Urgent: I want my car to fail the NCT - help!

pc11

I have a slightly unusual problem. I want my car to fail the NCT.

Here's why. I just bought the car 4 weeks ago from a dealer (a 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe). The sale was subject to guaranteeing the car would pass the NCT. I took it to the NCT and the only fail they found was a worn ball joint.

But, I asked my own garage to check over the car as well. It found 2 extra things that the NCT should have caught. One was that the date on the tyres was over 6 years (though the tyres are fine so I don't really mind) and the other was that the rear brake flexi and steel hoses are significantly worn. They told me this would cost around €300 to fix and that it would be important for safety. The NCT should have caught this and therefore I should not have had to pay for it as the selling garage would be responsible for it.

So, how do I get the selling garage to cover this? I could ring them and trust they will do the right thing, but I have had a couple of problems with them and I would like to have a backup plan.

Would it be crazy to call the NCT people and ask them to check it again and fail it now? I have already told the selling garage that the NCT only failed me for the ball joint so they would be pretty surprised if I went back with a new failure.

Should I just wait for the NCT retest and say to them they should check the brake hoses and try to get them to fail the retest?

Any quick responses would be appreciated, I need to call the dealer soon.

dgt

If the hoses are as bad as you mention, don't drive it. They could split at any given time.

That thread title was a bit misleading...

pc11

dgt wrote: »

If the hoses are as bad as you mention, don't drive it. They could split at any given time.

That thread title was a bit misleading...

Thanks, I knew that so the thread title tried to describe the specific problem at hand. Any advice on that?

166man

On top of dgt's post I would be concerned about a car on the same tyres for 6 years!

pc11

I don't think they have been in use for 6 years, just the date stamp is over 6 years old. My garage says they are fine and I can see they have really big thread and the NCT passed them

But, even if they were dodgy, how would I deal with the dealer when he only guaranteed to pass the NCT? Is he entitled to say it's not his problem?

homer.j

A quick look at p.76 here http://www.ncts.ie/pdf/nctmanual.pdf details the testing of brake hoses.

Maybe get a second/(third, counting NCT as the first) opinion on this. I had hose burst a long time ago and it is a frightening experience and highly dangerous, the brake pedal will just stick to the floor/have no response when you press it. Thankfully when it happened me there was nothing else on the road so I was able to coast to a stop.

You'd have some case against the NCT if something happened and damaged pipes were not detected.

pc11

homer.j wrote: »

A quick look at p.76 here http://www.ncts.ie/pdf/nctmanual.pdf details the testing of brake hoses.

Maybe get a second/(third, counting NCT as the first) opinion on this. I had hose burst a long time ago and it is a frightening experience and highly dangerous, the brake pedal will just stick to the floor/have no response when you press it. Thankfully when it happened me there was nothing else on the road so I was able to coast to a stop.

You'd have some case against the NCT if something happened and damaged pipes were not detected.

So, should I contact the NCT and complain they missed it?

unkel

pc11 wrote: »

Should I just wait for the NCT retest and say to them they should check the brake hoses and try to get them to fail the retest?

Wait until the retest. Tell the NCT inspector that you are worried about the brake hoses and can he have a thorough look at them.

tfitzgerald

unkel wrote: »

Wait until the retest. Tell the NCT inspector that you are worried about the brake hoses and can he have a thorough look at them.

Op I think this is the best answer you are going to get . Point the test inspector in the direction you want

dgt

pc11 wrote: »

I don't think they have been in use for 6 years, just the date stamp is over 6 years old. My garage says they are fine and I can see they have really big thread and the NCT passed them

But, even if they were dodgy, how would I deal with the dealer when he only guaranteed to pass the NCT? Is he entitled to say it's not his problem?

A few years ago, my dad bought his daily hack from a garage not too far away. No nct, but for 200 yoyos extra he could guarantee it would pass. We politely refused the offer and bought the car. Inspected it ourselves. Turns out that to put it right for the nct if we didn't have the parts handy would have cost the guts of a grand. The 2 front tyres were cracked and ready to blow, broken headlight, idling issues, cracked belts I could go on and on... Needless to say the engine blew up just 6 months later after the garage said "the head had been done up and all belts replaced" :rolleyes:

My point is, if you bought here before and had problems (which you said you have had) cut your losses and don't go near them ever again. Get the car serviced by an independent garage and looked over thoroughly.

The nct just tests the parts that need to be checked again so they wont check the pipes. If you get it sorted any time soon I see no problems

As for tyres, the older the tyre, the harder and more brittle it gets. So it won't be fully effective when you need it most. Don't cheap out on tyres, they're a significant part of any car that often gets overlooked

pc11

tfitzgerald wrote: »

Op I think this is the best answer you are going to get . Point the test inspector in the direction you want

Thanks, I was thinking that might be simplest. So, basically don't tell the dealer anything right now and wait for the retest then? I assume if I point out a potentially serious problem to the NCT inspector, he is obliged to take it seriously and he should confirm the problem.

Of course, if the inspector then says it's fine, I have no comeback with the dealer.

caddy2

i suggest you tell the garage that you got the car from now that when you went back and your own garage had a look at it, he told you of all the probems and even thou the nct didnt pick them up, they are still going to be a problem for you in the future. why should you waste your time taking it for another nct

mickdw

dgt wrote: »

The nct just tests the parts that need to be checked again so they wont check the pipes.

I dont think you are fully correct there. I think from memory that the tester may fail a completely different item during a retest if it is an obvious safety issue that has occured since last test.

pc11

caddy2 wrote: »

i suggest you tell the garage that you got the car from now that when you went back and your own garage had a look at it, he told you of all the probems and even thou the nct didnt pick them up, they are still going to be a problem for you in the future. why should you waste your time taking it for another nct

Hi Caddy, if I trusted them completely I would do that, but I feel like I need backup just in case. The only guarantee I have from them is that it would pass the NCT and they gave me a 1 month guarantee on engine and gear box. So, they could tell me to feck off as this is the brakes.

Also, I need to bring it for retest anyway for the ball joint which the NCT did pick up so it's no inconvenience.

dgt

mickdw wrote: »

I dont think you are fully correct there. I think from memory that the tester may fail a completely different item during a retest if it is an obvious safety issue that has occured since last test.

Your'e right actually, if its blatantly obvious they'll point it out. I would have though the "inner pipes" would have been accessible enough to see. I should have been a bit more clear

Tea drinker

Myself and the bro were in a renault 4 when a pipe burst, only 1 brake circuit for all 4 wheels so no brakes after that. The handbrake was total crap, the engine braking non existent. We went through a herd of cows in the middle of this, that was a lot of fun.

pc11

I'm just thinking, what about ringing the NCT and saying I believe they missed something and ask can they either recheck the test or just specifically look for these issues at the retest I need to do anyway?

Or, alternatively, I'll ring the dealer and tell them there's a serious problem that I will have to point out at the NCT retest and it will certainly fail and they will have to fix it anyway. This way, I'm giving them the opportunity to fix it but I have a back up plan.

Idbatterim

Op, Id say the garage you bought the car from could get the work done for €200 absolute max. Is it worth all the hassle. See if they will cover it first. Its a 01 car, there is always going to be critical work that has to be done, or stuff which can be long fingered...

slimjimmc

166man wrote: »

On top of dgt's post I would be concerned about a car on the same tyres for 6 years!

Indeed.
OP, old tyres are not a cause for failure. All the NCT can do about it is inform and advise.