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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to be angry with garage over Dangerous MOT fail?

250 replies

User10204842 · 28/09/2021 16:22

I took my car in for its mot yesterday, I’ve been with this garage for a couple of years and they’ve been brilliant up until now.
I thought it was strange when I dropped it off, the lady asked me when I wanted it back? I said I wasn’t sure how much work needed doing so whenever.
AIBU that when you take your car for an mot (at a garage that does your other repairs) you expect them to fix any minor issues and advise you about majors? This is what all garages I have taken my car to have done in the past.
Usually they call you and explain what work needs doing, you agree on it and they do it.
Anyway, yesterday I got a call saying my car was ready but it needed some work. They can’t fit me in until next week, so I agreed a date and set off to pick it up.
When I get there she only charges me for the MOT, £30, and sends me on my way. No one explaining what work needs doing, so I shoot off to get daughter from nursery.
I completely trust this garage, they have been brilliant in the past so had no reason to question them.
When I get home and look at my certificate I see I have a dangerous fail on the brake pads. I’ve not had a dangerous before so I look it up and see I shouldn’t even be on the road!
At this point I am absolutely livid, I could have been fined £2500 if caught.
Anyone else had this situation, and AIBU to be angry with the garage for giving me the impression the car was safe to drive.

OP posts:
Cactu · 28/09/2021 16:25

If you fail an MOT for any reason you can only drive the car for MOT related reasons, ie to a garage for repairs. You should not have been driving it in the nursery run. I think this is pretty common knowledge.

Whammyyammy · 28/09/2021 16:25

They checked your car, failed it because the brakes were dangerous, gave you the mot paperwork there, which stated your brakes were dangerous, booked it in for repair at the earliest opportunity.... you chose to not read the fail sheet and drive it.

Don't see the issue with the garage tbh. You could of left it there til they could fit you in, or arranged for it to be towed to another garage.

HotToddyColdSauvignon · 28/09/2021 16:26

Well… have you called them to ask!?

Sounds like the lady in the front desk hadn’t checked the paperwork or didn’t know, first port of call surely would be to call the garage first?, not ask mumsnet?

Whammyyammy · 28/09/2021 16:27

And failing an mot test is stating your car is not safe to be driven, thsts the while point if an mot test.
So saying thry "gave you the impress it was safe to drive" is utter rubbish, they clearly stated it wasn't by failing it

Floralnomad · 28/09/2021 16:29

They’ve booked it in and told you it needed work , what more do you expect , if it had passed it wouldn’t have needed any work . I will also point out that the brakes were in the same condition when you were happily driving your child about in it before you dropped it off at the garage .

Original poster
User10204842 · 28/09/2021 16:32

You can drive on a minor can’t you?
I’ve tried to get on touch no reply.
That’s why I’m wondering what other people have done.
Also, I accept that I shouldn’t have driven but in the past they have fixed majors for me on the day. I’ve never taken a car for an mot where they literally do the mot test and nothing else. That’s like a council run test centre isn’t it? Usually a garage would also do the repairs at the same time?

OP posts:
TheQueef · 28/09/2021 16:32

They handed you the paperwork clearly stating Confused
How much clearer do you want? They gave it to you in writing!

WaltzingBetty · 28/09/2021 16:32

They literally told you it needed work and gave you a written certificate advising a fail and the work needed.

It's up to you as the owner to read that, ask questions and make an informed decision to comply with the law. It's not their job to spell out the law to you

KingsleyShacklebolt · 28/09/2021 16:33

@Cactu

If you fail an MOT for any reason you can only drive the car for MOT related reasons, ie to a garage for repairs. You should not have been driving it in the nursery run. I think this is pretty common knowledge.
Well no.

That depends how long your current certificate is valid to. If the OP's certificate runs out (for example) on Friday 1 October, she can still drive it until Friday, arrange to have the work done at a garage of her choosing and take it back wherever she wishes to have it retested before 2359 on Friday night.

However, this situation differs in that the fault was marked as "dangerous" which makes any valid MOT certificate null and void. OP doesn't have the option of legally driving her car, should she want to take it to another repair place, it would legally have to be on a low-loader. This distinction between a fail and a dangerous fail is fairly recent - well, within the last 5 years or so.

