC

Johnmcl7 wrote: »

True but in this case they were claiming it was specifically because the tread depth was too low

Still eminently possible...

the car passed the MOT with no advisories.

Then the tyre was legal. End of. <shrug>

arcon5

I want to know what right they had to refuse to give you the car back.... they have none. They have no legal right or obligation to withhold an unroadworthy vehicle. They had no right to refuse to give you the car!


As for DVSA, DVLA, VOSA ---- how about the pedantics around here shut it, everybody know what op mean and nobody cares about your superior knowledge about which agency it is now

mrmot

bigjl wrote: »

If the car was clearly unfit to be on the road they should have stopped the test.

I'll bite, what's the reasoning behind this statement?

During test we check the centre 75% of the tyre for tread depth, which should be a minimum of 1.6mm.

The key word here is tread, which has a clear definition in the testers manual, I'll quote from the official testers manual and not the 3rd party out of date one that was shown earlier.

A tread pattern
is the combination of plain surfaces and grooves extending across the breadth of the tread and round the entire circumference.

This inspection only applies to the primary grooves. Primary grooves are those which contain the tread wear indicators (TWI) or are cut as deep as those containing the TWI when new.

Other grooves or sipes that are not cut as deep as the primary grooves are not part of this inspection.

This means that you can only take a measurement in the deepest grooves.

This is how tyres should be checked.

https://mattersoftesting.blog.gov.uk/getting-into-the-groove/

The difference between 1mm and 4mm of tread should be quite obvious, are there any pictures of the offending tyre and what was the fail reason including the manual reference numbers in brackets on the paperwork?