AIBU to be angry with garage over Dangerous MOT fail?

[User10204842]

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.

@CuriousaboutSamphire

But OP didn't say she had a dodgy MOT!

No, she didn't. That was in response to the poster who said she passed her MOT and the brakes went the next day. Sorry, should have been clearer.

[quote User10204842]@VainAbigail no they normally call me to let me know what work needs doing and they do it the same day.[/quote]
But this time they couldn’t, they even told you!

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

YABU.

My husband is replacing the brakes at the weekend if your husband can replace the brakes why did you book in with them to fix it anyway? Seems a waste of money.

@TheQueef she said the brakes needed doing and they could fit me in in 2 weeks…
So you would think it’s not that serious surely?
I didn’t ask the price as this garage are great, really reasonable and they only do necessary work.
I am going to leave it with them. I’m annoyed but I think it was an oversight for them (and me). I won’t be going back.
Well I literally can’t go back as my car can’t be on the road!

Did you only book it in for an MOT? They wouldn't allow enough time for repairs if that's what you did

I always book mine in for its service at the same time so if there are any issues, they can usually be sorted before they actually do the formal MOT.

@User10204842

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?

but they told you they couldnt fix it until next week. they told you it failed and needed fixed. They booked it in for next week as agreed with you. They gave you the fail sheet. It was YOUR responsibility to check what the fail is and determine if you can drive it. But you didnt until later. So tbh I am not too sure if the garage did anything wrong?

@GloomAndDoom he’s only doing it as the alternative is hiring a low loader to take to garage or risk a £2500 fine!!!

[quote User10204842]@TheQueef she said the brakes needed doing and they could fit me in in 2 weeks…
So you would think it’s not that serious surely?
I didn’t ask the price as this garage are great, really reasonable and they only do necessary work.
I am going to leave it with them. I’m annoyed but I think it was an oversight for them (and me). I won’t be going back.
Well I literally can’t go back as my car can’t be on the road![/quote]
they told you your brakes needed done and you just drove off oblivious? To collect a child? with dodgy brakes?

The booked up status of the garage and the seriousness of the work are totally different things. That's not how garages work, if I've booked my car in for something I don't get cancelled because someone else has failed their MOT and has a serious need, how would that work?

This system of dangerous/major fails was only introduced in 2018. It's fairly new, and considering everything we've gone through in the last year and half, you'd think that mechanics/garage staff would be making sure customers knew the score. It's just decent customer service and common courtesy.

[quote User10204842]@GloomAndDoom he’s only doing it as the alternative is hiring a low loader to take to garage or risk a £2500 fine!!![/quote]
Ah I see. Hopefully he can do it safely and get you on your way. Good luck :)

I'm surprised they let you drive it away. I had my MOT last week, failed on a non-dangerous fault, so my existing MOT remained valid til expiry date and there was the choice to take the car and fix elsewhere. They said if it's a dangerous fault they can't legally release the vehicle to you to drive away as your previous MOT is automatically invalidated. So actually OP I'm pretty sympathetic here and I think the garage is in the wrong

@KingsleyShacklebolt

*An advisory is not a minor fail - it's an advisory. And yes I'm aware of them as I referred to them in a previous post. And minors are not 'fails' So it's impossible to fail an MOT on an advisory or minor issue.*

Well that's why I referred to minors and advisories as "not a fail".

My point was that OP interpreting her car as being drivable and assuming it had a minor fault or advisory when she's been handed fail paperwork is nonsensical.

You cannot fail an MOT unless your car is not compliant.

But sure keep badgering me if makes you feel better

YANBU if your car was unsafe to drive I would have expected them to specifically say this to you!

Garages I have dealt with over the years have always been clear with me about what needed doing and how urgent it is. HAving said that I drive old cars that always need work so I am equally clear with the garage that it needs a service and possibly other work.

IF I had just been handed paperwork and told to bring it back I'd have been as confused as the OP, I expect to have it clear in words 'THE CAR HAS FAILED ITS MOT' and then I know where I stand. Can't drive it!

@User10204842

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?

I agree - majors must be fixed then and there - else you can't drive the car!

Don't know what the garage was thinking?!

I find it odd that you where told your car had failed it’s MOT on its brakes and decided to then use it to drive to nursery! (Or anywhere)

Some things it doesn’t take much mechanical knowledge to know that when they are bad enough to fail the MOT then you shouldn’t drive it. I have had advisories for the brakes but still get the booked in ASAP

No I agree with you there, @WaltzingBetty. A fail is a fail is a fail and it means work needs done pretty much straight away. But legally, she would be OK to drive on a major fail depending on when her current certificate runs out, but not on a dangerous one.

OP should have understood that. But I don't think the garage is completely blameless either, and should have made sure she understood, even if they couldn't physically stop her driving away.

OP if your husband is savvy with tools how did it get to d point your brakes failed and were classed as dangerous.
It will be pad depth bellow the minimum for the test, the only thing they can put that under is dangerous, in reality unless the pads are to the metal which you would 100% know about by the noise it's safe to drive a mile of 2 to the garage.
You were driving the car yesterday blissfully unaware, them testing it hasn't suddenly turned it into a death trap.

[quote User10204842]@KingsleyShacklebolt no to be honest I’m done with them. My husband is replacing the brakes at the weekend and I’ve booked it in for a retest with another garage. I just think it’s really sloppy.
They are ignoring messages.
I think it’s 50/50. Yes legally I should have read all the paperwork but I do feel like I was misled by being told my car was ready to collect. It wasn’t ready to collect as it wasn’t and isn’t road legal. It was ready to collect with a low loader!

By ready[/quote]
It will need a full mot again, retest can only be carried out at the station it failed at. You can legally drive your vehicle to and from the mot station, as long as it's booked in, although it's not advisable to drive with dangerous fail.

I have always been told if my car has failed the MOT and why, I would also be surprised that a garage let you drive with dangerous brakes without explicitly telling you as I think they can be held responsible… I would question it, it sounds like a mistake especially if they are usually good…

I think the main issue is I wasn’t aware of this new Dangerous category.
You can drive on a major as long as you have a valid mot certificate and you are getting it repaired.
I’ve got plenty of time left on my mot, I don’t ever leave things with my car to chance!
Just to everyone on the thread who isn’t aware of the new dangerous category. Next time you take your car for an mot make sure you’re prepared to either hire a low loader to remove your vehicle or potentially leave your car with the garage for weeks, even for a simple fix like brake pads. If you get a dangerous you can’t even drive your car home or to another garage!
This has completely caught us out.
Husband has just checked them and says they are not on the metal but they are below government depth requirement. They have been fine to drive on and felt / sounded ok. (I know what it sounds like when they are worn!).

There are some strange posts here.

Major faults are fine to drive with till the expiry of the previous certificate.

Dangerous here seems odd if the only fail was the pads. It must have passed brake efficiency and just failed on pad wear, so by definition the brakes are performing acceptably and the car meets the braking performance required.

Re read the certificate and check exactly what the situation is.

@Pantah630 nope look it up. Think a lot of people will have a shock like me with this new category. You can’t drive it anywhere. £2500 fine if you’re caught.

he’s only doing it as the alternative is hiring a low loader to take to garage or risk a £2500 fine!!!

How are you going to get it to an MOT station after the fix though? Just fixing the brakes isn't enough is it? It needs to be given an MOT before you can drive it on the road again?