Car brought with no advisories actually had lots!

cymruchris

TELLIT01 said:

I won't comment on anything other than the tyres.  They should ideally be checked before every journey but I don't know of anybody who actually does that.  I check mine every couple of weeks, but tyres which according to a mechanic are 'completely bald' would have been like that 800 miles previously.  Legal limit is 1.6mm and anything less than 3mm would normally be shown as an advisory.  Something doesn't ring true with the original MOT, or the vendor, if the OP is accurate about the mileage they have done.

Completely bald is a bit subjective though - the new garage may have said that as a way of saying they were down to, or near to their 1.6mm limit rather than being a smooth as an egg. Again, not saying that the original MOT wasn't generous, but many things 'said' are open to interpretation, and in some cases exaggeration (you just have to read a few threads across the boards to see that!).

To the OP - when your new mechanic told you the tyres were completely bald - did they show them to you? If so, what did you see? Did they explain in what way they were bald? (edges, centre, whole tyre etc)

Tyres can sometimes wear around the edges (and be bald/illegal) but still show a healthy tread across the central band of the tyre through suspension or tyre inflation problems.

If the OP didn't happen to even look at the tyres and they weren't inflated correctly (something that should be checked regularly) - then there's a chance that the tyres suffered uneven wear, and what was 'acceptable' previously wouldn't take long to become 'illegal' if driving around all day on under or over inflated tyres.

When tyre pressure is low for example, its surface area that touches the road increases. The increased footprint, if left unattended, will increase friction, which can cause overheating. Overheating, in turn, can lead to premature wear, tread separation, and eventually, a blowout. But all of this is a bit subjective without seeing the actual tyres the OP has mentioned.

Geodark

Quick Question - was it a local independent garage, or part of a chain that specialise in tyres etc?

Jonboy_1984

I went through a pair of brand new front tyres in around 14 weeks and less than 3000 miles a couple of years ago. As they were new I was being less diligent than I should of and found out when one punctured and discovered both were down through the rubber on the inside edge.

It turned out the tracking was well off on both wheels….

Jumblebumble

HelpM3ee said:

So I have no idea if anyone can help me with any advice and if it’s actually worth fighting for .. 

I brought a car from a garage end of September 2022 with ‘good condition tyres’, new mot and service with no advisories on the mot done one week prior. 

The car started making a funny noise in January so I took it to a (very reliable) mechanic and upon his inspection found the brake pads and discs completely bare, two front tyres completely bald and illegal and no service only ‘oil change’ for the last 5 years. The car cost me £750 to be made road safe and to have an actual service carried out. 

I have spoken to car garage and he takes no responsibility and says it’s due to my wear and tear but I have driven it less than 800 miles and would be impossible to create that much damage to a car with supposedly no advisories. I literally drive to and from school 3minutes drive away and that’s it. 

A mot would tell you if break pads/discs were worn and if tyres were close to legal limit, all of which there were no notes. Car garage is also adamant an oil change is a service which it is not. 

I have asked the garage to reimburse me of my mechanical fees as I would not have purchased the car had the advisories been mentioned and he refuses.
Is it worth fighting for to get my money back? He is not registered with the motor ombudsman so I cannot go through them so more likely a small claims court if I did follow through.

You cannot say what the MOT garage should or should not done as you have no evidence whatever that the car was presented for its MOT with the same Tyres that it had when you bought it.
Presumably you now have a car with brand new disks and pads and tyres so I cannot see why the Garage would pay for all of that and have told you go whistle ( this is assuming you asked them for £750 )