I had an MOT test done today, it passed - but it should not have done! What do i do?

Question

My mot test was not sue til may but i had it done today. Anyway, my mate (who is a mechanic) looked at it this morning - and he said the car has the following faults:
1. Front registration number plate broken (cracked)
2. Shock Absorbers (rear) leaking
3. Steering rack leaking!!! (Expensive job to fix!)
4. Free play in steering wheel
5. Handbrake too many clicks (needs adjusting)
6. Wipers need replacing

The car passed without even an advisory or anythin. How can it pass with all the following faults? I put it in for MOT before my mate did the work, so he could only do what needs fixing. But now I am concerned! Especially about steering rack as steering may go! I am replacing shock absorbers anyway, as the car bangs a lot from rear - but should the gargage get away with this?

The car has only done 67k, and has had 2 previous lady owners. I have had the car a year now - and have only doen about 5000 miles in it. Its a good car - if my mate had not looked at it I would have believed garage. I just dont know what to do!

Also I have never had a problem with the car since I have had it

Answer 1

Report the garage to your local Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) office before they pass a really dangerous vehicle.

Answer 2

The problem with getting a mate to look over a car is they will be very critical about someone else's work.
Mot's check for the minimum standard of components.
1. Is the number plate complete and legible?
2. Are the shockers leaking heavily (a misting is OK) and actually working?
3. Is the rack leaking bad enough it's obvious a seal has blown (again misting is allowed)?
4. Is the free-play more than 13mm at the steering wheel for a rack and pinion steering system?
5. Does the handbrake run out of available travel (it can go a long way before it does)?
6. Do the wipers clear the screen enough for you?
If so then all of those would be passes, although depending of severity there should have been an advisory issued.
If you're still in doubt contact your local VOSA office ASAP and don't do any work to the vehicle, they may want to retest it.

Answer 3

an MOT is meant to meet the minimum requirements of the "road traffic act". just because these faults are there, they need to be assessed to see if they ARE excessive. you ARE allowed to have a SLIGHT misting of oil from the shock absorbers, you ARE allowed SOME free play at the steering wheel which is assessed on whether it's a steering rack or steering box system, but you still should have been given an advisory sheet stating the faults! at the end of the day it's down to the individual tester to use his knowledge and experience to determine a pass or faliure!

Answer 4

the mot is a folly in my opinion it is a loose set of guidelines enforced by many individuals who ":in there opinion at that moment in time check the items required for complience"

front plate cracked aint a fail
minor leaks on dampers arent a fail
oil leaks are not a fail (i once had a sump split on car test and it didnt fail

peramiters for free play at wheel differ from rack type to box
and then it is so much free free play in mm dependant on steering wheel diametar

handbrake would depend on reserve travel

and wipers as long as thay aint split pass

probably get thumbs down for this but i dont set the rules i just follow them.....we submit over 200 truck and trailer mots a year some things that arent testable are just as crazy as those that are.

Answer 5

as long as it wasn`t a car i tested?
do not have the car repaired or adjusted, ring the number on the pass certificate and they will guide you, you will need to fill in a form to make a complaint.
basically it will cost you another mot fee to have the car rechecked by a vosa inspector, this will be done at another testing station and if your thoughts are correct and the car is found to be below the mot standard the garage will be investigated, your fee refunded.
but dont be scared to complain, you could be saving lives, us straight testers have nothing to hide, flush out the rotten traders

Answer 6

those problems mentioned dont really get checked during MoT. Garages will not pass your MOT if not all criterias are met other wise the garage will be liable for passing an unsafe car and will be shut down, so I am sure the things that need to be fine for an MOT is fine.

Answer 7

your caught in the middle but what are you suggesting reporting the garage for faulty MOT or accepting it only by reporting them doesn't get your steering rack done and that's not cheap it would sound to me the car has done its whack so why not dump it and every one will be safe

Answer 8

mot test is an opinion of excess wear by a tester who has demonstrated his ability to the required standard. is your friend a qualified mot tester? mal webber's 3 who's. who pays. who decides. who benifits. rules apply here. eg cracked No plate not mot failure ifnumber not obscured. self ajusting brakes need sloppy h\brake to work effecently 3 or 4 clicks on h\brake will render them inopperative.

Answer 9

Report the garage to the Department of trading Standards, they can investigate and may have other cases where this has happened with the same garage.
The Ministry of Transport only allow select garages to offer MOT's and can take away the licence to do them from a garage which is not up to standards

Answer 10

I'm not sure why you would ask such a question.
If you know the car is unfit to be on the road, you dont need anyone to tell you what to do!

MOT tested, or not, if the car needs repairs, then repair it before it kills you and possibly some others too.