Waiting for a part

LesleyMoll

My son's car failed the MOT a week ago because the hazard warning light button does not work. They will not allow him to drive the car until it is repaired but the part is not in stock in the UK and they are waiting for it to come from Spain, which could take a while. He needs his car to visit clients and is having to rely on lifts and borrowing colleagues' cars which is a ridiculous situation. The garage will not loan him a courtesy car. Can anyone offer any advise? The garage have stated that apart from this, the car is A1

n217970

LesleyMoll wrote: »

My son's car failed the MOT a week ago because the hazard warning light button does not work. They will not allow him to drive the car until it is repaired but the part is not in stock in the UK and they are waiting for it to come from Spain, which could take a while. He needs his car to visit clients and is having to rely on lifts and borrowing colleagues' cars which is a ridiculous situation. The garage will not loan him a courtesy car. Can anyone offer any advise? The garage have stated that apart from this, the car is A1

Who won't let him drive the car? Work or the MOT tester? It would take a very brave mechanic to tell me I couldn't have my car back after a failed MOT.

I am sure lots of people will be along shortly to tell you he shouldn't drive an unroadworthy car though.

elsien

If it's failed the MOT, it doesn't really matter why, he still can't drive it as normal. He might need to look at borrowing or hiring a car if he needs it that much. The garage wouldn't normally give a courtesy car for any length of time, they need it for their other customers.

Has he looked for said part on eBay or via a breakers yard?

Car_54

I may be wrong, but I don't believe the MOT test station have the power to detain the car.

I'd be inclined to drive it and risk a fine.

Ebe_Scrooge

Car_54 wrote: »

I may be wrong, but I don't believe the MOT test station have the power to detain the car.

I'd be inclined to drive it and risk a fine.

This, exactly. An MOT tester has no right to prevent you from driving the car. Of course they can ( and probably should ) advise against driving it, but they have to right to prevent you from doing so.


I'd also be inclined to drive it and take the risk. Without wishing to open up the old can of worms about "having a valid MOT certificate" versus "driving an unroadworthy vehicle", which has been done to death many times ....... if the old MOT certificate has not yet expired, you'd have to be extremely unlucky to be pulled up at random. And if you did get stopped, I suspect ( hope ? ) any reasonable PC would be rather more lenient about hazard lights than, say, bald tyres.


Of course, if the old MOT certificate has expired then there is rather more chance of being pinged by an ANPR camera - in this case I'd be very wary about driving the car.

Richard53

elsien wrote: »

If it's failed the MOT, it doesn't really matter why, he still can't drive it as normal.

He can, as long as the previous MoT hasn't expired.


He must not drive an unroadworthy car, but I would argue that inoperative hazard lights do not make a car unroadworthy.

Warwick_Hunt

Richard53 wrote: »

He can, as long as the previous MoT hasn't expired.


He must not drive an unroadworthy car, but I would argue that inoperative hazard lights do not make a car unroadworthy.

It wouldn’t and what are the odds on getting caught if he has working indicators?

Car_54

Warwick_Hunt wrote: »

It wouldn’t and what are the odds on getting caught if he has working indicators?

Very long, especially since AFAIK there is no situation where it is mandatory to use hazards.

LesleyMoll

His MOT expired on the day he had it done and the MOT garage sent him straight to the main dealership around the corner and it was there he was told he could not drive it any further so he had to leave it there and walk back to work. Since then, he has been relying on lifts and borrowing cars for a few hours to get to clients. His insurance company will not sanction a courtesy car and the dealership will not let him have one either

LesleyMoll

I totally agree with you

Warwick_Hunt

Car_54 wrote: »

Very long, especially since AFAIK there is no situation where it is mandatory to use hazards.

The only one I can think of if the vehicle is stopped for examination. Even then he can opt for a deferred test.