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MOT tests, how valid are they?

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New Dexter
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MOT tests, how valid are they?

Post by New Dexter »

MOT tests. How valid is a certificate? Now it has been said that a test certificate is just an indication of the state of the vehicle at the time of the test. However, surely if the vehicle has travelled very few miles it should pass a subsequent test 1056 miles later?
Not in this case. I took my vehicle to be tested and the garage failed it on 2 dangerous defects and five major defects. One was a front to rear brake pipe which was "excessively corroded". Now the tester had noticed that some of the items had been marked with yellow paint before he tested it and when I asked him if he would have passed the vehicle last year he replied that he would not have done so. So much for a valid certificate.
I have reported the matter to the DVSA surveillance unit but it doesn't help me much.

Brian-H
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Re: MOT tests, how valid are they?

Post by Brian-H »

It's not just mileage which affects the state of a car, it's also father-time. I don't see how one tester can infer the state of anything from a year ago as they don't know how and where the car has been, even if it's only done 1056 miles in a year e.g. I've no doubt you didn't do this, but if it was left parked on a sea wall for a year, it doesn't need to do any miles to deteriorate badly.

AFAIK the DVSA do monitor the % pass-fail rate of every tester anyway.

Which car was it btw ?

A.N.Other
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Re: MOT tests, how valid are they?

Post by A.N.Other »

It’s all down to personal interpretation of guide lines and what was had for breakfast that day. I’ve seen experienced testers failing things because they simply know it’s a common fault on a particular car. The secret is to be with the tester as he does the test and talk it all through with him as he does it. Not a lot of garages allow you to do it. When you find one that does it’s well worth it. If the tester does find things they are usually happy to tell you why.
Colin,
I may be slow but I’m rough as well !

Sydsmith
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Re: MOT tests, how valid are they?

Post by Sydsmith »

When I bought my 15, the seller claimed he had sold the number to his son and I did not query it. The car had been standing for 6 years and had to be dragged out of the garage by a tow vehicle, the tyres and battery were shot. The head and side lamps were in the boot, the hand brake was inoperative the fuel tank had been disconnected and a lawn mower tank was rigged into the engine bay. The car had clearly not been started for donkeys years.

It has an age related number which was allocated to it and I assumed long before I bought the car when it was roadworthy. I trailered it home and went to SORN it, only to find it had a three month old MOT.

I should have reported it, but sat on it until one day 18 moths later the seller rang me and offered me the old number for £3,000 and would not budge on the price, so I declined. Perhaps again, I should have shopped him, but I did nothing.

With the computer in the way, I am not sure how the MOT testing station fiddled the MOT, except perhaps by using a spoof vehicle to fool the computer. How ever they did it they took a massive gamble.

NickDeAth
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Re: MOT tests, how valid are they?

Post by NickDeAth »

I would have a guess that the car had never been near or by the testing station. Yes I am a cynical sort of person.

Nick.
"Nick - do you think you will ever put that old car back together again?"

Brian-H
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Re: MOT tests, how valid are they?

Post by Brian-H »

I'm not following the logic there Syd - it's the VIN that they enter into the computer, and maybe it was given to the tester on a piece of paper (to save the tester some time searching for it).

Also, did you check the VIN on the car against the VIN on the V5 ?

Sydsmith
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Re: MOT tests, how valid are they?

Post by Sydsmith »

All is present and correct Brian, it was very clear the car had not moved a wheel for years when I went to see it. All the tyres were flat and perished, it could never have been near a MOT testing station. The MOT cert was several moths old and I presume as you say, they entered the VIN details from my car to run a brake and emissions test to complete the computerised details for the DVLA. They must have used a substitute car to get it past the test. Or am I getting this wrong? Syd

Brian-H
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Re: MOT tests, how valid are they?

Post by Brian-H »

Well that leaves a few dodgy possibilities Syd
1. an extremely dodgy test station gave out an MOT pass based on a V5 only (along with a promise not to sell the car for at least 6 months) - that is perfectly feasible as there's no "ANPR" type arrangement at the test stations
2. a less dodgy test station gave out an MOT pass based on a similar car which had the number plates on, and was given the VIN on a piece of paper with ether this excuse "it's difficult to locate" or this excuse "the VIN plates are missing but that's the VIN on the V5"
3. in the late 70s to early 80s my father had two identical Citroen Ami cars, and he used to swap the number plates over and take only one car for the MOT and only insure one car, but drive either on that number plate (I'm fairly sure that he couldn't/didn't swap VIN plates) - without looking at old MOT certificates in my loft, I've no idea whether VIN numbers were on MOT certificates in those days (if they were then he probably did something as next).
4. maybe someone recently did something similar with your 15 - similar to the above, and possibly (if it's as on the Consort) just swapped over the screwed-on VIN plate on the bulkhead along with the number plates, then waited over 6 months before selling it.

Both 3. and 4. are known as "ringing", not possible these days as (AFAIK) none of the VIN plates can be easily swapped on modern cars.


Big Col wrote: Sun May 23, 2021 5:53 pm It’s all down to personal interpretation of guide lines and what was had for breakfast that day. I’ve seen experienced testers failing things because they simply know it’s a common fault on a particular car. The secret is to be with the tester as he does the test and talk it all through with him as he does it. Not a lot of garages allow you to do it. When you find one that does it’s well worth it. If the tester does find things they are usually happy to tell you why.
Spot on.

NickDeAth
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Re: MOT tests, how valid are they?

Post by NickDeAth »

Many years ago ( that is becoming a very common starting point these days) I knew of an MOT station where you could pull in and if the car was less than 6 years old the tester wouldn't even get out of his chair, he would just sit at his desk and write a certificate out.

Now I wouldn't have to stretch my imagination too far to think that if you found a suitably co-operative MOT tester he or she could sit at their computer keyboard and enter all the relevant information . Hey presto! Valid MOT certificate.

I have seen things like this done so don't try and tell me it can't happen. Fortunately most testers don't fall into that category.

Nick
"Nick - do you think you will ever put that old car back together again?"

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