Free car safety checks

[johncrossley]

Does anyone here make use of free safety checks from your local garage? Do you use one of the major chains, for example Kwik Fit, ATS Euromaster, Halfords etc. or an independent firm?

You could make use of these before your MOT or service to get things fixed economically (maybe somewhere else) and at a time to suit you instead of being presented with a large repair bill on the MOT day. Also, if the MOT garage says you need a lot of work done but the vehicle safety check said there was nothing wrong, that could help you spot being scammed.

 

[TheSmiths82]

I wouldn't use them, they offer them as a away of finding work and will often say things need replacing when I still have a lot of life left in them. No doubt the faults they find will be the easy to replace high margin items such as tyres or shock absorbers.

 

[johncrossley]

I wouldn't use them, they offer them as a away of finding work and will often say things need replacing when I still have a lot of life left in them. No doubt the faults they find will be the easy to replace high margin items such as tyres or shock absorbers.

If they find a fault then take the car to another garage for a second opinion, or maybe get another free check with a different company.

 

[Bald Rick]

I do them myself! I effectively cover about 80% of the MoT test in 10 minutes before I take it in. Obviously can’t do the emissions checks, nor anything that needs it up on a ramp, but the rest is easy. More than once I have had to explain to the MoT tester that what looks like a fail is actually oerfectly safe (eg massive crack in the windscreen, but compressed and well outside the driver’s vision area).

 

[david1212]

Around 35 years ago now ( gulp moment ..... ) and I can not remember the trading name at the time but could have been Lucas according to them full brake replacement i.e. pads and discs front plus shoes and drums rear plus wheel cylinders required at ~£300 ( late 1980's pricing remember ).

A second opinion from a reputable independent was that the only work required was replacement of one rear cylinder.

15 or so years later someone said that every year at the same site they had a MOT fail. Once told to use a certain reputable independent never had a fail again.

 

[nap666]

Had something similar at a national chain, claiming needed new brake pipes due to corrosion, they were unaware I worked for local council at a depot with an MOT facility. Took the vehicle away for the repairs and got it inspected by our MOT testers, other than some adjustment on the brakes could find nothing wrong, the brake pipes were ok and the protective coating on them had been scraped off to make out there was an issue.
Got a written report and trading standards help to report them to Dept. Of Transport at the time, turns out they were already under investigation for inventing work.

 

[Lost property]

I do them myself! I effectively cover about 80% of the MoT test in 10 minutes before I take it in. Obviously can’t do the emissions checks, nor anything that needs it up on a ramp, but the rest is easy. More than once I have had to explain to the MoT tester that what looks like a fail is actually oerfectly safe (eg massive crack in the windscreen, but compressed and well outside the driver’s vision area).

First, any offer preceded by "FREE ! " is simply to attract attention and thereafter comes the anything but free details ALL of those chains mentioned have featured at some point for attempting to generate non existent "work" as it's in their interest to do so.

When available, for an M.o.T visit your local council test centre. They have nothing to gain by the "umm / ah, well see you must have xyz done " sales approach to generating work for themselves.

However, when somebody posts about their self proclaimed "expertise" on a public forum, it's nice to see them contradicting themselves.

Just because the crack is outside the critical vision area does not mean it is safe to drive with a "massive crack" in the screen. Your overall vision is impaired as is the structural integrity of the screen. A catastrophic failure could occur at any time and you would be a liability to yourself, and, more importantly, other road users when it did As with brakes / tyres, mirrors, screens are safety critical essentials and should be treated as such.

 

[Bald Rick]

However, when somebody posts about their self proclaimed "expertise" on a public forum, it's nice to see them contradicting themselves.

Just because the crack is outside the critical vision area does not mean it is safe to drive with a "massive crack" in the screen. Your overall vision is impaired as is the structural integrity of the screen. A catastrophic failure could occur at any time and you would be a liability to yourself, and, more importantly, other road users when it did As with brakes / tyres, mirrors, screens are safety critical essentials and should be treated as such.

As it happens, I had the windscreen checked out by the orofessionals (a well known national windscreen replacement company), who confirmed that it was perfectly safe and did not need replacement. In the end I had to persuade them to replace it.

 

[Cowley]

If they find a fault then take the car to another garage for a second opinion, or maybe get another free check with a different company.

They will find fault. That’s the point of them offering it for free!