There really is no hope...

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tyred

Legendary Member
Location
Ireland
A work colleague had her car impounded by the test centre today as it was deemed un-roadworthy due to three tyres being worn down to the wire. There were quite a few other faults too it seems. She will have to organise a mobile tyre fitter to come and fit 4 new tyres or else get a low-loader to transport it.

She done nothing but moan about how the test is just a money making scheme and that there is nothing wrong with her car at all and how it's unfair to have to spend money on new tyres when there is nothing wrong with the old ones as they're not flat. Everyone else was sympathetic. I told her that they had done her (and everyone else on the road) an enormous favour by potentially saving her from having a high speed accident.

How can anyone be so stupid not to notice that their tyres are worn way beyond safe limits of service and also refuse to accept that it just might be a potential road safety issue and complain about spending money on a safety critical component? I accept the tyres on her car are probably very expensive as it's a chav mobile with enormous alloys fitted but that was her decision to fit them in the first place and would the money spent on stupid rims, exhaust and bodykits not be better spent on actually maintaining the car properly? Why buy an expensive, quality car like a BMW and then not maintain it?

Just what do we have to make people take road safety seriously?
 

classic33

Leg End Member
NCT?

Seemed as a money maker when first introduced.
 
D

Deleted member 26715

Guest
How can anyone be so stupid not to notice that their tyres are worn way beyond safe limits of service
Ask her when was the last time she actually looked at the tyres & what the legal limit it.
 

Gary E

Veteran
Location
Hampshire
Just to play Devil's advocate for a second - I had something similar happen to me a few years ago when the MOT test centre failed the test and told me the car was unsafe due to 2 "dangerously bold tyres that were worn well beyond the legal limit". They also gave me a quote for the replacements at the same time :smile:

Unfortunately for them I happened to be equipped with eyes and could see for myself that they were talking s**t and just trying to drum up business.

I complained to the DVLA (think it's the DVSA now?) and they sent someone out who confirmed that the tyres were not only legal but had a good few millimetres to go before they had to be changed (or became even close to "dangerously bald").

He asked me to go back to the test centre, ask to speak to the manager and request that they reconsider their decision to fail the MOT, he walked in beside me and posed as the next customer. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the manager not only refused to reconsider but was actually quite abusive stating that I clearly didn't know what I was talking about (but with more flowery language). The DVLA guy then stepped forward, identified himself and asked to speak to the manager in private. 5 minutes later I was handed an MOT certificate from a very red faced and apologetic manager!

Not saying that the lady in your post is in the same boat, just that she 'may' have a point.

I think that, next to politicians, estate agents and actual pirates, garages can be some of the most crooked buggers out there! Obviously, not all garages fall into this bracket but I've had sufficient 'incidents' over the last few years to more than support my theory :smile:
 
Last edited:
D

Deleted member 26715

Guest
I think that, next to politicians, estate agents and actual pirates, garages can be some of the most crooked buggers out there! Obviously, not all garages fall into this bracket but I've had sufficient 'incidents' over the last few years to more than support my theory :smile:
Many years ago we used to have a 7.5 ton horsebox which had to be taken to the ministry testing station due to it's size, everybody else in the club always used to go on about being scared to take theirs, my argument was I was happy to take ours because you would get a fair & objective view, they had no commercial reason to pass/fail the vehicles.
 

Joey Shabadoo

My pronouns are "He", "Him" and "buggerlugs"
Just to play Devil's advocate for a second - I had something similar happen to me a few years ago when the MOT test centre failed the test and told me the car was unsafe due to 2 "dangerously bold tyres that were worn well beyond the legal limit". They also gave me a quote for the replacements at the same time :smile:

Unfortunately for them I happened to be equipped with eyes and could see for myself that they were talking s**t and just trying to drum up business.

I complained to the DVLA (think it's the DVSA now?) and they sent someone out who confirmed that the tyres were not only legal but had a good few millimetres to go before they had to be changed (or became even close to "dangerously bald").

He asked me to go back to the test centre, ask to speak to the manager and request that they reconsider their decision to fail the MOT, he walked in beside me and posed as the next customer. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the manager not only refused to reconsider but was actually quite abusive stating that I clearly didn't know what I was talking about (but with more flowery language). The DVLA guy then stepped forward, identified himself and asked to speak to the manager in private. 5 minutes later I was handed an MOT certificate from a very red faced and apologetic manager!

Not saying that the lady in your post is in the same boat, just that she 'may' have a point.

