guest[b][user=2010]jonnyjohnson[/user] wrote: [/b][quote]If this same vehicle had been presented for MOT, and there was no excessive play in the rear hub would it have passed your visual check?
In your last sentence you give the impression that regular maintenance, by whoever is a waste of money, or have I misread this?
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There is a slight difference between mot testing and servicing and repairs, the mot is a visual check of the components which can be seen, as the wheel has a cover on it to prevent the hub locking device being seen, if there is no free play in the bearings or wheel at the time of inspection, then nothing can be said.
The servicing of a vehicle is different, correct me if I am wrong but don’t manufacturers recommend time and distance services, ie 12 months 12 000 miles as example, and if so, they also advise what should be checked, and if that check is carried out in accordance with their recommendations, if a fault occured then surely that fault would be a latent defect which the manufacturer would be responsible?
Not all garages and staff are the same, everybody is an individual, everybody can and does have an off day, but when you make a mistake this is where a person must decide whether to own up to it or disguise it, in my example of the Peugeot, the technican decided to ignore advising of his negligence, which if the wheel had come off and injured or killed somebody, the technician would have been in serious trouble.
Down South some time back two Women took a small commercial van into a garage for a service and mot test, the customer advised that there was somthing wrong with the brakes, the garage completely missed the issue and when the women collected the van they drove off, when driving down some major road for some reason the van veered off the road and could not be stopped, the van ran into a concrete pillar and the passenger died. The Old Bailey found the garage negligent and guilty of the offence.
My point, it is up to every individual to do a good job, advise where necessary and don’t try to hind behind a company name or a big business because it will most certainly backfire on the individual technician or tester.
Just like to mention this experience with a colleague I used to work with at Vauxhall some years back.
The manager was getting the younger technician’s to sell more brake discs and pads on peoples vehicles even when not needed, somebody complained and the Trading Standards sent in a vehicle with no defects on it, the technician sent a written report into reception that said it needed new discs and pads, when changed, the Trading Standards officer was all over the management, who blamed the technician who was taken to court and fined £3000, the company had no blame attached.
In summary;
Some techicians are very good at what they do and some are not. It is up to every individual to decide whether that person chooses to do the job correctly or not.
The mot test is a minimum standard road safety check and nothing to do with a vehicle being serviced.
