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MOT Failure Question
mds167 - 3/3/15 at 08:39 AM

Hi all,

Quick quesiton...

A friend has a Pug 206 which has been serviced and MOT'd by a local garage. It has failed.

Can she legally drive it home and then to a scrapper?

Garage did all the servicing and then told them that the headlamps needed replacing and they couldn't do it, would need to go to a bodyshop to take the front end off (which would cost more than the car is worth) but here's the bill lfor the MOT and service...

Dick - 3/3/15 at 08:51 AM

You don't have to take the bumper off to change the headlights on a 206 if they are like the normal 206 lights get some one to compound then up, the lenses clean up. To get them out you may have to push the bumper down on the ends

Yes she can drive it home

mds167 - 3/3/15 at 08:54 AM

Many thanks,

I know you can drive an out of date car to a garage but wasn't sure about driving a failure home! I've always had them fixed on the spot!

britishtrident - 3/3/15 at 08:54 AM

They are talking rubbish --
http://www.peugeot206cc.co.uk/repair-206/206/info/gb/c5eg0bf3.htm

Link to
grill removal



If the headlamps are just clouded they can be polished isitu to remove the clouded layer.



[Edited on 3/3/15 by britishtrident]

mds167 - 3/3/15 at 09:10 AM

That's a great link, thnak you.

It turns out the garage thinks the car has been in accident which is why they are struggling.

Brook_lands - 3/3/15 at 09:12 AM

There could be 2 questions in this.

Any vehicle that requires an MOT needs to have a valid MOT (certificate) if it is being used on the road. If the previous MOT has not expired then even if the vehicle has just failed an MOT it still has a valid MOT. The exception to this is that you are allowed to drive a vehicle without an MOT to and from a pre booked test at an MOT testing station or a place of repair.

That covers the potential offence of not having a valid MOT, HOWEVER even with a valid MOT it is not a guarantee that the vehicle is road worthy or complies with the Construction and Use regulations. All it means is at the time the car was presented for test (which could have been 13 months ago) in the testers opinion it met the required standard. If you have just failed an MOT, even if your previous MOT is still in date, if your car is unroadworthy then you can be prosecuted for that and indeed you could have been if you'd been stopped on the way to the MOT. The only difference is on the way back you know there is a problem on the way there you might not. Makes no odds, not knowing your car is unroadworthy is not a defence.

PSpirine - 3/3/15 at 10:13 AM

Show the fail sheet - sounds a bit dodgy if they were quite happy to first service it and then fail it at MOT time...

CosKev3 - 3/3/15 at 10:42 AM

I certainly wouldn't be using that garage again.

Got a nasty feeling she's been ripped off for being female, which quite a few garages do.

Any decent garage would have MOT'ed it first before servicing.

motorcycle_mayhem - 3/3/15 at 11:35 AM

My take on this is as per Brook_lands.

To, and from a place of repair or Test is OK without a valid MoT. This is how it has worked with me, and yes, I've been stopped and unduly harassed by a seriously bored Policeman on the issue. I would not want to stretch this, given both the legalities and Insurance concerns.

If the MoT inspector has issued a Red Letter, declaring the vehicle 'dangerous to drive', I'm unsure how that works... in this case I don't see that has happened, it's a headlight failure. I had such an issue with a Transit van that (unusually) had some serious rust around the spring hangers...

Mr Whippy - 3/3/15 at 12:24 PM

scam garage avoid

ianhurley20 - 3/3/15 at 02:47 PM

Not sure why the headlamps both need replacement but - its already been covered how to change them and second hand ones are not too expensive, if they are simply cloudy get some 1500 wet and dry and with plenty of water sand away the clouded layer. Then using a drill with a mop on it with some compound - or a drill with some rag wrapped round the end and some tcut, polish the plastic lens, Don't keep in one area too long or it will melt. It is a really quick and easy fix - er I prefer a proper mop of some sort but have used a rag on a sanding disc backing once.

DW100 - 3/3/15 at 04:21 PM

https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/after-the-test

Dusty - 3/3/15 at 05:20 PM

This was just wet&dry and a polish with T cut by hand. Quick job. Photo doesn't do it justice as I had only done the worst one.

Nigel
[img] headlightpolish
headlightpolish [/img]

SteveWalker - 3/3/15 at 05:59 PM

quote:
Originally posted by DW100
https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/after-the-test


As seems to be happening a lot lately, the government information is dumbed down so much that it is incorrect. The information provided by that link says:

"If the vehicle fails the test and the certificate has expired, you can only drive it to:
- have the failed defects repaired
- a pre-arranged MOT test appointment"

Which is incorrect, as it implies that you cannot drive it home (unless perhaps you can prove that you are going to work on it there)!

The Motor Vehicles (Tests) Regulations 1981, section 6 (2) states:

"(2) Pursuant to section 44(6) the Secretary of State hereby exempts from section 44(1) the use of a vehicle—

(a)

(i) for the purpose of submitting it by previous arrangement for, or bringing it away from, an examination, or.

(ii) in the course of an examination, for the purpose of taking it to, or bringing it away from, any place where a part of the examination is to be or, as the case may be, has been, carried out, or of carrying out any part of the examination, the person so using it being either—.

(A) an examiner, or a Ministry Inspector or an inspector appointed by a designated council, or.

(B) a person acting under the personal direction of an examiner, a Ministry Inspector or a designated Council, or.

(iii) where a test certificate is refused on an examination—.

(A) for the purpose of delivering it by previous arrangement at, or bringing it away from, a place where work is to be or has been done on it to remedy for a further examination the defects on the ground of which the test certificate was refused; or.

(B) for the purpose of delivering it, by towing it, to a place where the vehicle is to be broken up;"

There is a whole lot more, but that's all applicable to other situations.

McLannahan - 3/3/15 at 06:58 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Dusty
This was just wet&dry and a polish with T cut by hand. Quick job. Photo doesn't do it justice as I had only done the worst one.

Nigel


What grit did you use Nigel? My wife's disastra had this same wonderful feature...

Dusty - 4/3/15 at 12:35 AM

Started with 800, 1000, 1500 then 2000. The discolouration was only surface deep. The surface of the lenses was however quite pitted. I used 1000 initially but it was too slow. Lots and lots of clean water, bucket and spray. One of the most satisfying jobs to do on a car. Really perked up the appearance and took years off its looks. Took about 45 minutes each light.

McLannahan - 4/3/15 at 08:00 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Dusty
Started with 800, 1000, 1500 then 2000. The discolouration was only surface deep. The surface of the lenses was however quite pitted. I used 1000 initially but it was too slow. Lots and lots of clean water, bucket and spray. One of the most satisfying jobs to do on a car. Really perked up the appearance and took years off its looks. Took about 45 minutes each light.


Thanks Nigel. Our's is quite bad really, but I'll have a go and report back! Thanks again