Sons Polo went in for a service yesterday and a couple of thing were picked up--




- Front anti-roll bar needs replaing - Green garden hose has been used to pack out a worn bush/rubber.

- Rear wishbone console bushes shot.


We bought the car in February with a 12 moth MOT and it has done approx 1000 miles since then, mainly with him learning (passed test two weeks ago)



What ticks me off is that this bodge has been done and has quite clearly been missed/ignored on the MOT. Is there any point in me bringing this to the authorities atttention. I guess the garage concerned coudl argue that it was done afterwards, but it is quite obvious it has been like it for thousands of miles.


Just goes to show that buying a car in some circumstances with an MOT is just a waste of time

Me personally. I'd let the MOT people know. You bought a car which is now evidently not worth as much as you paid due to the fact it had a false MOT. Ultimately, you'd have paid less or passed on the car I'm guessing if you had known it wasn't roadworthy due to the bodges. It's not the case that it can be made roadworthy for a hundred quid or so, more the fact that you were duped by some lousy bodger and a garage that is blind or chose to ignore the bodges.

The mot is the MINIMUM safety standard and as long as the bush is securely clamped and can't move then there is no reason to fail it regardless of wether you think the repair is appropriate or not. Items subject to wear and tear should be reported within 28 days .

Did you not receive any advisory notes with the mot certificate

Some WV front ARB's have a plastic bush moulded to the ARB. The rubber D bush and clamp goes over this.Unfortunatly the plastic disintigrates leaving play They can't be replaced without a new ARB (expensive). Some models have replacement D bushes of smaller internal diameter available (so solving the problem), others don't and bodges are common. Not seen garden hose used before but packing out isn't a problem if done well. It's not gong to be an MOT failure and even without it, a small amount of play in the D bushes isn't always a fail.
The front wishbone, rear bushes, are poor even from new (too much compliance) and fail/split for fun. Even then they aren't always going to be an MOT fail unless "excessive".

Both jobs are worth highlighting when servicing a car as they should be done in an ideal world and most garages would be glad of the extra work. They've informed you and therefore covered thier arse and possibly generated some work.

Just as an accountant is NOT responsible if he does your tax wrong, the MOT is taken as a moment in time. If a wheel falls off just after you have passed the test, there is no comeback. "It was OK when I inspected it"

6 months ago!, your on a hiding to nothing 1000 miles or not , fix it and move on. Altough the time and effort it must have taken to bodge the arb bush could have been done properly

The last two cars i have bought have had bad MOTs. My accord estate had a seized rear caliper that wasn't braking much at all, bulbs blown, wipers split and a few other bits wrong with it. It had only just had an MOT the day before by a garage who the seller said was his friend. I also bought a golf with badly worn anti roll bar bushes, washers not working and the abs light on caused by a broken wheel sensor. This had also just been MOTed by a friend of the seller. I found the faults when i viewed the cars so managed to haggle the prices down quite well. Both sellers were not conected at all but were both conected to the motor trade. It's no wonder the motor trade is so untrusted.

Cheers Guys. All good advice there.


I agree, too much time has gone by to make an issue out of this with the seller of the car or the MOT place. They would just argue it must have been done after the MOT had taken place.


Had some quotes through for around £340 to get it all sorted including a 4 wheel alignment afterwards, so not too bad I suppose. At least we bought the car for below market value back in February after some haggling.



Thanks again, all calmed down again now . Perhaps the garage concerned will have a few "Missed" service appointments over then next week or so

[Edited on 16/8/11 by karlak]

[Edited on 16/8/11 by karlak]

A friend used to know a garage in England that would issue MOT certificates for cars in Northern Ireland over the phone!! I think private garages issuing MOT's is just asking for corruption. In N.Ireland the car is MOT'd by the DVTA government body.

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Originally posted by quinnj3
A friend used to know a garage in England that would issue MOT certificates for cars in Northern Ireland over the phone!! I think private garages issuing MOT's is just asking for corruption. In N.Ireland the car is MOT'd by the DVTA government body.

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I bought a Jago jeep last year, paid top whack for one cos I wanted to use it straight away, fresh mot etc.

Collected it on the end of a one way ticket in the rain, but suffice to say the MOT must have come in the post, the thing was absolutely shocking. Not least there was NO way the brakes passed an efficiency or balance test.

No comeback, but an expensive mistake

quote:

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Originally posted by karlak
Cheers Guys. All good advice there.


I agree, too much time has gone by to make an issue out of this with the seller of the car or the MOT place. They would just argue it must have been done after the MOT had taken place.


Had some quotes through for around £340 to get it all sorted including a 4 wheel alignment afterwards, so not too bad I suppose. At least we bought the car for below market value back in February after some haggling.



Thanks again, all calmed down again now . Perhaps the garage concerned will have a few "Missed" service appointments over then next week or so

[Edited on 16/8/11 by karlak]

[Edited on 16/8/11 by karlak]

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I agree 4 wheel alignment isn't needed. The wishbone rear bush is mounted in the sub-frame and isn't part of the wishbone, so it's a case o pressing a new bush in the sub-frame and then refitting the arm. Bush is less than £20 and can be fitted and front alignment checked in under an hour with the right kit.

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Originally posted by mcerd1

quote:

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Originally posted by quinnj3
A friend used to know a garage in England that would issue MOT certificates for cars in Northern Ireland over the phone!! I think private garages issuing MOT's is just asking for corruption. In N.Ireland the car is MOT'd by the DVTA government body.

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I know were there is one of those garages near here, he'll issue MOT's to his mates over the phone no questions asked

I got an XR4x4 that had a fresh MOT from him (to use as a donor so didn't care about the MOT) the brakes and brake lines were so bad I used a trailer to shift it the 5 miles home rather than take the risk

[Edited on 16/8/2011 by mcerd1]

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^^ at least I never sold it too you with an MOT (and at a Scootz style discount btw)



[Edited on 16/8/2011 by mcerd1]

If you bought it from a trader you should at least refer it to Trading Standards. You might find they are already aware of similar complaints and are investigating.

I recently fell foul to a dodgy MOT too. MOT was up some time next year on the rover I had, there were no advisories at all and only recently the rear left lower arm came off and was on the floor due to a failed bushing. The RAC guy said the lat time he saw that happen was on the motorway and the guy was dead because of it. Not good!

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Originally posted by SeanStone
......the rear left lower arm came off and was on the floor due to a failed bushing...... Not good!

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