Yes the garage should have pointed this out to her, and explained the legal implications. But the garage cannot and will not stop someone driving their car away. The liability is ALWAYS with the driver to understand the law and act accordingly. It's not really the garage's job to make sure people know the rules/law around MOT tests.

thinkfast · 28/09/2021 16:33

It sounds like you just booked it in for a MOT and didn't book it in for a service and MOT. Am I right?
I normally book it in for both at the same time.
They shouldn't have let you drive off on in if the brakes were faulty though.

Original poster
User10204842 · 28/09/2021 16:33

I just thought when they said your car is ready they meant your car is done…

OP posts:
FreedomFaith · 28/09/2021 16:34

@TheQueef

They handed you the paperwork clearly stating Confused How much clearer do you want? They gave it to you in writing!
Yeah I'm wondering this too.. Confused
WaltzingBetty · 28/09/2021 16:34

@User10204842

I just thought when they said your car is ready they meant your car is done…
They meant they'd done the MOT, high is what you paid them for. You clearly knew it needed more work, and that the work was not 'advisory' Not such things as minor and masjid on MOTS, only legally compliant or not
EvilPea · 28/09/2021 16:35

Garages are mentally busy at the moment. The reg change combined with the anniversary of the mot exemption means there’s basically one years worth of MOTs due this month.
That’s why the customer care is not what it normally is and why you can’t get a reply

Original poster
User10204842 · 28/09/2021 16:35

@KingsleyShacklebolt yes this is now my issue. I have to either get a low loader or a mobile mechanic. They could have replaced the front brake pads in less than an hour.. they had my car the whole afternoon. It wasn’t a while you wait mot, that’s why I assumed they would do the work.

OP posts:
GloomAndDoom · 28/09/2021 16:36

I get what you're saying but you should have had a look at the paperwork and satisfied yourself the vehicle was safe to drive.

WaltzingBetty · 28/09/2021 16:36

[quote User10204842]@KingsleyShacklebolt yes this is now my issue. I have to either get a low loader or a mobile mechanic. They could have replaced the front brake pads in less than an hour.. they had my car the whole afternoon. It wasn’t a while you wait mot, that’s why I assumed they would do the work.[/quote]
No you don't.
You can drive for MOT related reasons

VainAbigail · 28/09/2021 16:37

Did you not even ask “did it pass?”.

Did you read the paperwork you were given?

Why would you assume they would just automatically fix things without asking you first? What if you couldn’t pay?!

This isn’t the garages fault, IMO, and you’re trying to place blame away from yourself.

icedcoffees · 28/09/2021 16:37

@User10204842

I just thought when they said your car is ready they meant your car is done…
Did you not ask? Check the paperwork before driving off?
GloomAndDoom · 28/09/2021 16:38

Also you probably should have asked what work needs doing and a rough cost before just booking it in.

Original poster
User10204842 · 28/09/2021 16:38

@VainAbigail no they normally call me to let me know what work needs doing and they do it the same day.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 28/09/2021 16:39

I do agree that they should have told you what the state of the car was. Mine did yesterday and all that was wrong was an "advisory" on a tyre. In the past they've phoned after the test and told me about things like brakes etc and whether I want them fixed whilst they have the car.

That said, if you knew it had failed I'm surprised you didn't check what it had failed on.

KingsleyShacklebolt · 28/09/2021 16:39

Not such things as minor and masjid on MOTS, only legally compliant or not

Untrue - www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/blog/new-mot-vehicle-test-may-2018

Major fault fail = you can carry on driving until your current certificate runs out.
Dangerous fault fail = cannot drive.

Advisories or minors - not a fail at all, just something you need to keep an eye on. DH has had "advisories" on his shock absorbers for 3 MOTs in a row.

EvilPea · 28/09/2021 16:39

[quote User10204842]@VainAbigail no they normally call me to let me know what work needs doing and they do it the same day.[/quote]
They will be too busy at the moment.

BIoodyStupidJohnson · 28/09/2021 16:39

This is 100% your responsibility as the driver/owner of this car.

I think you're allowed to drive it back to the garage to be retested/get the points addressed though.

They probably didn't do the work straight away because they'll have needed to order the parts in.