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Original poster

MOT tips please!

13 replies

user1465146157 · 01/08/2021 21:48

My car is due for an MOT - does anyone recommend anywhere - thinking Halfords or somewhere like that. Is this the best way to go?

Is there a way of knowing you won't get swindled?

can they fail you just so you have to pay more in repairs etc?

thanks

OP posts:

BackforGood · 01/08/2021 23:27

I would ask people in real life, who live near you.

I've always been much more comfortable with my local independent garage than a chain.
Small businesses exist on their reputation, so ask colleagues, friends, neighbours, people you do a hobby with or whoever you talk to.

Shade17 · 02/08/2021 08:45

Definitely avoid places like Halfords and Kwik Fit. Ask for local recommendations or use a council MOT centre, they don’t do repairs so have no incentive to fail you to gain extra work.

Original poster

user1465146157 · 02/08/2021 09:55

thanks so much for both replies, so helpful x

OP posts:

Staffroomdoughnut · 16/08/2021 08:35

I’ve always found Tyre Spot really helpful in any branches I’ve been to. They’ve fixed things for peanuts that they could have just replaced. They’ve also sent me away saying things are fine for another x miles.
We also have a local garage we trust.

Westchesterarms · 16/08/2021 17:02

I went to Halfords one year because it was cheap and I was desperate. They've been great - surprisingly. Mine's never failed, although they've given it warnings twice. Correctly according to my mechanic who definitely does not rip me off. Once it needed a new windscreen wiper, so they bought it from a supply shop - not their own shop which is across town - and fitted it for free. Can't say all branches will be like that, but I go there every year now.

Westchesterarms · 16/08/2021 17:07

Sorry, just to add. One year they did fail me for a tyre. But didn't repair it themseves. I managed to ring round and get the tyre sorted the same day. Halford checked it was a new tyre and gave me the certificate. They've never charged me a penny more than my mot.

I'm not on commission. Haha.

Shade17 · 16/08/2021 21:33

I went to Halfords one year because it was cheap and I was desperate

I wouldn’t let them touch a wheelbarrow let alone something as complicated as a car.

Voicefancier · 17/08/2021 02:40

@Shade17

I went to Halfords one year because it was cheap and I was desperate

I wouldn’t let them touch a wheelbarrow let alone something as complicated as a car.

It's an MOT. Its not that complicated. They do the same thing every day. They're not mending anything. I understand people will think these chains will rip them off, I'm just saying this is the absolute opposite of my experience.

Shade17 · 18/08/2021 08:06

^It's an MOT. Its not that complicated. They do the same thing every day. They're not mending anything. I understand people will think these chains will rip them off, I'm just saying this is the absolute opposite of my experience.*

They’re known for ripping people off and as MOTs contain a lot subjective assessments there’s plenty of scope for that. I have a very sympathetic tester who will often pass and advise but say something like “if I were you I’d do this ASAP”. He knows I don’t fuck about and will sort stuff in a couple of days. Obviously anything he has to fail me on he does.

Westchesterarms · 18/08/2021 15:37

@Shade17
Honestly, I don't care if anyone goes to Halfords or not. You have heard rumours, I have have direct experience. My experience of them is very positive and I've not been ripped off. I once paid for a new windscreen wiper and no fitting fee. Other than that, I had to go get a new tyre from somewhere else. I understand that people might assume you'd be ripped off because it's a big chain. But that has definitely not been my experience.

I'm not sure about your sympathetic tester. He shouldn't be passing any car that does not pass minimum roadworthy standards. He shouldn't assume that you would do it ASAP. As for his "if I were you" comments, theyre called 'advisory' points. All MOT centres issue them - it's not just your sympathetic tester. Halfords, like everyone else, issue those and then I take the car to my own mechanic of 25 years.

AdventuresDownRabbitholes · 18/08/2021 22:09

Kwik fit failed my car on some obscure part. Took it to an independent garage and they just put it as an advisory - and the same the following year

I'm never going back to kwik fit again!

LadyPenelope68 · 19/08/2021 06:01

Find somewhere local that’s just an MOT station rather than a garage that does repairs as well as MOT’s. A proper MOT Station have no incentive to fail you on anything and you’ll get a proper and reliable MOT from them.

Shade17 · 19/08/2021 21:23

I’m fully aware of how MOT tests work thanks and my tester is a close friend of over 20 years who does around 10 tests a year for me. There are so many things in an MOT test that are subjective and so things that would normally fail but have some wriggle room get passed and advised for me. An example might be a worn bush which has enough play that he would normally fail it but not so much that it’s hanging off the car. Pass and advise and polite verbal advisory.

As for Halfords, they’re a joke. I had a family member who was pretty senior there and wouldn’t even support them then.

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