NCT Failed, Got Checked, No Problem!

tm2204

I did my NCT yesterday.

Everything passed except for a visual defect 'Rear Suspension System (55) Link-Condition Worn'. Guy told me there was play in the nearside rear suspension due to a worn link bar & I should have it replaced.

Brought it into a garage today and they checked the car (3 different mechanics) and found NOTHING wrong with the suspension. He said it wasn't even marginal and that it was perfectly fine!

Just wondering what my options are now? Should I call the NCT customer helpline, complain and demand a free retest? Should I call to the NCT test centre and ask them to point out exactly to me (and mark) the exact point of the problem (as they see it)?

Has anyone ever had this kind of thing happen to them where the NCT fail them but a garage sees no problem?


Cheers

mickdw

I once had my car fail on worn rear suspension bush. NCT guy marked the arm with the worn bush. Ordered this part without having any other check done. When we came to fit the part, we realised that it was another arm that was faulty so ended up fitting the new part that wasnt needed and taking car for retest. NCT guy just looked at it on the ramp and issued the cert even though there was still serious play in the suspension.

IN your case, the faulty item should be marked and perhaps they are finding movement in a certain direction that your garage is missing by not having the equipment that NCT have.

Seth Brundle

I recently had a worn/defective passenger side headlamp reflector (the bulb for it literally went as he was bringing in the car :mad:).
Anyway, you can't see the reflector as there is a projective lens in the way so he couldn't have diagnosed it.
I brought it to AC Cars (on a different matter) and they saw no fault with it.
Anyhow for the retest, the tester (different tester from 1st test) spent what seemed like ages typing into the pc after looking at it (and before the headlamp alignment test).
Eventually he came back to the counter and gave me my pass (yaay*) and I questioned the fault. I was told not to worry about it. Feck that - why did it fail when its obvious it can't be checked? "Forget about it" and "leave it" were the different responses!
When I asked for the original test report back (I had to give it to him at the start), he said that he wasn't allowed give them back.

To me the NCT is a reasonable test but there are too many mistakes seemingly being made (beyond an acceptable level). I only did my test so that the value of the car was as much as possible!

tm2204

mickdw wrote: »

I once had my car fail on worn rear suspension bush. NCT guy marked the arm with the worn bush. Ordered this part without having any other check done. When we came to fit the part, we realised that it was another arm that was faulty so ended up fitting the new part that wasnt needed and taking car for retest. NCT guy just looked at it on the ramp and issued the cert even though there was still serious play in the suspension.

IN your case, the faulty item should be marked and perhaps they are finding movement in a certain direction that your garage is missing by not having the equipment that NCT have.

The place I went to today did a much more comprehensive check on the suspension than the NCT guy did. And 3 different mechanics looked at it and could find nothing wrong.

As I mentioned there was no equipment used to find this 'problem' as it was a visual 'fault'.

Also, they did comment that usually the NCT guys mark the defective part with a yellow mark but this was not the case with mine and there were no part(s) marked.

Do these (NCT) guys fail cars to bump up the re-test fees? I'm seriously miffed about this :mad:

mondeo

tm2204 wrote: »

The place I went to today did a much more comprehensive check on the suspension than the NCT guy did. And 3 different mechanics looked at it and could find nothing wrong.

As I mentioned there was no equipment used to find this 'problem' as it was a visual 'fault'.

Also, they did comment that usually the NCT guys mark the defective part with a yellow mark but this was not the case with mine and there were no part(s) marked.

Do these (NCT) guys fail cars to bump up the re-test fees? I'm seriously miffed about this :mad:

Maybe he was just incompetent....

tm2204

tm2204 wrote: »

Do these (NCT) guys fail cars to bump up the re-test fees? I'm seriously miffed about this :mad:

What do you think

old boy

tm2204 wrote: »

Do these (NCT) guys fail cars to bump up the re-test fees? I'm seriously miffed about this :mad:

i am led to believe that the nct guys get 10% of the re test fee paid twice yearly june and december.

BeardyGit

old boy wrote: »

i am led to believe that the nct guys get 10% of the re test fee paid twice yearly june and december.

Rubbish. Old wives tales.

galwaytt

Has 00 Scenic 1.4, had full service including new pads 2 weeks before NCT, and failed in front brake imbalance.

Took it home, took off wheel, found nothing, put it back on, went back in for re-test..........and passed. Did absolutely nothing to it in the interim.

