Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Mot test costs

I took my daughters Renault Clio for mot test on Monday, it failed and we were quoted for the work to get it through. We got a cheaper quote, by £50, from ATS euromaster who did the work and took it back for retest this morning, it passed but we were charged £17.50 retest fee, because we didn't have the work done at kwik fit. We were not told that this would be the case on Monday.
Over the last five or six years I've had the Morgan and three other family cars tested at kwik fit every year, most passed but those that didn't were not repaired at kwik fit but we didn't get charged a retest fee. I spoke to customer services and after the operator checked she said this was correct, but couldn't tell me when the policy was changed.
Just would like to give this as a heads up to others.

That has always been the usual charge if repairs are not done at the MOT garage.
I am suprised you use Kwikfiit with the bad publicity on MOT testing and scare mongering especially with lady drivers.

The retest fee is standard practice if you take your car away from the premises and return at a later date.

That depends where you go Martin, Took my wife's focus for its MOT yesterday, my fault for listening to reports of everything seems fine......failed on a none working headlight bulb and front pads below limit (my fault, cobblers sons have the worse shoes in the street and all that).

O8:30 this morning I was outside the local factors and bought a set of pads, I had a bulb in stock. 10:00 back at the test station and he walked round the car once and flashed the lights and issued a pass with no extra charge. I asked if they had to do another test as it had left the premises and he said 'No, depends on what it is but we only test the failed teams, I can see you have fitted new pads through the alloys and the headlights working.......

I was a tester for 10 years and this s all new to me as it's been 30+ years since the last one I did?

Seems yet again that no consistency rules?

Just found this, seems it's all in the rules and depends on what it failed for and how soon it's retested.
http://mottesting.org.uk/mot-retest-information-fail.html

Presumably a tester charging a retest fee would actually be doing a full test again and not just the failed items?

I would think going back to the original tester after it's been repaired elsewhere would charge it out of spite.

Colin, can they fail on low pads even if the efficiency test shows ok?

Hi Steve

There is a partial retest fee these days, all depends if it's taken away and or within a 10 day window.

Whilst they are not allowed to remove road wheels a visual inspection (light and mirror) can show the edge of pads on most cars, on a Focus its possible to see the end of the caliper and the pad end, it was clear (and totally fair it was my fault) that the pads were down to a very low limit (as in no metal touching but flipping close)......as she only does about 2,000 a year I had left the service way too long using my knee as an excuse but the truth is I messed up and they should have been changed 3,000 miles earlier. Dangerous to think that a 'just around town' car is OK and I know that lesson well as I have preached that enough times to customers so no one to blame but me.......Whoops. The old brakes worked perfectly at town traffic speeds but a few good stops at motorway speed would have had them fade away to nothing, not an excuse but just highlighting the dangers of how that can mask the real condition!

Well at least you got your money's worth out of them Colin! I've just done rear discs and pads on my Freelander and they were fag paper thin but I knew the discs were shot anyway. The fronts will need doing before its next test and your post prompted me to get them ordered, thanks!

Wouldn't ever take a car for an MoT to Kwik Fit. My wife's secretary took her car for an MoT, to be failed on worn front brake pads and discs which was something of a mystery to me as I'd replaced them a week before.

Result was one very heated discussion with the branch manager which was recorded by me and it resulted in both he and his Authorised Tester loosing their jobs and his Authorised Tester loosing his authorisation following disciplinary.

I avoid chains like the plague with sales targets and upselling. Much rather spend my money with a local one man band garage!

Arwyn

I know of a mechanic who had to leave Kwikfit as he could not stand having to talk up a minor fault to get a large job out of it.
It was usually a brakr or steering problem as Arwyn points out above.
Their offer of reduced MOT price is a carrot to get you inside.

For £17.50???