Vauxhall Adam - MoT advisories

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Fri 7 Jun 2019 15:44
Vauxhall Adam - MoT advisories - The Lord of Misrule

My wife has just had her Vauxahll Adam MoT'd by Halfords - it was a freebie, an offer she saw a while back on Money Saving Expert. It came back with two advisories a leaking rear shock absorber and non aligned brakes. She was quoted a price to fix the shop absorber. She has the car serviced at our local garage, so she took it there to get prices and advice on the advisories. They have inspected to car, including putting in on the rolling road and found neither of the advisories.So one garage says there are issues, one not and a bit frustrating. Is it worth taking next steps ?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 7 Jun 2019 15:51
Vauxhall Adam - MoT advisories - Galaxy

Yes, don't go to Halfords for MOT's!

Trust your local independent garage - That's what I always do!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 7 Jun 2019 15:53
Vauxhall Adam - MoT advisories - The Lord of Misrule

Yes, that's the lesson the Lady of the House has learnt.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 7 Jun 2019 18:14
Vauxhall Adam - MoT advisories - SLO76
Any garage giving free or heavily discounted Mot’s is doing so to drum up business usually via overly strict or blatantly dishonest advisories and failures. Pay the correct price for an Mot (currently £54.85) and get an honest appraisal.

Edited by SLO76 on 07/06/2019 at 18:15

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 7 Jun 2019 18:27
Vauxhall Adam - MoT advisories - dan86

£40 at the council depot where u work and no reason to fail any car unnecessarily as they don't do any repair work to private vehicles

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 7 Jun 2019 20:10
Vauxhall Adam - MoT advisories - nellyjak

As above...never believe a "free" MOT...seen so many of those in my time..and amazingly I haven't heard of any coming out without alleged advisories...it rhymes with spam.

I wouldn't let that type of outfit anywhere near my car.

Edited by nellyjak on 07/06/2019 at 20:11

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 7 Jun 2019 20:26
Vauxhall Adam - MoT advisories - bathtub tom

A neighbour had an MOT failure for corroded sills. When I had a look, I could see a few neat, square holes, through clean metal. Exactly the same shape that could be caused by a healthy whack with a welding hammer!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Jun 2019 07:43
Vauxhall Adam - MoT advisories - madf

I have always used Kwikfit for the last decade.

No issues.

Advisories were real issues..Explained by tester who told me to ignore most of them!

(Mind you I suppose I am not a typical customer)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Jun 2019 09:49
Vauxhall Adam - MoT advisories - John F

I have always used Kwikfit for the last decade.

No issues.

You were lucky! The only time I have had personal experience of an attempted scam (..'needs a new CAT' - it didn't, they'd fiddled the emissions reading) is with a local Kwikfit branch, and this forum is rife with unflattering stories about them.

Edited by John F on 08/06/2019 at 09:49

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Jun 2019 11:06
Vauxhall Adam - MoT advisories - madf

I have always used Kwikfit for the last decade.

No issues.

You were lucky! The only time I have had personal experience of an attempted scam (..'needs a new CAT' - it didn't, they'd fiddled the emissions reading) is with a local Kwikfit branch, and this forum is rife with unflattering stories about them.

Twenty years ago KF were a different story - but my local one in Congleton appears honest and above board.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Jun 2019 09:54
Vauxhall Adam - MoT advisories - catsdad
There are exceptions to the general experience on here. I get "free" MoTs from my Honda dealer as part of the standard £170 service. Good breakdown cover is also included. They've now done 3 MoTs with only one tyre advisory for a slight cut. At the last MoT there were no advisories at all but the service picked up discs and pads as being at the limits. Not unexpected at 70k miles but they didn't issue an MoT brakes advisory as a lever to get the work. Having said that I couldn't find the alleged tyre cut with the wheels off .....and at the next MoT neither did they!

On the other hand, 18 months back, our Corsa went into a once trusted indie for a more expensive service and full price MoT. He gave 4 tyre advisories for tread at the limit and a quote for replacements all round. I took it elsewhere and they recorded depths of 3-6mm. A blatant try-on by the indie.

For me the lesson is to be rightly sceptical of all garages but not to assume the glass palaces or free MoTs always rip you off. And when it comes to tyres take your own gauge and a pinch of salt.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Jun 2019 11:53
Vauxhall Adam - MoT advisories - barney100

Local garage advised leaking shock absorber...funnily enough next year the same garage never mentioned it.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Jun 2019 16:29
Vauxhall Adam - MoT advisories - gordonbennet

A shock absorber is either leaking or it isn't, no opinion needed, get under and have a look for yourself.

On the other hand what are non aligned brakes when they're at home? Maybe the brake roller picked up a slightly lower figure one side, which maybe genuinely points to the brakes needing a proper service...note not new pads or discs or anything, but a real brake service, ie strip clean lubricate exercise the pistons and reassemble.

Edited by gordonbennet on 08/06/2019 at 16:29

Reply | Report as offensive | Link