MOT Advisory what next 8 September 2022 at 10:03AM edited 8 September 2022 at 10:05AM in Motoring 20 replies 2.5K views

frankie

Just had an MOT on my 10 year old Skoda Octavia (55000 miles) and the following advisories were issued. 

• Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened slightly scored (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
• Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Nearside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))
• Nearside Rear Suspension component pin or bush slightly worn trailing arm bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Offside Rear Suspension component pin or bush slightly worn trailing arm bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

What should I do to rectify these and are they serious enough for me to be worried?

Any advice on costs to rectify?

Is it time to move the car on and consider changing?  I've been very happy with the car.

TIA

DanDare999

frankie said:

Just had an MOT on my 10 year old Skoda Octavia (55000 miles) and the following advisories were issued. 

• Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened slightly scored (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
• Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Nearside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))
• Nearside Rear Suspension component pin or bush slightly worn trailing arm bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Offside Rear Suspension component pin or bush slightly worn trailing arm bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

What should I do to rectify these and are they serious enough for me to be worried?

Any advice on costs to rectify?

Is it time to move the car on and consider changing?  I've been very happy with the car.

TIA

Repair or replace, they are advisories and would be a serious fail if enough to be worried about. 

Ebe_Scrooge

frankie said:

Is it time to move the car on and consider changing?  I've been very happy with the car.

Almost certainly not.  If you've been happy with the car then it's 99.9% certain that it'll be cheaper to fix the advisories and keep the car, it should last you for many more years.

Brake discs - they're pretty much a consumable item anyway, cheap and easy to replace.  Suspension pins - a cheap fix.  Suspension arm, another cheap thing to replace.  All this assuming you're using a decent independent mechanic, not a main dealer.  And they don't need doing immediately, they may well do by the time the next MOT comes around.

If it were me, the only thing I'd want to look at reasonably sharpish is the corroded subframe.  If it's OK at the moment, it would make sense to sort it out now to stop it getting worse - a stitch in time and all that.  Hopefully it'll just be a case of wire-brushing off the surface rust, get some rust-killer on there, followed by a couple of coats of appropriate paint (two-pack epoxy or purpose-designed chassis paint).  Spend a few quid on that, it should then last for many more years without any expensive repairs.

To be honest, all of those advisories are pretty much to be expected on a 10 year old car - there's no reason at all that you should consider getting rid of it based purely on those items (assuming the rest of the car is OK, which it sounds like it is, from what you've said).

facade

frankie said:

Just had an MOT on my 10 year old Skoda Octavia (55000 miles) and the following advisories were issued. 

• Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened slightly scored (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
• Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Nearside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))
• Nearside Rear Suspension component pin or bush slightly worn trailing arm bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Offside Rear Suspension component pin or bush slightly worn trailing arm bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

What should I do to rectify these and are they serious enough for me to be worried?

Any advice on costs to rectify?

Is it time to move the car on and consider changing?  I've been very happy with the car.

TIA

The corrosion needs treating or it will get worse, if it does then the components can be replaced. You can wire brush the rust off it and daub with a rust inhibiting metal paint, or one of those oily anti-rust fluids, or get your local garage to do it.

The rest can be ignored for now, but budget for replacing brake discs and suspension bushes in the future.

No reason to get rid of an otherwise good car and risk someone else's cast-off.

AJRBADGER

frankie said:

Just had an MOT on my 10 year old Skoda Octavia (55000 miles) and the following advisories were issued. 

• Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened slightly scored (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
• Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Nearside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))
• Nearside Rear Suspension component pin or bush slightly worn trailing arm bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Offside Rear Suspension component pin or bush slightly worn trailing arm bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

What should I do to rectify these and are they serious enough for me to be worried?

Any advice on costs to rectify?

Is it time to move the car on and consider changing?  I've been very happy with the car.

TIA

I'm assuming giving that you are asking, you don't know much to DIY. A few of those things are fairly easy DIY fixes. 

Brake discs - I'd replace both sides and pads too. DIY this would cost < £100. Garage maybe £200
Bushes - Again could be done DIY for < £50, but depends on the bush. Garage maybe £250 (as they can take time)

The sub frame corrosion - wire brush then put on a rust treatment, followed by an undercoat - will slow progression. So long as you have a jack and axel stand...... A (available in any hardware store) rust treatment like Kurust costs about £10 for a tub and a tub of something like waxoil about the same. I personally wouldn't bother getting a garage to do this.

RobM99

Is it reliable? Do you like it? Does it meet your needs (as in - big/small enough, got the extras you like?)?

If Yes to all, repair and keep (in my view). 

venomx

I wouldn't switch the car at 55,000 miles with them advisories. Most of them are cheap and easy to fix, will cost a few hundred though !

Ebe_Scrooge

venomx said:

I wouldn't switch the car at 55,000 miles with them advisories. Most All of them are cheap and easy to fix

Fixed that for you

But yes, you're absolutely right.  All cheap and simple to fix, pretty much all of them to be expected on a ten-year old car, none of them serious.  And given that Skodas have a reputation for being reliable, practical, and all-round "good" cars (thousands of minicab drivers can't be wrong), it would be daft - in my 'umble opinion - to even consider getting rid purely on the basis of those advisories.  It's got years of life left in it yet

And if the OP did decide to change, and to buy another used (as opposed to new) car, I'd be willing to bet a hefty amount that within a year of owning it, he'd have very similar  - or potentially far more expensive - advisories/fails appearing on the next MOT.  Almost always it's "better the devil you know".

biscan25

Aside from a leaky exhaust, I've never bothered to fix advisories. They are there one year and go the next. I do maintain my car however, so I do know when my brakes are running low, or I have some corrosion where it could be a problem.

• Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened slightly scored (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

This one would be my biggest concern. Brake discs get scored when there's metal to metal contact, so worth having a look how much brake pad you have left. If it's metal to metal, it'll only get worse, and discs are much more expensive than pads. Could just have been a stone in between the disc and pas though.

If you're happy with the car, don't change it. Better the devil you know. My car is 19 now, worth about £2.5k, and I know I couldn't get a similarly performing newer car for double that. Skoda Octavias are solid too, basically a Golf with a bigger boot.

Flight3287462

You need to have a look at the subframe, if that worsens it will be what kills the car long term.  As has been said if the subframe is sound a wire brush and coat of underseal should sort that then do the rest as and when. 

Bigwheels1111

I had corroded rear discs on my Vectra for 3 mot’s,
Then sold it to my friend, he did 10k that year and no corrosion of disc was mentioned.
Sub frame needs sorting first.
Drill with wire brush, then a tin of rust eating primer and then good old hammerite spray paint.