Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 14:12
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - Rich Carter

Hi

Purchased a approved Polo Bluegt 14 reg from a VW dealer lookers in Blackburn, last August '18. It came with 12 months MOT done by the dealer and approved 1 year warranty.

Now after taking it to a local MOT garage it came back with a Major Failure for the nearside rear tyre fitted wrong way round.

As you probably know a wrongly fitted asymmetric tyre is dangerous especially in the wet and would of probably voided my insurance with any accident that the car was checked.

Also carrying around young children in the back also causes me a lot of concern. Getting the tyre turned round only cost me £15 but fundamentally I was sold a car un-roadworthy.

How should I proceed? I am thinking of contact VW head office. Should I contact DVLA or another body.

Edited by Rich Carter on 09/07/2019 at 14:13

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 14:38
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - Falkirk Bairn

You do not have any contract with VW.

It's £15 - not enough to bother about - just forget it & move on.

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 14:44
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - skidpan

Now after taking it to a local MOT garage it came back with a Major Failure for the nearside rear tyre fitted wrong way round.

Most garages would have put that down as an advisory, failing the car is rediculous.

As you probably know a wrongly fitted asymmetric tyre is dangerous especially in the wet and would of probably voided my insurance with any accident that the car was checked.

It won't work as well as intended but it will not be dangerous.

Why did you not spot it when you did the weekly check of the tyre pressures and for foreign objects in the tyres. Should be easy enough to see.

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 16:45
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - RichardW

Now after taking it to a local MOT garage it came back with a Major Failure for the nearside rear tyre fitted wrong way round.

Most garages would have put that down as an advisory, failing the car is rediculous.

They failed it correctly, it's a Major fault, and therefore a fail, under the current regs (and always was AFAIK):

5.2.3

  1. A tyre not fitted in compliance with the manufacturer’s sidewall instructions

Major
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Tue 9 Jul 2019 14:47
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - daveyjp

You are so concerned with the welfare of your children that in almost 12 months you have never checked the tyres on your vehicle?

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 15:15
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - gordonbennet

Can only agree with the others, it's a non event.

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 15:29
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - skidpan

Now after taking it to a local MOT garage it came back with a Major Failure for the nearside rear tyre fitted wrong way round.

Being devils advocate a simple question considering its 11 months since you bought it:

How are you going to prove that you have not had the tyre off to have it checked for a suspected puncture etc and that your garage fitted it the wrong way?

And that assuming you can prove that they are the tyres that came with the car.

Why waste your time, get on with life and learn to check things.

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 16:10
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - barney100

Not worth bothering ab

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 16:19
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - Bromptonaut

An alert owner would have noticed the markings on the tyre when carrying out his/her regular walkrounds to check tread, sidewall etc.

In any event most warnings for 'assymetric wrong way round' say it's safe but treat like a space saver. In practice I doubt it's worse than mixing tread patterns or brnad/model on same axle.

An assymetric Michelin fitted wrong way round probably has better grip the a Guanzhoo ditchfinder....

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 17:24
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - focussed

"An alert owner would have noticed the markings on the tyre when carrying out his/her regular walkrounds to check tread, sidewall etc."

So are you actually telling us that you crawl around your car on a regular basis checking the inside and outside sidewalls of all four tyres?

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 19:17
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - Bromptonaut

So are you actually telling us that you crawl around your car on a regular basis checking the inside and outside sidewalls of all four tyres?

No crawling involved. I do though check the tread and wear indicators and a visual scan for damage on outer sidewalls - ie the bits vulnerable to kerb scuffs etc. I'd expect, while doing that, to spot a directional or asymmetric tyre that wasn't right.

Clearly remember checking the Roomster for tyre type fit etc upon taking delivery.

My personal risk assessment says I'd only get under to look at inner sidewalls if I had reason.

I'd also add that once and only once I spotted a wrongly fitted tyre while in local fast fit emporium. Something didn't look quite right as as I watched through observation window while the lad was fitting/balancing.

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 16:17
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - Andrew-T

As you probably know, a wrongly fitted asymmetric tyre is dangerous especially in the wet and would have probably voided my insurance with any accident that the car was checked.

Also carrying around young children in the back also causes me a lot of concern. Getting the tyre turned round only cost me £15 but fundamentally I was sold a car unroadworthy.

The only thing you might do is lodge a gentle complaint with the selling garage. There's no point raising a big issue about what MIGHT have happened if nothing has - you'll just look a bit silly.

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 17:38
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - skidpan

Thinking back to my racing days manufacturers of slicks and what would now be called "track day tyres" specified which direction a tyre should be fitted and it depended on its format i.e. rear, front or four wheel drive.

On the Caterham the rear tyres were always fitted with the direction arrow in the correct orientation but the fronts in some cases were fitted with the arrows in the opposite direction. The reasoning behind this was the construction. The rears were being used mostly for traction and the construction was optimised for this. However the fronts did most of the braking and worked better when reversed.

But the simple fact was most people never knew this and fitted as per the arrows and for mere mortals like me it probably made no difference. You would need to be Lewis Hamilton to feel the difference.

They were still safe however fitted.

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 19:20
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - focussed

You can register a complaint about an MOT here but I think it's only valid within 3 months of being tested.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/780586/complain-about-an-mot.pdf

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 19:28
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - focussed

You can register a complaint about an MOT test here but I think it's only valid within 3 months of being tested.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/780586/complain-about-an-mot.pdf

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 18:00
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - Brit_in_Germany

If I was the dealer, I would say the old MOT is evidence that when sold the tyre was correctly fitted when the vehicle was sold and they cannot be responsible for subsequent modifications.

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 19:07
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - madf

If I was the dealer, I would say the old MOT is evidence that when sold the tyre was correctly fitted when the vehicle was sold and they cannot be responsible for subsequent modifications.

Precisely.

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 19:30
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - Big John

This is already a 5 year old car and may have had a change or two of tyres by previous owner(s) and someone has made a mistake which has not been picked up by the dealer or MOT tester (not everything is spotted on every MOT) but fortunately has been picked up by your local MOT garage - I'd suggest you use this garage again!

Contact DVLA? - you only need to contact DVLA when you are changing details of you or your car.

Contact VW - This car probably wasn't made with a mis-fitted tyre and probably the VW dealer itself hasn't fitted it either - most people take cars to cheaper fast fit outfits when changing tyres even when under warranty. The main problem here is the misfitted tyre probably wasn't spotted at the previous MOT and it'll be nearly impossible to work out who made the mistake in the first place.

Fortunately no harm done and you are only out of pocket by £15 - I'd move on.

Edited by Big John on 09/07/2019 at 19:31

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Tue 9 Jul 2019 23:04
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - SLO76
“How should I proceed? I am thinking of contact VW head office. Should I contact DVLA or another body.”

Calm down! It’s a minor omission by a member of staff and you’re no more than £15 out of pocket. Send a polite email to the branch manager outlining what has happened. If management aren’t made aware of staff errors then they cannot rectify them or put procedures in place to stop them happening again. I’d be surprised if a wee goodwill offer didn’t appear too.
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Tue 9 Jul 2019 23:46
Volkswagen Polo GT - MOT failure with fault that existed on purchase - bathtub tom

OP doesn't state what was specifically wrong with the tyre. It may have been directional on the wrong side of the car, or fitted the wrong way round if asymmetric.

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