I think that, next to politicians, estate agents and actual pirates, garages can be some of the most crooked buggers out there! Obviously, not all garages fall into this bracket but I've had sufficient 'incidents' over the last few years to more than support my theory :smile:

I've got a company VW which I get serviced at the local Arnold Clark. At every service they replace a wiper blade and a bulb - every single one for the last 4 years. I find it unlikely that I never notice these things are faulty and I wonder if they do this with most services assuming people won't notice. It'll all add up I suppose. They usually advise me about worn tyres but our contract is with ATS who tell me the tyres are fine when I take them in after a service.

There's also a VW Touran issue whereby the rear tyres wear excessively on the inner shoulder due to the way the suspension is set up. It ends up with the shoulder being scrubbed off perfectly flat and horrendous road noise. VW know about it and argue the suspension is set up to give better handling and to rotate the tyres back to front every 10,000 miles.
 
I've got a company VW which I get serviced at the local Arnold Clark. At every service they replace a wiper blade and a bulb - every single one for the last 4 years. I find it unlikely that I never notice these things are faulty and I wonder if they do this with most services assuming people won't notice. It'll all add up I suppose. They usually advise me about worn tyres but our contract is with ATS who tell me the tyres are fine when I take them in after a service.

There's also a VW Touran issue whereby the rear tyres wear excessively on the inner shoulder due to the way the suspension is set up. It ends up with the shoulder being scrubbed off perfectly flat and horrendous road noise. VW know about it and argue the suspension is set up to give better handling and to rotate the tyres back to front every 10,000 miles.

that's absolutely ridiculous - do they state that when buying the vehicle new?

Edit: VWs stance, not your statement

as an aside, I live in Milton Keynes and due to the roundabouts, tyre wear on local vehicles have a definite pattern.
 

glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland
garages can be some of the most crooked buggers out there! Obviously, not all garages

There's always the option of going to one of the local council's own testing stations, which generally don't do repairs so there's no incentive to falsify repair needs. They are primarily for testing council-owned motor vehicles but by law must be open to the general public too.
 

Joey Shabadoo

My pronouns are "He", "Him" and "buggerlugs"
that's absolutely ridiculous - do they state that when buying the vehicle new?

Edit: VWs stance, not your statement

as an aside, I live in Milton Keynes and due to the roundabouts, tyre wear on local vehicles have a definite pattern.

No. It was the VW mechanic who told me when I complained about the road noise
 

twentysix by twentyfive

Clinging on tightly
Location
Over the Hill
There are a lot of Motons out there for sure.

And @Gary E does have a point. I was told that my brake pipes would need replacing soon after a test. Checked - looked OK to me. Same happened the following year. On the third year it wasn't mentioned. I always got the certificate tho'.
 

KneesUp

Guru
There are a lot of Motons out there for sure.

And @Gary E does have a point. I was told that my brake pipes would need replacing soon after a test. Checked - looked OK to me. Same happened the following year. On the third year it wasn't mentioned. I always got the certificate tho'.
I had to take my car to 'not the normal place' one year because I forgot, and the normal place couldn't fit me in in time. I 'needed' a brake line replacing - as the MOT was out the next day I coughed up and put it down to either a safety issue, or a tax on forgetting - I did check that at least the pipe was new and shiny.

Funnily enough I've had a car that never had any mention of corrosion on the brake pipes burst a brake pipe because it was corroded (where it had come out of it's clip, behind a cover, and the clip had scratched the paint off) That was ... exciting. I think all brake lines should be copper.
 

derrick

The Glue that binds us together.
Just to play Devil's advocate for a second - I had something similar happen to me a few years ago when the MOT test centre failed the test and told me the car was unsafe due to 2 "dangerously bold tyres that were worn well beyond the legal limit". They also gave me a quote for the replacements at the same time :smile:

Unfortunately for them I happened to be equipped with eyes and could see for myself that they were talking s**t and just trying to drum up business.

I complained to the DVLA (think it's the DVSA now?) and they sent someone out who confirmed that the tyres were not only legal but had a good few millimetres to go before they had to be changed (or became even close to "dangerously bald").

He asked me to go back to the test centre, ask to speak to the manager and request that they reconsider their decision to fail the MOT, he walked in beside me and posed as the next customer. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the manager not only refused to reconsider but was actually quite abusive stating that I clearly didn't know what I was talking about (but with more flowery language). The DVLA guy then stepped forward, identified himself and asked to speak to the manager in private. 5 minutes later I was handed an MOT certificate from a very red faced and apologetic manager!

Not saying that the lady in your post is in the same boat, just that she 'may' have a point.

I think that, next to politicians, estate agents and actual pirates, garages can be some of the most crooked buggers out there! Obviously, not all garages fall into this bracket but I've had sufficient 'incidents' over the last few years to more than support my theory :smile:

Have never known an MOT inspector do anything like that. The garage would loose a few points for that, If it happenend to often they would loose there license.
 
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