Car Failed MOT today but should it have passed last year?
 

I took my coupe in today for it's MOT, only to be completely shocked when I was told it failed and would cost about £400 to put right. I was fairly convinced it would pass so this came totally out of the blue and the list to be honest was quite scary. This is what it failed on:

n/s outer sill body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting it's strength within 30cm of the body mountings

n/s inner sill body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting it's strength within 30cm of the body mountings

n/s (trailing arm mountings) body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings **DANGEROUS**

o/s (sill) body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings

o/s (trailing arm mountings) body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings

_____________________________________

Now the problem I have here, is that the car passed an MOT last year without so much as a mention of any of this (it was MOT'd at a different garage that we no longer use) and not mentioned on the advisory either. The car has done 2,700 miles in this 12 months and it was garaged from October until this morning (except for the odd run round the block)

I don't think it should have passed last year (although this is just my opinion) but I am after other peoples opinions on whether this sounds right or not before I call VOSA tomorrow.

Get one of the lads to have a look at it ,for second opinion,sounds like ya need some hot metal action!
Any corrosion near body mountings is automatic failure ,£400 is not a lot for welding, round here its charged out at £35+vat per hr

That's what the £400 is going to be - welding. Interior has to be stripped out and its going to be a massive job. I will ask the garage I took it to when it goes back in on Monday, they've looked after our Audi's now for about a year and we trust them which is what makes us think that last years MOT with the other garage may not have been kosher

And once the car is welded i'd get the underside sealed up with por 13 ,expensive stuff but ya canny beat it for protection against tin worm.

Deffo no point getting in touch with VOSA.

All an MOT does is state that on the day the car was presented it proved to be roadworthy. There is some come back regarding corrosion, I can't remember the exact details but you would need to have complained well within three months of the certificate being issued.

Sounds like you have a nasty spot somewhere on the N/S sill towards the back of the car and the Chassis leg on the offside has a hole in it somewhere near the rear axle mounting point.

To be fair this sort of thing can go from being a just about pass to a certain fail within a year, a little also depends on how strict each tester was.

Any chance of some photos of the areas in question.

By the way I do tidy body welding for a 20 quid an hour + materials to forum members.

To be honest i'm glad you said that about just being a pass to a certain failure. Makes me feel a bit more secure knowing I haven't been driving a car with something else they could have overlooked. I know the old garage i used passes cars that shouldn't, I just hoped mine wouldn't be one of them.

I haven't got any pics, I can't get under the car (no ramps)

It's booked in with the (good, trustworthy) garage for Monday now as I just want it back up and running

yeah, if you think your car shouldnt have passed youve got 28 days to complain about mechanical stuff. and 3 months for corrosion issues.

vosa will take the car, inspect the car themselves and make a decision on whether it should have failed or not. and what action to take.

I thought Three months rang a bell regarding corrosion, thanks for clarifying the siuation:tup:

Sounds like it "got let through" last year :grr:
Or that the tester did a half arsed job and didnt have a poke about on the test.

Only failed on bodywork or have u some mechanicals aswell?

Ive done a few £1000 welding jobs at work where u just wouldn't bother with it, but by what u have written, even through my work Id say about £200-£300 without seeing it.

No mechanicals, it was the corrosion and failed on a tyre (now replaced) advisory was a couple of stone chips on the windscreen so all in all really not that bad.

Last year when it came back from the old garage after needing work doing, all the electrics had gone. I think I started a thread on it here somewhere. Took em ages to get it all working again, apparently they had let a young trainee do the job as it was a 'simple' engine!