MOT failure rates published

You want to get into the news but for the right reasons. Well, I am sure Ford UK is not happy with the reports that the brand leads in MOT (the mandatory road testing for vehicles more then 3 years old to ensure that they  meet road safety and environmental standards) failure rates.

This is the first time in history that it has been released following a Freedom of Information (FoI) request by the BBC.

Apparently theFord Transit Connect had the highest failure rate at 30.5%, followed by the Renault Megane and the Ford Transit.

I am not surprised that the Toyota Corolla had the lowest failure rate with just 11.2%.

The data is now available for free on the VOSA website in the PDF format (1,200 pages).

Hollis Road garage

On the recommendation of several of my Malaysian friends, I recently had my car's MOT test done at the Hollis Road Garage on Hollis Road. It reportedly charges the lowest for the MOT test in the whole of Coventry - only £24/



So I drove down there Tuesday evening having made an appointment for 4:30 pm. was relieved when it passed the exhaust test. Unfortunately the car failed the test because both my front direction indicator lights were of incorrect colour and the "nearside front lower suspension arm bush bonding deteriorated resulting in excessive movement."

Took it back to the garage the next day to have the parts replaced. Took them around an hour. Went back home with the MOT pass certificate.

Here's the address:

Hollis Road Garage
139 Hollis Rd, Coventry, West Midlands, CV3 1AG
Tel: 024 76456657

Passed the MOT test

Every vehicle in the UK has to go through the dreaded mandatory MOT test. The name derives from the now defunct Ministry of Transport, but is still officially used.

The test is carried out annually to most vehicles over a certain age to ensure that they are safe and roadworthy.

It's that time of the year for our car. So I went over to a nearby garage recommended by some of our friends - TPS Autos Ltd in Foleshill.

I was praying that everything would be OK and I wouldn't have to change anything. Unfortunately that was not to be and I found out that:
1. Nearside front brake pipe excessively corroded [3.6.b.2c]
2. Front headlamp aim too low [1.6]



I was a bit sceptical about the second fault and had a feelign the guy was ripping me off but I kept my mouth shut.

It cost me £45 for the test itself and £80 for the replacements and repair.
Total damage: £125/

Is that costly?

Cars are cheap in the UK but the cost of maintenance, insurance and other extras are really high.

Reminds me of a story I heard from a friend. The story goes that one guy found out that he would have to fork out more than the price he had paid, to fix the car. He just drove it straight to the scrap yard and sold it for a few pounds.

In case you are interested, the owner's name is Pritpal Singh and here's the full add of the garage:

TPS Autos Ltd
14 Boston Place
OFF Durbar Avenue
Foleshill
Coventry CV6 5NN

My only complaint was that they did not have a customer waiting area.

Find your nearest UK MOT test centre here.

Tags: Coventry MOT Workshop