How much do you pay for an MoT?

[AdamW]

My car is coming up to its third birthday, so it is reaching that special time in its life when I need a piece of paper declaring that the car was probably safe at the exact moment it was in the testing station.

Anyway, I have reached a strange situation. I have never had a 3 year old vehicle before. And no-one else round here seems to either!

Now, as soon as I can get through to my local Vauxhall servicing centre I will be able to book the appointment for my 3 year service and MOT. But I was thinking, "I wonder what the cheapest, most expensive and average MOT costs are?"

So, let us know how much you pay and we can compare. I will post the price of mine as soon as they answer the phone.

I'm getting it done at the main dealer because that way I can insist that any warranty covered bits are repaired under my warranty (getting it done a week before the 3rd birthday - I love 3 year warranties!)

 

[AdamW]

Right, I have the prices here:

My 3 year service (a minor service, not a biggy) is £125-£142 inc VAT (that is parts and labour, and they say it definitely won't be any more than £142)

The MOT is £40.75 inc VAT.

 

[Diyisfun]

Has that MOT price been included in the service, or is service + MOT?

 

[AdamW]

Nope, it is service + MOT, so somewhere between £165 and £182 for the both.

Sounds pricey, well it is! But I have a full main dealer service history so I am feeling compelled to keep it like that. I do get other jobs done on it at independents though. The main dealer mechanics seem to be OK, but nothing special. The right independent garages do a great job in my experience. Had my rear brake pads replaced and the brakes felt amazing after that.

 

[pipme]

NB. The main dealer garage will have all the odds and bits that your run of the mill garage will not have to hand .... simple things like a new copper washer for oil drain plug .... most of all, the right tools for the job.
Cars becoming more sophisticated nowadays need the right kit to do a proper job .... better a poor mechanic with the correct kit and spares than a poor mechanic with a lump hammer !!
We have used local Nissan main dealer since 1989, very happy with the service rendered ... work is carried out quickly and completed on time, have never been asked to return, yet. .... It is said Nissan spares are expensive, but then if you do not need many of them then they will be,and at the same time will not be, due to not needing them !!
My p1 service £125 inc vat, p2 and p3 range up to £195 inc vat.

Where is FWL ? it is about time certain diy car repairs were outlawed !!
P

 

[AdamW]

Well, I think I have been cunning. The car turns 3 on the 19th of July, I have booked my service and MOT for the 10th of July.

That way, if anything is broken, and it is something covered by my 3 year warranty, I will be covered. I love 3 year warranties. They are great. Already saved me a couple of hundred pounds when the emissions system threw a wobbly a few months back.

 

[pipme]

The old Nissan came with 3 yr warranty plus free servicing.
No replacements required.

Like a few other things in life .... Not the prettiest, but a real stayer !!

P

 

[david and julie]

The price Adam was quoted is probably the ministry suggested price, for some reason I don't think MOT's are VAT chargeable. I am not 100% on this, perhaps someone else knows for certain.

I recently took my wifes corolla cost £30 for the MOT as the car was OK,(I had checked it over beforehand) the cost will depend on the cars condition. In the case of Adam's Astra,I would be amazed if there was anything of significance wrong with it.

 

[pipme]

My recent MOT was £40.75, and did not attract vat.
No additional work required.
Recieved a printout of the 'Exhaust emission test' attached to Cert.
----------------------------------------o0o------------------------------------
MORE OF THE SAME !!

From The dept. for Transport.

Draft Regulatory Impact Assessment
The Motor Vehicles (Tests) (Amendment) Regulations 2004

4.2 To increase the 2004/05 fee levels from 1 August 2004 by the rate of inflation (2.5%), ## as well as an amount to take account of changes in the proportion of petrol and catalyst vehicles in the fleet.
7.6 A small business with, for example, ten light goods vehicles (Class VII) on its books can expect to pay an additional £12 per annum in testing fees; i.e. the cost of having one of its vehicles tested will rise from £44.40 to £45.60 - an increase of £1.20. A person with a car of MOT testable age will see the cost of the test rise from £40.75 to £42.10, an increase of £1.35.
----------------------------------------o0o------------------------------------
You know it does you good !!

So much for Inflation, car fees to rise by 3.3%, the reason? see ##
Which method of defining inflation do they use for what ?

There was RPI (Retail Price Index) then RPIX (dropped mort payments from RPI) result, lower Infation increase % ... now the latest Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) or 'Hiccup' !! EuroFox method, which I believe (?) does not include local tax increases (?) again lower than the other two. How useful for Mr Brown, supposedly OAP increases still tied to RPI (for how long?), but the rest ??? guess we'll pay out at the highest or more !! and recieve at the lowest.

We Geese are being plucked with very little hissing !!!
P

 

[david and julie]

From a safety point of view it is light vans(Escorts,Astra's, Polo's etc which I don't understand. They are called car derived vans and used to(probably still do) have the same MOT as a car.

A friend of mine does courier work, does M/cr-London 3 or 4 times a week plus other work as and when.

He looks after his vans and replaces them at about 2 years of age or so. His last VW Courier van (Polo) had 160,000 miles on it when he sold it. He never needs MOT's because they are always under 3 years old. Some of these vans are double shifted then virtually scrapped at 3 years, god knows the mileage on them and never had a MOT!

I have not seen him for a while but I don't think the rules have changed.

 

[pipme]

They just play the old stats game I suppose, very high mileage, probably indicates work use, therefore probably maintained to keep earning the mazooma ... probably, probably, probably.
But it is a little ridiculous, one supposes that not many accidents are caused by dodgy servicing.... or lack of servicing .. Is anyone looking ?

P

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

Where is FWL ?

Good question? Hope you've got an alibi Breezer?

it is about time certain diy car repairs were outlawed !!

For god sake man! Don't give um ideas!!!

I've saved myself a fortune over the years with my home made brake linings!!! All that asbestos roofing sheet gonna be wasted!

 

[pipme]

Brake linings on boats ???
I know the owners are rich but that would be stretching the bill a little ?

Just knew insanity prolific below Taunton !

P

 

[AdamW]

All that asbestos roofing sheet gonna be wasted!

I was reading my dad's old Readers Digest DIY manual c.1969 last night. It was strange to see just how popular asbestos was then: vinyl asbestos floor tiles were suggested in one section!

I'm just waiting until someone discovers that wood laminate gives you terminal illness.

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

Just knew insanity prolific below Taunton !

We're not all inbreds you know!

I'm just waiting until someone discovers that wood laminate gives you terminal illness.

MDF is hardly good for you Adam!

Ruins the flavour of Cutters Choice... Sorry wrong thread