MOT changes - what a fecking farce

[AndyMac]

My wifes B6 TDi failed it's MOT today, no biggy but you'll never guess what for?
The rear number plate does not have the post code on it of the issuer and there's no BS kite mark.
WTF?
Apparently as of 1st October all 51+ plate vehicles have to have this. I phoned VOSA and it's actualy true.
Absolutey pathetic, how is this anything to do with road worthiness.
Oh and it also failed as the tax disc holder has a smal Autoglass logo above it which is in the wiper sweep area.
Words fail me, which is a first.

 

[unkle]

Sounds like they were very thorough!

The thing with the number plates has been going for a while though since at least 2002, when i was working for the military in Germany they would issue you with army plates/reg number that would always have a totally random dealers address on them and I asked about this one time and they told me the same as you, no idea why however???

 

[jcs356]

Sounds like you got Mr MOT Tester on a bad day! Good luck with sorting him / it out )

 

[AndyMac]

Stupid thing is it was an Audi bodyshop (Listers) who fitted the ****** number plate when they did some work on the rear of the car before we bought it. That was in 2003 so should have been compliant with the new guidelines. It's only this month that VOSA are enforcing it.
The garage suggested ringing them and getting them to sort it out but that's never gonna happen, life's too short, I think I'll just stump up the £10 and get it done myself. I will also be cutting the logo off the tax disc holder myself to ensure it doesn't obscure my view of the bottom left hand side of the windscreen! I wondered why I was running over so many pedestrians.

 

[Just Plain Old]

Just another little example of how this wonderful Government are making our Country such a 'safe' place live in.......

 

[benw123]

I also wonder where the money for the MoT goes. A local garage used to do MoTs for a tenner, with a voucher printed in the local rag each week. And they were real MoTs too - they didn't pass everything.

Took my Sportback there tonight for its first MoT and while it passed easily, it now costs £45. Apparently the RRP is over £50 because it's "all computerised". Another stealth tax perhaps?

 

[JohnboyC]

MOT is £35 at Preston Audi at the moment !

 

[GhostyDog]

That all sounds a bit bonkers, do you have a link to the info? I know for a fact my other car wont comply come next MOT time

 

[AndyMac]

It's all on the VOSA web site somewhere but I just called them up as couldn't find anything definitive. There's this from AutoExpress:
"Plates fitted to models registered after 1 September 2001 that aren’t embossed with the name and postcode of the supplier and BS AU145d British Standard symbol will result in an automatic failure. The move is des­igned to make it easy for testers to spot non-road-legal ‘show plates’, as these don’t have a BS symbol."
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/210559/registration_plates.html

 

[TQS]

We're all becoming government enforced dumbed down droids!

 

[[Dave B]]

This means mine's going to fail as well then. I suppose I have been living on the edge without a postcode on my reg plate...i'm in serious risk of....well.... getting caught I suppose...?

 

[jojo]

My MOT station never checks mine, how do I know you say? None of my plates on all of my cars have the BS mark, as I had them all made up myself with logo's on the side.

 

[jesters3]

Shocking.

On one hand, they did and excellent job of keeping MOTs to an exacting standard but to fail on two points that in no way (IMO) could impede your driving or other road users is just crazy.

 

[AndyMac]

My MOT station never checks mine, how do I know you say? None of my plates on all of my cars have the BS mark, as I had them all made up myself with logo's on the side.

Apparently they're only enforcing it from October 1st 2007, so unless they've all been MOT'd in the last 6 weeks, then you've yet to enjoy the experience.
It's only 2001+ models, for some bizarre reason older cars are exempt.

 

[jojo]

Apparently they're only enforcing it from October 1st 2007, so unless they've all been MOT'd in the last 6 weeks, then you've yet to enjoy the experience.
It's only 2001+ models, for some bizarre reason older cars are exempt.

I MOT'd both my Passat and S3 in October Andy, the guy was more interested about my headlamp allignment on my Passat, and he adjusted them for me for free, and with the S3 on the following day, he was very keen to see how my S3 performed on the brake test, with £1500 worth of brakes on it! Seriously, he didn't even look at my reg plates, and this guy is pretty thorough, poking at side sills and using the crowbar on suspension arms etc.

 

[Gti Jazz Blue]

Well hopefully I won't have that problem come March and the A3's first MOT seeing as my local MOT tester made the plates up for me.

My best mate is a Tester and it takes about 45 minutes to do a proper MOT so that is where most of the money goes.

Paul

 

[AndyMac]

I MOT'd both my Passat and S3 in October Andy, the guy was more interested about my headlamp allignment on my Passat, and he adjusted them for me for free, and with the S3 on the following day, he was very keen to see how my S3 performed on the brake test, with £1500 worth of brakes on it! Seriously, he didn't even look at my reg plates, and this guy is pretty thorough, poking at side sills and using the crowbar on suspension arms etc.

I'd Report him to VOSA Jo, that's outrageously slapdash!

 

[jojo]

I'd Report him to VOSA Jo, that's outrageously slapdash!

Been using him for the last 5 years mate, he takes the 45minutes per car, as he has a routine for each MOT. He appears to be a bit of an MOT guru aswell, with local MOT testers constantly asking him for advice on new rules and legislations like this one.

 

[Nilz]

Jo

where do you get your mot's done??

Cheers
Nilz

BTW...Manish is back at Halfords....

 

[jojo]

BTW...Manish is back at Halfords....

Seriously?, he wasn't happy at Weston was he?

PM on the way bud.

 

[Nilz]

Yea i think it was something like that, so anyway he said to put the word out again....so im putting the word out

Cheers, i got ur message.

 

[Staz]

I also wonder where the money for the MoT goes. A local garage used to do MoTs for a tenner, with a voucher printed in the local rag each week. And they were real MoTs too - they didn't pass everything.

Took my Sportback there tonight for its first MoT and while it passed easily, it now costs £45. Apparently the RRP is over £50 because it's "all computerised". Another stealth tax perhaps?

Not completely sticking up for the system but computerisation was needed a long time ago and now we've got it it's a good thing. I don't (well won't when the time comes) mind paying a little extra to use a system that prevents fraudsters making their own MOT pass certs and also means a plod can check a cars MOT status instantly.

 

[AndyMac]

Make it £100 and do it properly would be fine by me. When you see some of the wrecks on the road that supposedly have an MOT - it's a total joke.

 

[voorhees]

got my MOT done on wednesday with Listers and it passed

 

[jojo]

got my MOT done on wednesday with Listers and it passed

And £400 lighter, or was the MOT on top?

 

[TheSpaceCowboy]

Not completely sticking up for the system but computerisation was needed a long time ago and now we've got it it's a good thing. I don't (well won't when the time comes) mind paying a little extra to use a system that prevents fraudsters making their own MOT pass certs and also means a plod can check a cars MOT status instantly.

That isnt quite true, like anything created by man its fallible. All it takes is a dodgy garage and a friend whose friends with the owner and you have a passed car with official MOT status. Also the money goes no where towards the system my last MOT cost me and my friend both £20 each and thats the first time we went to that garage so I think you've been fed alot of crap mate.