What value an MOT?

Shouldn't they have spotted that during the MOT test - whether or not it's one of the specific things they check?

I don't quite know what it means, but I think that reply qualifies for a

Whoosh!

Mike.

Surely it's got R&P steering so no 'box or drag links?

" one of the drag links on the s/box came off a track arm "

hmmm interesting since when were puma's fitted with drag links let alone a steering box ?!

the one i MOT'd today didnt !!!

I'd presume they've either damaged it after or not done a complete MOT as a loose track rod end would have been picked up.

Seems like a car that has just passed it's MOT that loses it's steering, has less reason for comment, than criticising the incorrect terminology that was used to describe the incident. Mike.

No need to get technical on me.:-) I know it's got R&P steering. Unless it matters, which it doesn't as far as my post is concerned. I use the term 'box' freely for any steering box be it R&P, worm and peg, or any other type of s/box. And I used the term drag link because at the time of posting I couldn't remember that the links on the end of a rack, are called tie-rods. Mike.

Yeah you have the correct meaning! :)

sorry but the correct terminology does make a BIG difference. I don't know how well you know your way about a vehicle & you could have been fobbed off with what you told us. but as you said " I haven't got the full story yet " so keep us posted so we can add further input.

But did the steering break as you drove it out? :-)

fortunately no, but ive had in the past brake pipes/hoses burst while doing the braking efficiency on the brake rollers & this is after i had inspected them, they usally burst where they go over the top of something ( ie.fuel tank ) where you dont have access to fully inspect them.

I took my 2.5 year old Polo into the local dealer a couple of months ago, told them of a rubbery squeaking sound from the NS front suspension, they inspected it and said it was the door hinge and they had greased it, even put it in writing that there was nothing wrong with the suspension. A month or so later I was driving home and started top get buffeted by cross winds, or so I stupidly thought, after all I had it in writing from the dealer that there was nothing wrong. When I got home and stepped out of the car there was no wind, but the NS front wheel could be moved back and forth by about 5cm with light pressure!, the wishbone bearing wasn't there any more 8-(.

When I called them their first reaction was that it was my problem and I would have to pay to have it towed in and fixed. But once I got through to them what had happened, the possible consequences if I had been on a motorway, and they had brought the inspection report up on their computer, their attitude strangely changed and it was all done within a day and at their expense 8-)

And the moral of this tale?... There is a decent garage in this country, only ones that haven't yet shown you how bad they really are!.

Greg

It only matters inasmuch if the MOT tester had said this. Mine told me a front wheel bearing on my BMW had too much play but that he could adjust it for X quid. Clever when they're not adjustable...

The link between the rack and steering arm is commonly called a track rod. Track rod end at the steering arm end and inner ball joint at the rack. If anything was loose it should have showed up at the MOT - and before when driving the car.

That one wheel parted with the steering, immediately after an MOT, is a fact. Using the correct terminology for the part that failed, is not so important as the fact that it should not have happened at all. Had it not broken in the garage car park, it could have broken as the owner was driving home. MOT's are supposed to guard against the failure of critical parts that affect a vehicles safety. I know enough about cars, and engineering, to say that when something does break in such a sudden way, whoever carried out the inspection is going to have a hard job explaining why he didn't notice signs of the components imminent failure, whatever it was, when he inspected it.

I don't know

That the cars steering broke is a fact, as reported by the garage to my guvnor at work, when he rang to ask when the car would be ready, after being booked in for an MOT. Apparently the MOT was finished at about 3pm. I ran my guvnor to the garage at 5.15pm for him to pick it up after it was repaired. I didn't hang around after dropping him so no doubt I'll hear all the details tomorrow. Mike.

Broke when the MOT guy was parking it ready for collection. Mike.

Not as well designed as the SD1 then. :-)

Track rod, Tie rod, both names for the same thing, but I agree, Track rod is probably the most commonly used name.

If

The owner is a young girl. Nuff said? I'll get the details tomorrow. I'm quite interested to know how something so potentially dangerous could be overlooked during an MOT. Mike.

I don't trust garages to do good work period. I have experienced too many examples of their shoddy workmanship to ever do that. If you can, you're better off doing it yourself. Mike.

I have a brother, and a few of the chaps on here might, who would take great issue with that remark. He has sometimes been asked by bosses to take shortcuts with safety critical items and has point blank refused. He knows that a lot of the time it is not just a car he is dealing with, it could be someone's life.

Which I wouldn't be surprised was cover for "It broke while one of our monkeys was out running errands and ran it into a kerb"

One does hear stories of people jacking or towing cars using inappropraite parts of the car, like suspension or steering, so that could be the case here either by this particular garage or by another.