We only run one truck which we acquired at the back end of last year, initially only as a yard shunter but we decided it would be best to keep it road going just in case. However after having a pre MOT inspection done we were advised that they would need almost £4,500 to fix it up to roadworthy standard (trying to rip us off), we used the quote they gave us to bring the vehicle back to our site and carry out the repairs in our own workshop before booking it in for an MOT elsewhere however it failed that on a couple of issues that the previous company hadn’t identified, one being headlamp aim of course!
The biggest one for us though is that the front 2 tyres failed due to having a load rating too low, these were brand new tyres fitted by ATS as per our contract with them and they admitted it was their fault and came out to replace them for us before the re-test, however this has left a nasty 100 point score on our OCRS, given that we only run 1 vehicle this score on top of the score for the other failures is going to keep us in red for years.
I’m wondering if it’s worth speaking to DVSA about it and explaining about the tyres or if they would simply just tell us that ignorance is no excuse? Anyone had a similar experience or could offer any advice on this?
Hi
I’m not really an expert in areas such as this but for what its worth I doubt DVSA would change the outcome with any degree of explanation. They would put the onus of responsibility firmly on the operator. We have had previous experience of failed MOTs that have negatively impacted on our OCRS score and the advice I would give you is make every possible effort to not pick up any more negative points from now on. We now, never send a vehicle for MOT without a pre MOT check by the company we use that also does our MOT’s. It costs a bit but they won’t send a vehicle for a test unless they are sure it will pass, choosing to defer the test until the issues are sorted. This way anything that needs sorting is sorted before the DVSA tester gets near it. You obviously did this but then carried out the work yourself but I can understand why with a steep quote like that. In hindsight its a shame you didn’t present it for another pre MOT check somewhere as they would have spotted the mistake before it was tested but I’m sure you don’t need that pointed out.
You will get out of the red eventually but as you say it will take a bit of time.
Make sure your vehicle is roadworthy (to DVSA standards) at all times as from now by checking it often as a positive roadside check will start to swing the points back. Unfortunately being in the red will more than likely attract more pulls at the roadside but every positive result will help.
I used to see a few of comments about the total cost of MOTs until I started pointing out how it was broken down, so maybe this one went fairly similarly to this:
A Quoted price of £4500 which does seem a lot of money, but we are talking about a shunter. So less VAT element £750 and Test fee £90 (OK no VAT on that) and ATF charges £50 comes to £3610. Steam clean, MOT inspection and present for test probably accounts for 1 day’s labour so call that £400, which reduces it to £3210 and remember we haven’t actually done anything so far. Using the rule of thumb that £1 worth of parts generates £1 worth of labour and that brings the garage’s charge to £1600 plus maybe about £160 to £180 profit on the parts, probably less if most are dealer sourced only; the other £1400 going to the parts suppliers. Now it looks quite a bit different.
Appreciate the responses, my thoughts were that calling the DVSA would get us nowhere and that it’s our duty to ensure things are right before having a test carried out and in hindsight we absolutely should have had a second Pre MOT check carried out.
I’ve also found out this morning after receiving the latest report that the MOT pass for the vehicle second time around doesn’t count as an event, is this correct? Is it only first time pass that count as a nil point scoring or do they not count at all?
cav551:
I used to see a few of comments about the total cost of MOTs until I started pointing out how it was broken down, so maybe this one went fairly similarly to this:
A Quoted price of £4500 which does seem a lot of money, but we are talking about a shunter. So less VAT element £750 and Test fee £90 (OK no VAT on that) and ATF charges £50 comes to £3610. Steam clean, MOT inspection and present for test probably accounts for 1 day’s labour so call that £400, which reduces it to £3210 and remember we haven’t actually done anything so far. Using the rule of thumb that £1 worth of parts generates £1 worth of labour and that brings the garage’s charge to £1600 plus maybe about £160 to £180 profit on the parts, probably less if most are dealer sourced only; the other £1400 going to the parts suppliers. Now it looks quite a bit different.
The quote was just for parts and labour to get the vehicle ready for an MOT, we completed the work ourselves for around £1,200 and obviously the first garage had quoted to replace items that were fine and hadn’t included things that needed to be done, safe to say we won’t be using them any more!
Just general observations inspired by the tale without any knowledge of what work is in contention, so not meant to be viewed as criticism.
The MOT is an absolute rock bottom standard only applicable to the state of the vehicle on the day, it does not take into consideration what the vehicle could be like in a week’s time. The MOT preparation should be rectification work following a preventive maintenance inspection; it should not be a reaction to what has already failed. In an ideal world no work other than perhaps a chassis wash should be required. Using the tolerances allowed on a steering ball joint as an example, some of the tolerances applicable to components are simply frightening. Given also that sealed for life ball joints can deteriorate at an alarming rate once a small amount of extra free play is present, but which would be insufficient to deserve even an advisory, then differences in opinion over what work is necessary are easy to understand.
Using the example of any vehicle in poor condition being prepared for test in a reactive mode, then if for example £2000 had been spent I can easily forsee how the conversation would go if at the next PMI a quote was presented indicating that a further £2000 was required to rectify defects.
An in-house repair will practically always be cheaper than using the services of an outside agent, paticularly so if the expenditure is viewed in relation to the vehicle’s planned use and age and department budgets.
As mentioned headlight alignment is an old favourite, a failure on this can be prevented easily by booking a headlight check to be carried out at the time of test. This ensures that the alignment is checked on the day on the actual instrument being used for the MOT test. Even allowing for the relaxation of standard, the DVSA preferred instrument is considerably more fenickity than the more generally used devices. Without knowing the actual vehicle’ plated axle weights it is difficult to comment upon the issue of ply rating failure, however the tester at MOT does have attached to his clipboard the plating certificate for the vehicle which indicates the requirement for the vehicle, it would be unusual to say the least for a garage fitter to have the same available.
Here’s an ocrs question,I’ve a new sprinter on its way ,it will not need a mot for 3 yrs but it will be on my licence. I pressume my mot score will drop ? Or will it just stay the same ? I’am thinking it will be best just to mot it every yr for what it costs .
Punchy Dan:
Here’s an ocrs question,I’ve a new sprinter on its way ,it will not need a mot for 3 yrs but it will be on my licence. I pressume my mot score will drop ? Or will it just stay the same ? I’am thinking it will be best just to mot it every yr for what it costs .
I presume they would take that into account Dan, I send my 3.5 ton vans in for inspections every 10 weeks as I still view them as commercial vehicles even though they are obviously not on my O licence.
Punchy Dan:
Here’s an ocrs question,I’ve a new sprinter on its way ,it will not need a mot for 3 yrs but it will be on my licence. I pressume my mot score will drop ? Or will it just stay the same ? I’am thinking it will be best just to mot it every yr for what it costs .
I don’t actually know for certain but I would have thought it is only when the actual test / test result is processed that it generates any good / bad points.
Sent you a pm.
