is this a MoT failure or not?

I'm sure they are, but more than that they're a bloody liability and I'd be wanting to change them ASAP.

Yes, and?

For the sake of a few quid, are you really willing to drive around in a dangerous vehicle?

Yes

Tester's manual, 3.5.h:

"a brake disc or drum in such a condition that it is seriously weakened or insecure"

Chris

If a tester's failed them, would you bet your life on him being wrong?

If they're not hairline then the disc would no longer be disc shaped.

If you've got them hot enough to surface crack then you'll be wanting new ones anyway.

On Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:45:08 +0000, Stephen ranted:

Yes. Are you happy to drive around with cracked discs?

And? What sort of car is it? Just how much are a set of pads?

Not me personally, but I know someone who had a track rod end so worn that it dropped apart when turning. He pushed it back together and tied string around it in a neat bow...

Oh, and a friend had a car with a wire spoked steering wheel. The spokes came loose in the rim of the wheel, so when moving the wheel at low speed he had to turn it by the spokes so the rim didn't fall off. The same car had a failed front door lock, and would have flapped in the breeze, apart from having a tow-rope tying the door pulls together.

Entry was gained from the rear doors, then by climbing over the front seats, avoiding castration from the rope, and being careful not to use the failing steering wheel for support.

Chris

There is a simple cheap fix, change the discs and keep the old pads. In a few weeks the part worn old pads will fit the grooves in the new discs perfectly.

Or just flat the pads down on wet and dry on a piece of glass.