Why not to do a free brake check

Theses "free brake checks" and "£25 MOTs" are loss leaders, they are designed for 1 purposed only, to get you in the door so they can then extract more money from you.

A small local garage near me does the same thing. He puts an advert in the local paper advertising £25 mot's if you cut out this advert. He then trys to sting you for an mot fail that they he can repair for you to get your car through the mot.

I've had first hand experience of it. I had done some pre-mot work to my Corrado which included fitting 2 new outer CV boots the day before it's mot. The car failed on 2 split CV outer boots the next day which he offered to repair. On the phone to him I refused and said I would take a look and if needed do the work myself. On inspection back at home it was clear that they had been stabbed at with a screwdriver, did he do this after the phone call? hmm. He is also famous for his "corrosion on the brake lines" which he has also failed me on and then offered to do the repair. I also refused and said I will made up my own brake lines. On inspection the existing lines looked fine. I fitted the new lines and cut my existing lines into 1" lengths and took them with me to the re-test to show the him that they were as good as new with just slight paint bubbles on the surface. At the re-test he went on a rant about safety and his reputation if something was to happen etc. etc.

Needless to say I don't go to that garage anymore.

Boils my blood, just had MOT and it was a fail due to broken piston seal on calipers, garage wanted nearly £600 to replace it! Luckily had both front calipers replaced just ten months back so was replaced for free under warranty