Cheap MOTs

[The Moog]

ATS currently have a Groupon offer at £17.99 for MOTs valid before 30th June 2019.

 

https://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/ats-euromaster-mot-check-1

 

Guys in Accrington are pretty spot on and pointed the deal out to me.

[Tamworthbay]

Always suspect of cheap Mots, they tend to make the money and more back......

[barefoot]

I've not taken a car for an MOT in years.

 

I always take them to one of three specialist garages, who take them to another selection of garages to have the test done.

Testers know the mechanics in every case, they all have good relationships with each other and don't fail silly stuff that can be sorted in a trice.

[Marm Toastsmith]

I've not taken a car for an MOT in years.

 

I always take them to one of three specialist garages, who take them to another selection of garages to have the test done.

Testers know the mechanics in every case, they all have good relationships with each other and don't fail silly stuff that can be sorted in a trice.

 

Yeah, this is the way to do it IME. The only cheap MOT is a pass.

[The Moog]

I can't fault them. He checks them before test starts and if anything obvious asks if I still want to go ahead, happy to show me the issues etc.

 

The guy said that this tends to be a quiet time so hence Groupon offer.

 

I am going to get them for the 205, Mondeo, getz and the rover !

[Mrcento]

Always suspect of cheap Mots, they tend to make the money and more back......

 

Made that mistake twice when my local garage was booked weeks in advance and i needed an MOT quick, so "took advantage" of the offers....

 

It doesn't matter what you put into one, in my experience, it will fail.

 

"untidy horn wiring", "Ecu Diagnostic plug capable of contact with air filter housing if left unsecured".

 

Also battered fuck out of my inner arches with a ball pen hammer because they were painted, so were certain they'd be hiding corrosion. They weren't.

 

BMW got failed on wheel bearings and brake pipes, which i booked into my usual place after telling them i'd had it up on stands, looked it over, tested the bearings and found fuck all wrong with anything they'd picked up.... the result was my trusted place phoning me half an hour after dropping it off saying i was right, there's fuck all wrong with it and asking if i wanted it tested since it's there. It passed with 1 advisory on a tyre.

[djimbob]

Cheap MOT's are a false economy as previously mentioned, unless you are good mates with the tester and trust them, and even then it's a recipe for falling out I would have thought!

 

There are places around that only do MOT testing, no remedial works, like Central garage in Leeds, who actively will replace bulbs etc because it's a waste of their time you coming back for a retest  - the £50 is well spent in saving all those jobs that didn't need paying for in the first place, and will be an advisory at worst if there is some concern

 

I have never used a ministry centre, but I think they are the same, no vested interest in failing you for profit

[clayts450]

I think I'm fairly lucky as the two main chains who offer cheapie MoTs tend not to take the piss.

 

Lindleys, a local outfit (I use the Basford branch), (£30 mot) are firm but fair and I had no reason to argue with their fails on the PTSD and Rover 45 - certainly wasn't a case of creating work, I knew there were issues

 

F1 Autocentres (£27.55) in Bulwell, whilst a national chain, also have a really fair tester and he, again, did not surprise me - passed the Streetwise twice, failed the 620 as anticipated on the things I expected, again no created work - also gives very helpful advisories, and is happy to have a chat with you too.

 

YMMV on Kwik Fit and Halfords, but if you have a good bunch of lads who've been stable at those places for a few years, safe to say they won't take the piss.

[Bobthebeard]

As above, I just give the car to the local garage come MOT time. They don't do them but have a local place that does. The car goes for MOT, the 'fail' (maybe not recorded, just advised) is passed back to the garage for correction then the car is presented again. At least I think that is how it works.

[sierraman]

I think it depends who you are, if you look like you know the craic then you’ll probably not get mugged off. If a woman came in with a 15 year old Zafira full of kids she’d probably be walking out with a big fucking bill. Wrong I know but it happens.

[castros_bro]

Most of this seems to be based on a visit or two to a random MOT place with "they always fail it to get work" rather than substantiated data. 

 

The MOT stats are monitored to flag inconsistencies such as "they always fail it to get work" scenarios.

[Isaac Hunt]

Never been fond of the cheap MOT approach.

 

I've used a good small independent garage for years. Got to know the guys really well and prepare my cars for the test.

 

Always found the guys very fair.

 

I would hazard a guess lots of tyres get 'advised' with MOT's in Tyre Centres. They'll need doing soon ma'am, but as it happens we have a good deal on that finishes tomorrow (save money sale Close) . We can do them today and save you the hassle of coming back in a couple of months, when they will be more expensive, we'll also take an extra fiver off your MOT fee. The cut in the sidetread is quite deep, you don't want to risk a blow out........oh go on then.......and there's another couple of part worns on the pile for the lads mates

[sierraman]

The chains will probably try it on with tyres and brakes etc. Doubt an independent garage would start unnecessarily failing really shit unpleasant jobs like brake pipes going over fuel tanks, trailing arm bushes on Focuses and holes in sills. These are exactly the sort of jobs they don’t want.

[puddlethumper]

Dunno if £35 is cheap but I've been using the same 

place for about 6/7 years who is sympathetic with older

vehicles coz he has lots of them.

Now he knows me he asks if lights, wipers, washers

and the like work and when I say yes he doesn't bother checking.

So I put the kettle on and he's got time to have a quick chat

and a cuppa before the next Mot.

No getting away with shit brakes, rot etc. though and rightly so

in my book.

His latest project is putting a 4.3 v8 in a milk float.

I'll try and get some pics next time I'm passing.

[rantingYoof]

With a super cheap MOT offer, the trick is to book your test for 4.20pm on a Friday (if the place shuts at 5pm and is closed over the weekend).

 

I ragged the 9-3 Aero to a £19.99 MOT test (to sort the emissions out) and it passed at 4.55pm, with one advisory.

 

The same garage then took my sister's Mk1 Focus and tried to get £600 of work out of her. It was eventually sorted for under £200 by our friendly local mechanic. 

[1duck]

My local charges 35 or 40 quid I forget exactly, but I wouldn't be arsed going to a chain for the sake of 20 quid, when I know I can trust the guys and they will rag a car through emissions or change a bulb.

[The Moog]

Considering I have got 4 MOTs up coming and use them normally though I would share - that £80 saved on something I will have to pay for can go for bits to keep the cars on the road.

 

The last 6 I have done with them in last 6 months has shown them to not take the piss and be really helpful. Including getting me to get a set of wiper blades from BBC next door to get BAL a pass shows that.

 

The fact it is bookable for a time, doesn't have to wait for a mechanic to take it and vaguely get it done at some point during the day is a useful thing.