Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

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NewcastleFalcon
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Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

I followed this route for my latest MOT......£40 for the test, no retest fee. and if you get a fail first time you can specify precisely to a garage the work needed, or do-it-yourself and book a retest.

I would have no hestiation in doing it again. Courteous service at the Stakeford Workshops of Northumberland County Council, they also have a facility at Hexham.

This site ukmot.com-Council MOT Centres lists those authorities with MOT Test Facilities open to the public. Can't vouch for how comprehensive or accurate it is...for Northumberland it just gives the general Council number but there are 2 testing facilities in the County-just have to go to the website to find them.

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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by Stickyfinger »

Good to see Somerset does not do that :)
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Stickyfinger wrote:Good to see Somerset does not do that :)
Bit of a controversial question perhaps.....is Bristol part of Somerset or an independent nation of its own?

Bristol has a MOT testing station open to the public Sandy Park, Brislington, Bristol

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/tenders-cont ... t-services

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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by Stickyfinger »

What are councils doing public chargeable MoT's for.....??

I would not on principal
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

First time I have used the facility, but I did like the idea of getting a genuinely independent test. They just do the testing of course, no repairs, and you have to book an appointment. They have the facilities and the testers employed to carry out tests for their own fleet/taxi's etc, and the open to the public bit is a small element of their operation. You can easily find places offering MOT's at prices less than the £40 Council charge, but I would quite happily pay up to the max charge (£54.85) for the "independent" element of the testing.

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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

I seem to recall watching one of the programs on the BBC where the council in question had its own facilities for checking taxis were up to scratch (and they have to have a much more stringent MoT test), and when they were quiet they supplemented their finances by doing normal MoT tests. As they did not do any repairs, they had no ulterior motives in failing a car (or taxi).
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by daviemck2006 »

When I drove taxis my boss took a taxi for the test, it got failed for something stupid and he proceeded to fall out on the tester big time calling him every profanity known to mankind and then some more. I went down 2 days later with a transit that had the firm's name sign written on the back door. I drove it in over the pit, tester walked up to it, saw the bit of filler on the bottom of the rear door, picked it out with a pocket knife, laughed, looked at me and said that's it failed, serves the bast*** right! I then heard him knocking spots off it underneath until he got his chisel through the cross member a few times. It only failed on corrosion. It's a bad idea to fall out with a council tester when you have 26 motors getting tested twice a year lol
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

NewcastleFalcon wrote: 03 Feb 2016, 20:38 I followed this route for my latest MOT......£40 for the test, no retest fee. and if you get a fail first time you can specify precisely to a garage the work needed, or do-it-yourself and book a retest.

I would have no hestiation in doing it again. Courteous service at the Stakeford Workshops of Northumberland County Council, they also have a facility at Hexham.

This site ukmot.com-Council MOT Centres lists those authorities with MOT Test Facilities open to the public. Can't vouch for how comprehensive or accurate it is...for Northumberland it just gives the general Council number but there are 2 testing facilities in the County-just have to go to the website to find them.

Regards Neil
...and that is the route I follow today. It is a bit of a faff but you do get the independent test, and choose to fix it yourself or get a garage to do the specific jobs, and give you a price for them.

Recent very expensive MOT work for the extended fleet which is now garage maintained as opposed to me getting my hands dirty, confirms my own approach now of getting an independent test. To be fair , and I have to be, the work is done whether I would regard it as necessary or not, and it's a once a year thing and the end result is the cars end up being better shod than they were, serviced and have the new parts fitted.

I think the biggest bill for an MOT and consequential works was around £400, in 40 plus years of motoring, when I just did a "go on then" and got the garage to do stuff for me that I would normally have done but couldn't be bothered to do myself, and included a bit of normal maintenance new tyres.

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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by Rp0thejester »

Great shout! I use an MOT test centre only, no repairs. So you know they aren't looking for faults/work. Think the system has now changed so that an MOT fail can't be repaired at the garage it failed at. Also all councils have to offer MOTs to the public (they won't advertise it) because they MOT their own vehicles. Check your local council website 🙂
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by DeuxChevaux »

" Think the system has now changed so that an MOT fail can't be repaired at the garage it failed at. "
Where on earth did you get that idea from? - MOT fails are big business for the garage that fails the car!
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by Rp0thejester »

Oh, I might be wrong, but I put my car in just once to a garage and they said they can't repair it as they failed it. Maybe to honest for their own good?
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

Rp0thejester wrote: 29 Jul 2022, 22:00 Oh, I might be wrong, but I put my car in just once to a garage and they said they can't repair it as they failed it. Maybe too honest for their own good?
Possibly not. If the rules HAVE changed, and they MoTed (and failed) your car, if they then were found working on it they may fall foul of the law (and could be prosecuted). They also could not know if you were assisting the local Trading Standards team.
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

A few of outfits who just do MOT's, no repairs. Haven't found any around Tyneside yet, but no doubt there will be one or two.

https://www.just-mots.co.uk/
https://onlydomots.co.uk/
https://weonlymot.co.uk/mot-locations/worksop/

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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by myglaren »

There is one in Sunderland. Never used it though.
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

myglaren wrote: 30 Jul 2022, 10:09 There is one in Sunderland. Never used it though.
Do you mean one run by the council Steve :?: haven't come across a private one yet.
__________________________________________________________

Looking into the nitty gritty, I should have done this a bit in advance.

Firstly what does the DVLA Website say about SORN :?:
When you can drive your vehicle :?:
You can only drive a vehicle with a SORN on a public road to go to or from a pre-booked MOT or other testing appointment.

You could face court prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500 if you use it on the road for any other reason.
Fair enough...fairly clear

What about the DVLA MOT Guidance if the car passes :?:
If it passes , hunky dory, it will have a valid MOT, if it needs new tax you can do it right away, ditto insurance jump in and drive home.
What about the DVLA MOT Guidance if the car fails, but your previous MOT Certificate remains valid :?: (ie I assume would have had some days to run after you submitted it for the test) :?:
Taking your vehicle away for repairs
You can take your vehicle away if your MOT certificate is still valid.
What about the DVLA MOT Guidance if the car fails, but your previous MOT Certificate has expired :?: (ie the test is carried out after the previous one ran out. :?:
If your MOT has run out you can take your vehicle to:
have the failed defects fixed
a pre-arranged MOT test appointment
Pretty much the same as SORN guidance as you might expect.

Now the little section on "Driving" as opposed to "taking"
Driving a vehicle that’s failed
You can take your vehicle away if:

your current MOT certificate is still valid
no ‘dangerous’ problems were listed in the MOT
Otherwise, you’ll need to get it repaired before you can drive.
So what happens to the category of Vehicle on SORN, no valid current MOT certificate, Fails the Test (any item not just a dangerous item.) Can you drive it back :?:

I guess the "Otherwise, you'll need to get it repaired before you can drive" applies, and a vehicle on SORN, taking the MOT Test after the expiry date of the last certificate, and failing probably needs trailering away from the test-centre, and not driven on public roads.

I may have to revise my strategy, especially seeing as I have let the previous certificate expire.

REgards Neil
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