Failed MOT - Gutted

chr15gb · September 8, 2018

Car is a 2008 IS250 SE_L on a 58 plate.
101,500 Miles.

Never perviously failed an MOT and never had a single advisory.

Gutted to find out it failed.....on a stupid wiper blade
I could understand if it were torn or split but nope, just says:

Offside wiper doesn't clear screen adequately - MAJOR failure, MUST BE REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY

Don't get me wrong, if you have to fail an MOT, you would take a £15 wiper blade any day but I'm just gutted the 100% perfect record of the car is destroyed due to this.
I had been using the car in the rain and didn't seem bad enough for me to even notice, let alone think about needing new blades.

Farqui · September 8, 2018

:( sounds like the tester is a bit keen there, not even flagged as an advisory.

As it's a major fail, under the new rules doesn't that mean it not legal to drive away and fix?

madasahatter · September 8, 2018

I think the new mot is not good for the centres. There is to many variables as to a pass a fail an advisory. Was it your usual mot station you go to.

Vintagesixtysix · September 8, 2018

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/complain-about-an-mot

👍

rayaans · September 8, 2018

I'd report that to be honest.

They're getting overly anal about a wiper blade if its not torn or split.

If that happened to me, I would royally take the mick. In other words, leave the car in front of the entrance to the ramps, take the keys and go "looking" for a wiper blade somewhere else and come back 2 hours later.

Linas.P · September 8, 2018

Similar situation happened to me just with anti-roll bar link rubber. Previous to that car had perfect history all the way to 179500 miles. Surely, could gave me advisory, but decided to fail instead and then asked £200 to change single link (£120 part +£80 labour). Got both new links for £36 and paid £40 for changing them.

It is funny they can fail mot for optional part like anti-roll bar (the only check it if fitted and there are plenty older car without them), and not only that anti-roll bar was fine, links were fine and only the rubber had small hole in it... cannot see it as a major issue anyhow. Yes eventually over ~100k miles the rubber will let water and dirt to the joint and eventually it will dry-up and brake.

doog442 · September 8, 2018

2 hours ago, rayaans said:

If that happened to me, I would royally take the mick. In other words, leave the car in front of the entrance to the ramps, take the keys and go "looking" for a wiper blade somewhere else and come back 2 hours later.

Nothing a trolley jack wouldn't sort but you probably wouldn't want to get the free re test done there after that cunning stunt 😉

rayaans · September 8, 2018

31 minutes ago, doog442 said:

Nothing a trolley jack wouldn't sort but you probably wouldn't want to get the free re test done there after that cunning stunt 😉

Its very difficult to move a car with a trolley jack when its locked. The alarm will kick off and you know what the Lexus ones are like! They're loud because of the horn and dont stop!

doog442 · September 8, 2018

Its hardly difficult. Its the usual method for moving locked cars out of confined spaces or just moving locked cars full stop. The alternative is a chain around your towing eye and a small truck and they may well do it sideways which is quite entertaining.

Needless to say I wouldn't want to confront a load of spanners on my return or the alarm might be the only way of locating your pride and joy.

Fit a new blade, free re test and job done.....or be a muppet, go elsewhere and pay for a new MOT.

I do get the sentiment however and there are plenty of other places who would welcome your business. Finding a trustworthy garage is worth its weight in gold.

September 8, 2018

buy a lexus service plan - get free mots at lexus. Too easy?

doog442 · September 8, 2018

No free MOT with my Lexus plan I'm afraid..unless I've missed something (first MOT next month)

rayaans · September 8, 2018

1 hour ago, doog442 said:

Its hardly difficult. Its the usual method for moving locked cars out of confined spaces or just moving locked cars full stop. The alternative is a chain around your towing eye and a small truck and they may well do it sideways which is quite entertaining.

Needless to say I wouldn't want to confront a load of spanners on my return or the alarm might be the only way of locating your pride and joy.

Fit a new blade, free re test and job done.....or be a muppet, go elsewhere and pay for a new MOT.

I do get the sentiment however and there are plenty of other places who would welcome your business. Finding a trustworthy garage is worth its weight in gold.

Problem is once they touch the car its arguably criminal damage and you could sue the hell out of them even if there is no damage but you could argue that they've been reckless by moving it without keys

Linas.P · September 8, 2018

Criminal damage is amazingly difficult to prove ... ask me how I know.. I had dashcam footage of guy hitting my car and Magistrates still told me there are no way to prove he actually dented i.e. suggesting the dent was there before or "appeared" there next day. The only hope, considering it is company... they might not take chances and just settle out of court.

@Comedian - yeah that is what I thought, but checked my service plan papers several times and no free MOT for me... It states that "essential care" service plans includes 2 MOTs, but mine was "special deal" for half price and is neither essential care, nor includes the MOTs.

September 9, 2018

So just pay mot at same time as service? I had 2 mots done by Lexus 2 months apart to sync the mot to service - both were free and now I have 1 trip to Lexus per year and all sorted. It it fails for anything I have a courtesy car while they sort it too.

Hadrian · September 9, 2018

If that had been the place I've had previous cars serviced and tested, they would have changed the blade and only charged for parts.

The same with bulbs.

My Lexus isn't due a service and MOT until next year.

rayaans · September 9, 2018

5 hours ago, Comedian said:

So just pay mot at same time as service? I had 2 mots done by Lexus 2 months apart to sync the mot to service - both were free and now I have 1 trip to Lexus per year and all sorted. It it fails for anything I have a courtesy car while they sort it too.

Thats pretty much what I've done. They tend to do the service things first, any issues they sort before just slapping an MOT pass onto it

I suspect its much more hands on that how Ive expressed it but hey, as long as it passes....

doog442 · September 9, 2018

6 hours ago, Comedian said:

So just pay mot at same time as service? I had 2 mots done by Lexus 2 months apart to sync the mot to service - both were free and now I have 1 trip to Lexus per year and all sorted. It it fails for anything I have a courtesy car while they sort it too.

Why were they free if you don't mind me asking. I've looked at my previous quotes for service plans. The two more expensive plans did actually include MOTS' but you could argue they weren't free as the differential in price was probably the cost of the MOT's...I dunno

I could do with syncing them however, although its not a great issue as my usual MOT chap is round the corner but doesn't do the fancy coffee. 😉