Who should I go if I think my car wrongly passed it's M.O.T?

Question

I've looked at the V.O.S.A website but can't find any info, their site isn't very easy to navigate!

Please help!

I bought the car 2 months ago from a dealer with 12 months M.O.T. I've since discovered Its brake pipes are corroded and it shouldn't of passed its M.O.T. I want it checked so I can go back to the dealer and have the work done, as if it shouldn't passed he sold me a unroadworthy vehicle.

Hope this shreads more light on the subject.

The reason I had the brake checked is because they started to squel and had them checked by an M.O.T verified mechanic (who is also a relative of a friend of mine, who I trust), who found numberous faults with the braking system, which one was a correded brake pipe which he states should of definatly been picked up at the time of the M.O.T. Also he says the brakes had not been looked at in very long time due to the amount of work he had to do to get access to the shoes/pads etc and the dealer told me he had work done to the rear brakes before I took it away.

I now want this checked as a matter of principle, I should not of been sold a car with the brake pipe in such condition.

I am not looking for trouble as you seem to think, I just want fair and honest treatment as I would give to anyone is wrong to expect it back from another?

Answer 1

When did the car pass its M.O.T?
A mot is valid ONLY on the day it was issued, its acceptable to assume that everything is ok but if it was recent, what makes you think there may be something wrong with the certificate. let me know and I may be able to find something out for you.

Answer 2

Corroded brake pipes are normal, it is corroded to excess which gets an MOT fail.
Crap fit and the like will tell you all sorts of b*******s to prise your cash out of you.
Basically if your brakes have failed complain to the garage where you bought it, if not why are you looking for trouble 2 months into owning it, have you had a good holiday and want to get your money back after 4000 miles of motoring to get free car hire.

Chances there was nothing wrong with the brake pipes and still is but as someone has thrown doubt on this, you should spend a few hundred quid changing them.
The MOT is a legal requirement and means that at certain times during the period of the test all the testable items complied with the laws. A bulb may fail immeadiately after being checked,
The steering may be so mis aligned that the front tyres are illegal within 10 miles, I managed to destroy a new pair in 10 miles once when the alignment gauge got bent, and there can be wide differences between different testers interpretation of what is dangerous.
I really doubt your motives.
Normal folk get a new car checked out by a mate before or soon after the sale, 2 months and looking for trouble why?
6 months and first service, I can understand, 12 months and next MOT is a good time to find faults, but 2 months sounds very fishy
Brake pipes are very expensive items, because ham fisted mechanics break bleed screws while fitting them and then you need Calipers, only fitted in pairs by responsible mecahnics, or wheel cyls, and pumping the brakes to expel air wrecks the Master Cylinder seals.
Take it back where you bought it and ask them politely to look at the pipes, if they got it wrong they will almost certainly put it right very quick, if not then they and you have a problem cos if you are knowingly driving a vehicle with defective brakes that is your responsiblilty, you get the fine and points, and if the Garage refuses to play ball you cannot repair or use the car until the legalities are settled.

Answer 3

The safety boffs would tell you thats bad, but the MOT is not really anything to do with safety, failure for a crack on the windscreen for example!! Or the best example, the brakes only have to be able to meet the required pressure, that doesn't mean they are ANY good at all. So I'd take that as a blessing and pretend you didn't see it, unless of course it is a serious issue like brakes.

Best place to take it to would be the garage it was tested. They almost never put cars through that shouldn't go through as it means serious trouble for them, and it deprives them of work they could earn money on!! If it should have failed they will probably fix that fault for you at no charge, but the car only needs to pass at the time of test. As long as it meets the criteria at that moment in time that is all that matters, if it has a failure fault 10minutes after leaving the garage unless it can be proven it had that fault when it was tested there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Answer 4

hi you are wasting your time with vosa . the mot is appealable for mechanical work for 30 days after the mot was issued 90 days for corrosion . however if you have had work repaired on your car there is an appeal system in place but you have to prove that it was in that condition on the day of test . . if you go on vosa web site abd put in your reg no you can see now if any advisories have been issued at the time of the test these stay on the system so the tester may have said brake pipes starting to corrode but not enough to fail . ect . best bet is to go back to the dealer and say that the car is not in a saleable condition . the mot is just a basic test not a proof of condition . it is just a visual test no stripping down of brakes lifting of carpets hitting with a sharp object ect . with emmisions and brake readings that say that the hand brake will hold a min of 25% and overall brakes of 50 % of vehicle mass empty . but if you want to appeal goto any mot testing station and ask for an appeal form pay your money about 45 quid post it off and a vosa inspector will arrange an inspection .

Answer 5

Well the easy way is you can go back to the dealership and say what the other mechanic saw and have them replace what needs to be replaced!! That is if they are kind to do this for you because some dealers will not do it!! Tell them that you will sue them and cause a little bit of a scene in front of customers and they might do it for you !! Otherwise the only way is to really sue them!! Check how long a M.O.T is good for because where I am they are only good for 36 days and you said that you bought it 2 months ago the dealer could say that it happened after the 36 days!! Good luck!!

Answer 6

You should replace your gearbox oil and check your clutch adjustment but this isn't part of the test, neither are cosmetic things like the glove locker handle. The tailgate lock may be part of the test, I don't know for sure but they could consider it a safety point - if you crashed and it was the only usable door left then the fire brigade would take longer to get it open, all other door locks have to work so maybe this one too. As for the exhaust, it sounds like the baffle may be detached inside it, it may have damaged mountings or a hole in it. I usually prefer to look upon the test as a pre test which will give me a list of jobs to do for the test. Many garages will do a pre test but if all is okay then they can write out a test certificate - it's a bit cheaper this way.

Answer 7

NO YOUR RIGHT WHAT YOU SAY YOU NEED TO GO TO THE DEALER AND LET HIM REPAIR THE PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY IF NOT GET A rac report and take it a copy to the dealer again if he wont deal with the prob ring your finance company tell them to intervene or you are going to return the car for a refund that will shift them the dealer gets a call from the finance company craps himself and repairs the car lot of clout finance companies hope this helps.

Answer 8

I would first go to a 2nd shop and have the test redone. If the results are still the same then there is nothing wrong. Other wise talk to the shop who did the test and find out why their test differ from the other. If you still have questions the VOSA office would be the next place to go to. You should have a local office in your area.

Answer 9

it tells you what to do on the back of the mot but
you can go to a vehicle test station where they do hgv and psv testing they will help youbut
the only comeback youv got is if the vehicle isnt fit for the purpose it was sold for
or complain to dvla swansea

Answer 10

did you buy the car with what you thought was a good mot or are you not happy with the car now, as just stated in the eyes of the law it is only valid for very limited time , when was the car issued with its mot