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Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - madf

Both of our cars were MOT'd in the last 2 months.

Both passes with no advisories.

BUT both had advisories in the past - and NO work has been done on either since!

Yaris

2019:

  • Front Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))
  • Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))
  • Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))
  • Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))
  • Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))
  • Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material covered in underseal (1.1.11 (c))

2020 NIL

Honda Jazz

22018

  • Items removed from driver's view prior to test ()
  • factory covers fitted obscuring testable items

2019/20

None

Has there been a change in testing policy?

Or are our cars growing better with age - like wine?

Edited by madf on 11/03/2020 at 15:56

Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - Will deBeast

https://mattersoftesting.blog.gov.uk/why-were-changing-manual-advisories/

Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - catsdad
Surely no Honda or Toyota ever has faults? ;-)

A lot has always been down to tester discretion and opinion. We had an Astra for about 14 MoTs and it was amusing to see faults come and go, and come again or not, over the years. I only had the definite ones attended to or if the fault was reported over successive MoTs.

More recently my Civic had a cut tyre advisory reported in 2017. I couldn't see anything. I took it off for a good look. Nothing visible. I checked the rest to be sure and still nothing. It went through two more MoTs without comment. I hope it was a genuine mistake as it was a reputable main dealer, family owned place.
Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - Chris M

I take advisories with a pinch of salt. They come and go without the item ever receiving attention. Worse case I've had was with my son's Fiesta last year at Halfords. A list as long as your arm and I had to sit there whilst the muppet in reception priced all the "required" work.

A couple of the items were worth keeping an eye on, but most 10 year old cars have a bit of wear here and there.

Edited by Chris M on 11/03/2020 at 17:52

Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - Andrew-T

Perhaps it's a friendly and harmless way to make owners look over their cars more often - if only to find out whether those faults exist ....

Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - sammy1

Advisories- Just a way of frightening the unwary and those with no knowledge to part with their money. The MOT should be pass or fail and only the failed component reported on.

Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - bathtub tom

Just had my Yaris done at a council place. They didn't 'advise' the blown LED in the high level rear brake light, but added 20K to the odometer!

Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - Zippy123

The MOT should be pass or fail and only the failed component reported on.

That policy would have cost me a fortune. Deteriorating gaiters fit for the MOT could have been expensive to replace a prematurely worn ball joint.

Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - Andrew-T

Advisories- Just a way of frightening the unwary and those with no knowledge to part with their money. The MOT should be pass or fail and only the failed component reported on.

Would you like your GP to follow the same rules ? :-)

Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - focussed

The testing stations have started the same nonsense in France after changing the test to report more faults.

(In France it's the drivers that need testing, not the cars!)

The last test on our L200 pickup included the advisory "Unable to use OBD socket without EML showing a fault"

Mmm - That could be down to the fact that 2005 L200's are not OBD enabled Monsieur!

Edited by focussed on 12/03/2020 at 00:06

Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - Chris M

"Would you like your GP to follow the same rules ?"

I realise your comment was tongue in cheek but GP's aren't generally after drumming up business. They are also better educated than the grease monkey checking your car over.

Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - Andrew-T

GP's aren't generally after drumming up business. They are also better educated than the grease monkey checking your car over.

The testing station may be after drumming up business, but that will be the owner's decision. They may also be protecting themselves against being told 'you never warned me about that ... ' ?

And I would assure you that neither my present tester nor the previous one could be described as grease monkeys. Some uncalled-for stereotyping here - not every testing station is like a K**k-F*t.

Edited by Andrew-T on 12/03/2020 at 09:29

Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - gordonbennet

They are also better educated than the grease monkey checking your car over.

One wonders if such dismissive attitudes to presumably lesser persons comes across to people like mechanics, hence why some customers find their maintenance not up to a standard they imagine to be desirable or their costs increased.

I try and treat everyone with respect until they prove undeserving, i am after all just a normal working class bod myself so know how much effort i put into my work depends to some extent on how i'm treated.

When i submit my cars for MOT or other jobs i can't manage myself such as tyre fitting, they are delivered clean (paying particular attention to areas likely to need working on), i do the same when i submit my lorry for its 6 weekly inspections/service, the vehicle is clean and the chassis steam cleaned, its discourteous to expect a professional and highly trained/qualified person to work in filth, also the wheels/tyres are steam cleaned if the tyre chap has to do anything.

This has paid me back in spades over the years, always welcome at the workshops and any little jobs needed are carried out on my lorries without fail.

Edited by gordonbennet on 12/03/2020 at 09:43

Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - Chris M

"One wonders if such dismissive attitudes to presumably lesser persons comes across to people like mechanics, hence why some customers find their maintenance not up to a standard they imagine to be desirable or their costs increased."

I treat everyone with respect, at least on first meeting them. But respect has to be earned in the longer term. I always say please/thank you to shop assistants, delivery drivers, call centre workers and anyone else where our paths cross.

My attitude to the garage trade stems from experience. I used to use a local garage for MoTs. It was owned by two guys who were honest and very easy to like. I stopped using them when they got the junior to replace rear pads on my CMax. Realised there was a problem when the wheels were getting so hot you couldn't touch them.

A Ford specialist misdiagnosed a fuelling issue on the same car, replacing a part I told him had already been replaced and telling me it was fixed.

The brake fluid change on my Astra. Main dealer managed to leave a rear nipple loose so that fluid squirted out when the brakes were applied.

Hence I prefer to do my own servicing and repairs.

Many trades have there fair share of rogues and chancers but, IMO, the motor trade has more than most. Low pay is possibly one reason and poor training another, but you can find that in lots of businesses. Most times it's an annoyance and you can make allowances because you are not paying £100 or £200 per hour for the privilege.

Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - nick62

Leaving a brake bleed nipple loose is unforgivable.

Edited by nick62 on 12/03/2020 at 14:29

Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - Andrew-T

Hence I prefer to do my own servicing and repairs.

I used to do the same on a very modest scale - you then have no-one else to blame for any mistakes. I guess that 'grease monkeys' at a biggish place will have other distractions which may not help.

Many, if not most, testing stations have places where owners can keep an eye on the work. That might provoke a bit more concentration ?

Toyota Honda - MOT Advisories - Change of Policy? - madf

I use my local Kwikfit in Congleton for MOTs. They are always professional and clean and competent..

Do my own maintenance depsite being 72.. (Yoga helps as also the make of cars,,)

(They were not 20 years ago but new management etc..)