How strict is the NCT compared to the MOT?

somefeen

If they are even comparable?
Been living in the UK for a few years now. My car recently passed the mot after a bit of work. Still has three advisories. Rust on the bodywork underneath ( not structural or near seatbelt points) a worn ball joint and the plastic bodytrim is all either cracked, held on with cable ties or missing
Thinking of moving back to Ireland soon and taking the car with me. I'll have to get it registered ( I'll be exempt from VRT ?) So it will need to pass the NCT. Its an old car a 2002 Suzuki Grand Vitara so I'm a bit worried that the testing standards here would see it fail.
I always got the impression that the NCT was super strict when I last lived in Ireland in 2009.
Any advice? Is it even worth bringing the car back with me?

ironclaw

You're bigger issue will be insuring a 2002. Insurance market has begun to reduce or refuse cover for cars in the 10 to 15 year old bracket. I'd strongly suggest, if possible, buying something here when you arrive back as the cost associated with such an import would be false economy.

As regards the MOT, I believe they are reasonably on par but given its conducted by numerous locations by mechanics, it can vary in terms of overall standard. NCT is centralized / standardised and is about the same in every location. I'd probably favour my chances with an MOT versus an NCT from the feedback I've heard..

OldMrBrennan83

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savagethegoat

you should get the worn balljoint done anyway. Missing trim will be a fail only if sharp edges are revealed and non-structural rust is easily deal with using a wirebrush and some paint.

Personally I'd sell it where you are and buy something better to bring home.

tanko

savagethegoat wrote: »

you should get the worn balljoint done anyway. Missing trim will be a fail only if sharp edges are revealed and non-structural rust is easily deal with using a wirebrush and some paint.

Personally I'd sell it where you are and buy something better to bring home.

How long do you need to own a car in the UK for so that you don't have to pay VRT on it when you bring it over here?

OldMrBrennan83

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somefeen

Need to have owned the car 6 months before you move to claim an exemption so buying something better in the UK and bringing it here is not an option.
Unless I trade it in for a van in the UK and pay only 50 quid VRT? Is that still going on. I imported a van back in 2007 and it was simple but not sure how much has changed there.

mickdw

To be honest its a big mistake not having sorted something decent that you could bring in exempt from vrt - Its basically a massive discount on the car for you.
Its not worth taking the one you have over here.

OldMrBrennan83

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Francie Barrett

I have put cars through both the MOT and NCT. I could not discern any difference between the testing.

OldMrBrennan83

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Ross95

somefeen wrote:

Need to have owned the car 6 months before you move to claim an exemption so buying something better in the UK and bringing it here is not an option.
Unless I trade it in for a van in the UK and pay only 50 quid VRT? Is that still going on. I imported a van back in 2007 and it was simple but not sure how much has changed there.

Vrt on a van is now €200.

Roger Mellie Man on the Telly

MOT doesn't check wheel nuts/bolts. They don't seem to lift the bonnet either, in my experience anyway. NCT seems to be more rigorous.

Jesus.

ironclaw wrote: »

You're bigger issue will be insuring a 2002. Insurance market has begun to reduce or refuse cover for cars in the 10 to 15 year old bracket.

What about a 16 year old car?

slimjimmc

Roger Mellie Man on the Telly wrote: »

MOT doesn't check wheel nuts/bolts. They don't seem to lift the bonnet either, in my experience anyway. NCT seems to be more rigorous.

They should do unless someone is taking shortcuts.
Road wheel nuts/studs checks are described in Section 4.2, bonnet latch is checked in 8.4 and other checks such as emissions usually require the bonnet to be opened.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mot-inspection-manual-for-class-3-4-5-and-7-vehicles

Grab All Association

Reading on here that a car failed for a small tear in the seat. Yet the same "rigorous" testing service failed to spot that a boards.ie members old BMW was a cut and shut or how they passed an unroadworthy Nissan Almera which later crashed and tragically killed a child.

slimjimmc

Grab All Association wrote: »

Reading on here that a car failed for a small tear in the seat. Yet the same "rigorous" testing service failed to spot that a boards.ie members old BMW was a cut and shut or how they passed an unroadworthy Nissan Almera which later crashed and tragically killed a child.

Not sure where you read about the seat but a small tear in the driver's seat is not a reason for failure but a tear that's so bad that the padding keeps falling out is. To be fair many cut & shut jobs are quite well disguised and I doubt routine testing in any EU country would readily detect it. There'll always be some cars getting through but there's no excuse for the Almera imo.

Del2005

Patww79 wrote: »

I'd imagine the NCT was modelled on the DVLNI MOT as they are so similar.

Other way around.

Bigus

Buy a good van and bring it back for 200 vrt

corks finest

somefeen wrote: »

If they are even comparable?
Been living in the UK for a few years now. My car recently passed the mot after a bit of work. Still has three advisories. Rust on the bodywork underneath ( not structural or near seatbelt points) a worn ball joint and the plastic bodytrim is all either cracked, held on with cable ties or missing
Thinking of moving back to Ireland soon and taking the car with me. I'll have to get it registered ( I'll be exempt from VRT ?) So it will need to pass the NCT. Its an old car a 2002 Suzuki Grand Vitara so I'm a bit worried that the testing standards here would see it fail.
I always got the impression that the NCT was super strict when I last lived in Ireland in 2009.
Any advice? Is it even worth bringing the car back with me?

Whilst living on the the 6 counties,I can assure you,the not was more stringent,,,,, always found fault,,,especially if one had an address in a national ist area,,20 plus yrs in Derry, and I never got a first time pass,,,my cars were in reasonable/good shape always

Shelga

Sorry to go OT a little, but does anyone know what proof they require to demonstrate you've lived in the UK for at least 6 months? I've been in England 4 years, moving to Asia with work for up to a year and if I move home to Ireland after that I want to have lined up a good car in the UK that I can bring to Ireland. Sorry to barge in OP!

OldMrBrennan83

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OldMrBrennan83

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corks finest

Patww79 wrote: »

I never had that and I was attending with a 'free state' accent. More often than not the car passed first time and if it didn't, the tester was always good enough to show me what he was failing me for.

Same as,ref accent,,,if u read the post properly, I referred to certain areas,also im going back15/25 yrs ago,different times,maybe they've come into the modern age,,at the time,you'd need to be very lucky to pass a car ,first time with an address in the creggan estate,,as Ripley said,believe it,or not!