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Different diagnoses from 2 garages on MOT?

I recently had to have my MOT done and the first garage said the exhaust needed welding and failed the emissions test, and that various bulbs needed replacing and wanted £160 for the repairs - £42.60 for the exhaust & the rest for replacing bulbs + VAT + Labour.

I didn't have it done as I replaced the bulbs myself at the cost of £6.37 & the exhaust had a slight leak from the seal, which some gungum fixed for £2.90, a total of £10.27.
I took the car to another garage, where it passed the MOT but had 11 advisories on it?

So how can one garage find exhaust problems and the second find all the other faults? I thought the MOT is a standard test throughout, so how can it differ so much?

Asked on 8 April 2013 by elvishero

Answered by Honest John
VOSA allows latitude for the inspector's "opinion".

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