MOT Failure

as a rule if i cant tell i pass and advise they are checked some stations however are just looking for work

If it passes the brake test and the pads have wear in them, in my opinion that is not a reason to fail the car. But in my experience there are places that, having found one reason to fail a car e.g. a bulge in a tyre, then produce a whole lot of other fictional causes for doing so. I would not like to suggest that if you had left the car with them they would have changed the pads and charged you for it, but what I would recommend is that you don't go there again.

Ron Robinson

if you find they are failing your car for the brakes that are not faulty you can take it to your ministry of transport testing station for retest and although you have to pay again if they find brakes are ok they will refund your test fee but as they failed the tyre as well i donmt spose it makes a diff but for future info you can go there

There are many test stations which will do a free retest, even if you take the car away. I have used the same one for years now. It gets round the "fail it for the work" effect. They do an honest test, and are happy to do the work if required.

Brian.

Thanks for all the advice.

I went back to the testing station the following day and after they had removed both front wheels and inspected the pads admitted that they did in fact have lots of wear left in them and issued the MOT certificate.

Wont go there again.

Keith.

Ditto.... But, as an aside, if you read the blurb on the wall, they HAVE to give you a free re-test if it fails on brake work, not sure on the time restraints though.....

-- RdB

isn't a MOT retest free if carried out within 14 days?

Looks like the garage got off very lightly. I'm sure they were only too glad to write you an MOT certificate. You should have contacted your local trading standards at the least. You cannot claim the brake pads need changing when you haven't seen them - looks like a classic MOT scam. They'll always try and make some money somewhere. Everytime I've had an MOT done the underside of the car is also inspected and from there it is normally always possible to see the brake pad thickness.

I've had similar problems in the past where fictitious faults crop up. I now use an MOT testing station that doesn't do any kind of repair work so there is no incentive to make things up.

If the pads are below - approx 3 mm or so, or appear to look unsafe the MOT inspector has the right to fail it on this, he has to make a decision on an pretty unsafe method designed by some top knob sat behind a desk - you have to remember pads don't last forever, also the braking material is ONLY bonded to the pad. The inspector has to cover his own back. If he feels the brakes are unsafe he should fail the vehicle. Its too easy for the other poster here to give his opinion without seeing the vehicle. Remember the inspector most certainly was trying to save you from an accident. The Rolling road only determines that the brakes are braking evenly and work to a certain degree, obviously braking at 50-70 can't be determined on a rolling road. Also remember there was probably other things wrong with the vehicle, which the inspector could have failed it on. That's all I'm saying for now!!

Bill

EX MOT inspector