....draw your own conclusions........

meathstevie

I,ve had mixed experiences with the NCT test myself. They range from being addressed with the slang for female genitals to having a car failing for the color of the indicators while it had a seriously defective tyre ( bulge ). This was in various Dublin test centra.
The last couple of years I've been using Kells in Meath and I can't praise them enough...if the car is shipshape it'll pass no comment. The last time I used them the chap who tested my car had to fail it because the handbreak was way too weak. I needed that car for my business and wanted to arrange an asap re-test, little did I know that he had allready been on to the office to slot me in first thing the following Saturday ( original test was on a Thursday afternoon ). Not only that, he also explained exactly what needed to be done in order for the car to pass the test. I went up the following Saturday at 7h45, at 7h50 the car was taken in and by the time it reached 8h10 I was back on the road with the cert done and dusted. Since it's a positive story I suppose there's no harm in mentioning the chap's name. Franz from Bavaria you're a sound skin and a knowledgeable mechanic.

starbelgrade

I brought my motor in last month - it failed on emmisions even though the mechanic I brought it to before the test swore to me that it would pass.

I brought it back to the garage - miffed. The mechanic - fair play to him - said to leave it with him for 2 hours. He drove it up to the NCT centre, had them re-test it there & then and... hey presto, it passed!

starbelgrade

starbelgrade wrote: »

I brought my motor in last month - it failed on emmisions even though the mechanic I brought it to before the test swore to me that it would pass.

I brought it back to the garage - miffed. The mechanic - fair play to him - said to leave it with him for 2 hours. He drove it up to the NCT centre, had them re-test it there & then and... hey presto, it passed!

Helps too when you know someone there

I know someone that bought a car a few years back from a main dealer that they had just put through the NCT test and passed. That evening after he bought the car he turns up with it to his mate which is a mechanic explaining to him that it's all over the road and very bumpy. It turned out the tracking was way out, one of the shocks was completely shot and the rest very weak and it had been in a very bad accident and not straighted right. Ended up taking the car back, a few smart and quick words later he got his money back.

You tell me how that passed the NCT :rolleyes:

Rod & Reel

u can buy 1 for 200. please dont ask as i will not say on here

Seth Brundle

Rod & Reel wrote: »

u can buy 1 for 200. please dont ask as i will not say on here

I won't ask you where but have you proof that this is for real? If so have you reported it?

tm2204

Rang the NCT call centre today and have arranged to go back to Arklow test centre tomorrow evening and they will look again and point out to me the exact part/problem. It's not a retest or an appeal they just agreed to look at it so I can find out exactly what 'needs to be done'.

Will be interesting is they 'suddenly' find nothing wrong with it

Will report back & let you guys know....

SAABMAN

Several times I have had cars retested without doing anything to them and they have passed .
I think, I think I smell a stink :eek:

Yve

I just rang to book for a re-test in Arklow.... 4th October !!!


*praying for a cancellation*

The Real B-man

Can Testers Override the Computer Tests ie. When its doing Emissions & on the Ramps been shaking around and break test, i would of thaught these where Automatic and a tester couldnt change them as apposed to the Visual inspection.

Nuffster

In the middle of this whole NCT mess. Went and failed, which is fair enough as there were a couple of tyres needed replacing and wipers. So I replaced those. However, turns out back tyre was a little bent, which in turn wore away some other little bit and now, hey presto, I'm looking at a bill of €300 to replace this little part new and has to be gotten from the main dealer (that's without labour!) or I replace the whole axle second hand for about €450. Apparently it affects the suspension but, hand on heart, I can't tell when I'm driving it. Then again, I didn't realise the back tyre was bent!
For some reason, I feel like I'm being taken for a ride. I'm probably not but I'm just so sick of it all. Been to three different garages trying to find out what bloody part exactly needs replacing, gone and tried to source this part second hand on garage number three's advice and now I'm facing this. I just want to cry
I know this is more of a rant than anything but at this stage, I'm half thinking about just going back and retesting and taking my chances without doing anything more to it! Because I know there are cars out there that are in far worse nick than mine!

jmck87

I failed the NCT for right side ball joint worn.

I retested it 1 week later and they failed it for other side ball joint and a bush worn.

Complained that it should have been spotted in the first test and got a free retest.

Most of the mistakes are down to inept testers.

coopersgreen

The whole thing's a rip-off.

Zube

coopersgreen wrote: »

The whole thing's a rip-off.

These issues are with borderline pass/fail stuff, or small errors. I'd rather have those than the old system: people driving about sitting on plastic stacking chairs using a big wrench to turn the steering column because the steering wheel broke.

alias no.9

jmck87 wrote: »

I failed the NCT for right side ball joint worn.

I retested it 1 week later and they failed it for other side ball joint and a bush worn.

Complained that it should have been spotted in the first test and got a free retest.

Most of the mistakes are down to inept testers.

Retests only look at previously identified defects, it would seem very strange that they even looked at the other side. I've sent cars in for retests with replaced bushings / ball joints etc... and they've never looked at anything that wasn't on the original fail sheet.

faceman

All these stories, while anecdotal do highlight incompetence of some testers as opposed to an issue with the NCT system.

mondeo

I think a percentage of Nct testers are uneducated twits......