Failed NCT retests 3 times

Duke of Marmalade said:
But why oh why did they not just cut round the carpet even if they needed to ask my permission to do so? Though I still don't see what it has got to do with safety.
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To be fair, cutting chunks of carpet out could easily represent a safety hazard in itself - e.g. trip/snag hazard.
I don't think that the NCT testers will (or are obliged to) move clutter out of the way (e.g. in the boot or cabin) in order to perform their testing so there's absolutely no way that they're doing to start cutting carpet to get at the VIN even if the owner says it's ok!
 
The current instructions to prepare your car for the NCT state that the glove box should be empty in order to allow access to the OBD socket. The staff at NCT are not obliged to clear out the glove box. They don't declutter and it's likely that the test could be refused if the car is presented with objects in the glove box.

The vin number is available using an OBD scanner.
 
@ClubMan & @S class fair enuff, I wouldn't expect them to cut the carpet, but if there was any customer focus they might have asked me to do so. There was no technical fault here with the car and there was no safety issue. I wonder if I had a Stanley blade with me could I have done it there and then and drive round for re-inspection.
Anyway we have gone off topic, it is not the NCT people who are at fault in OP.
 
Any car that fails for a reason that does not require the reuse of test center equipment is allowed a visual reinspection for free. There is no requirement to book a visual recheck inspection. Therefore you could have cut the carpet before you left the NCT center and asked for the free recheck. A staff member would then walk out to the car park have a look and then issue your NCT cert.
 
S class said:
Any car that fails for a reason that does not require the reuse of test center equipment is allowed a visual reinspection for free. There is no requirement to book a visual recheck inspection. Therefore you could have cut the carpet before you left the NCT center and asked for the free recheck. A staff member would then walk out to the car park have a look and then issue your NCT cert.
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Oh dear!
 
Update on this saga.
Friend went to a different garage. They could find nothing wrong but they did say that there was a lot of oil around underneath which the NCT people mistook as a leak.
So back for a completely fresh NCT test today.
Of course it failed!!! But this time it was a missing nut on the wheel :eek: Don't ask me how that happened and why it is only spotted now. Possible of course that a local vandal did it since the last garage looked at it.
Anyway it seem that a new nut is needed and all that is needed is an inspection.
Summary:
NCT due failed in late July;
3 retests failed in August including one by NCT incompetence;
Fresh NCT failed today;
But the saga should at lest end with an inspection. :mad:
 
They could start an official complaint regarding the previous NCT failure due to the non existant brake fluid leak. Use the new garage report to back this up. The NCT will probably refuse to uphold the complaint. They could go to the regulator for the NCT complaint procedure, which is the AA. This procedure is free.
 
S class said:
They could start an official complaint regarding the previous NCT failure due to the non existant brake fluid leak. Use the new garage report to back this up. The NCT will probably refuse to uphold the complaint. They could go to the regulator for the NCT complaint procedure, which is the AA. This procedure is free.
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Thanks. I think the main gripe is with garage X. They did say that they renewed all the oil in the gearbox which I presume they did sloppily and left a mess on the underside of the car.
I doubt there is any stomach for pursuing a minor complaint against the NCT people. A bit like complaining about a stay in hospital; you never know when you might regret making "enemies" there ;)
 
Duke of Marmalade said:
Thanks. I think the main gripe is with garage X. They did say that they renewed all the oil in the gearbox which I presume they did sloppily and left a mess on the underside of the car.
I doubt there is any stomach for pursuing a minor complaint against the NCT people. A bit like complaining about a stay in hospital; you never know when you might regret making "enemies" there ;)
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It's not that minor. As a result of NCT incompetence they have incurred considerable expense and inconvenience.
The cost of the incompetent test.
The cost of removal of their car which NCT instructed them not to drive.
The cost of getting the car checked by another garage.
The cost of being deprived of the use of their car for a considerable period of time.
Possible replacement car expenses.
Don't worry about making enemies with NCT. I went through this procedure with NCT and any cars belonging to me have passed the test afterwards.
 
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S class said:
It's not that minor. As a result of NCT incompetence they have incured considerable expense and inconvenience.
The cost of the incompetent test.
The cost of removal of their car which NCT instructed them not to drive.
The cost of getting the car checked by another garage.
The cost of being deprived of the use of their car for a considerable period of time.
Possible replacement car expenses.
Don't worry about making enemies with NCT. I went through this procedure with NCT and any cars belonging to be have passed the test afterwards.
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The main one there would normally be "The cost of being deprived of the use of their car for a considerable period of time." But luckily they really hardly ever need the second car. I'd say if they actually had to hire a car and incur a real cost they would be pursuing a claim.
 
Brendan Burgess said:
The main culprit here is the garage.

The NCT is hardly at fault. They see lots of oil and assume a leak.

Brendan
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They should be able to differentiate between brake fluid and gearbox oil. They both have distinctive smells. A quick wipe with a paper swab and a sniff would immediately determine which it was. Next it will be a leaking radiator because the car drove through a puddle before the test.
A minor oil leak would not result in a car being declared as unfit to drive.
It's a complete missdiagnosis which had serious implications for the car owner.

Careless testing.
 
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