MOT.... Ummm please give opinion.

[Tivyguy01]

Hi All
I have bought an A4 2.4 a week ago and the MOT was done 2 weeks previous.
driving the car back home I kept hearing a rattle sound front o/s so next day took to a garage iv used many times
and was called to workshop by technician who said don't drive the car 100% un road worthy.
both upper and lower arm bushes totally perished n/s and o/s. also both engine mounts just about hanging in there as so perished also he said front mount totally wasted.
thr mot says it was done at 18:45 ummm garage website says 17:30 close so do you smell a rat here.
also centre box has blow on it too and system very pitted...

I have been in contact with VOSA who are very interested but waiting to see if seller wants to resolve this first..

What you guys think..

Thanks

 

[Artimus]

I think a certain garage is about to lose either an MOT Tester or its Testing License! it'll be the tester that gets the blame ...if they have any sense. Compensation is also in order here - don't forget to demand some.

 

[gary3306]

I think the test centre may be in the droppings! The system has your last test times logged into it, so if your normal closing time is 5pm, then the last test should be logged on at 4pm or before. If a vehicle is logged on after this time, and most certainly if it is logged on AFTER closing time, the system will flag up a warning with VOSA. Rest assured, they WILL be getting a visit.

In the meantime, I hope you get it sorted mate. I also hope the garage have the book thrown at them, there's too much of this sort of thing going on.

 

[NineNails]

Have you checked it's a genuine mot? Soo easy to copy now days. The garage named might not even have tested the car

 

[HibiscusS4]

Its all subjective, what one person thinks is excesivly perished might be acceptable to another. My Mitsubishi just passed with 15 advisorys including one that has ment its off the road since it returned. The prop shaft centre bearing has a rubber mount that has perished away but its not part of the test so its not a fail. Lots of other bushes were also an advisory and must be fixed before next year.

The real question is did you pay the right kind of money for the car that needs some mantenance? Bushes will always need replacing at some point and all B5's are getting old now.

 

[Artimus]

I agree with your point, but the real question is: has he been sold a shed with a falsified MOT? if it wasn't sold for spares or repair and was given an MOT in unroadworthy condition, the garage has broken two laws.

 

[murran]

one mot testers excessivly perished bush is another testers acceptable condition bush.
engine mounts of any kind or condition are not part of the mot.
personally exhaust wise aslong as the blow on the exhaust doesnt sound like a tractor and it passes the emissions test (a blow can put the lambda reading out.) its gets passed and advised......... fyi vosa have recently got rid of the failure/advisory item "exhaust excessivley deteriorated" so it cant get failed on that. aslong as its adequatly supported it passes!

to me it sounds like theres a bit of play in one of the top arms (causing your knocking) that wasnt picked up on by the tester (is it an advisory on your test cert??) and your garage are making mountains out of molehills.

the only thing odd is the time on the test cert being outside of the opening hours.
but still we advetise being open at 8:30am and shut at 5pm.... but the hours listed with vosa are 8am while 6pm........ different!!

 

[aragorn]

It really does depend how bad they are. I've seen the middle crush tube delaminate from the rubber, allowing the arm to float around along the crushtube, which would be wildly unsafe and should never pass an MOT.

If the rubbers just a bit cracked though, it might well be fine.

 

[Tivyguy01]

Thanks to all for replies most helpful
After a lot of homework and speaking to legal people I have won the day.
The seller has credited my account nicely and has bought all the parts required and should be with me today...
"Back Of The Net Happy Days"

I am now trying to get hold of a new front engine mount as mine knackered.
i need the whole unit
i have tracked down the support bracket brand new but need the donut rubber bush and the bit that goes round the bracket to hold rubber mount in place.. Is this a dealer part???
thanks Guys

 

[HibiscusS4]

Just to prove tha an MoT is subjective, mine failed today on binding brakes (ok thats true enough) and an insecure petrol tank as the 'bracket' is cracked. Just looked up this 'bracket' and it is infact a heat sheild and only clips in place so I will gleefully show them this and ask how it made the tank insecure!

 

[hades-]

the mot place i use is open 830am till 5pm
but at vosa its open 8am till 8pm
so you cant really go on the time on the door

 

[aragorn]

Yeh a lot of garages seem to have extended hours logged with VOSA. I guess it makes sense, as even if they're supposed to finish at 5, it at least gives them the option of staying on late and finishing things off if they've fallen behind or something needs done ASAP.

If they set the testing time to exactly match their opening hours they wouldnt have that flexibility.

 

[HibiscusS4]

The place I go to has a ramp outside so they can run 3 MoT's at once. They dont use the ramp but with the new system they are required to have a ramp per concurent MoT and the MoT must last an hour. My place is open 8am to 10pm! Dont know what the hours logged with VOSA are.