Failed NCT on retest

aidas2008

My first test was 16/10/2025 in Kells

It failed on insecure ball joint and not properly aligned headlight and got advisories for tires.

I went to my mechanic to have headlight adjusted and ball joint sorted out.



I booked for retest for 23/10/2025

It failed again on same ball joint as my mechanic fixed the wrong one as there was another on the side, no big deal as he didn't charge me for labour or anything. The rest was fine except same advisories for tires.

My mechanic fixed the right ball joint this time.

I booked for retest again for 31/10/2025 but this time in Monaghan

I was ready to pass, I even changed my tires before NCT. I decided to go for retest here instead of driving to Kells to save myself some time.

It failed on 4 different things, such as wishbones, stud in front suspension? How come does that **** happen? The car was barely driven between all these retests. Everything was sorted out. I also got same advisories for tires, but they were replaced 1 hour before my retest?? How come they don't even check that but fail me miserably on other things? How does such thing make a sense?


Do I go back to Kells? Everything car failed on before which was just that ball joint was fixed, I been to Kells twice and I'm sure they would have noticed if anything else was wrong. Do complaints even lead anywhere? I assume they did **** job here locally as they didn't even bother checking tires and still gave me advisories for bad tires even though I replaced them with new ones.

aidas2008

??

aidas2008

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952779#Comment_123952779

Keep in mind tires were replaced before this retest to brand new ones.

User1998

You probably should have spoken to the Monaghan test centre manager at the time.
Its difficult to give advice on. Bringing it back to Kells won't solve your issue.

aidas2008

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952800#Comment_123952800

I should have. I’ll go make a complaint anyway. It passed the NCT last year here in Monaghan, but with a different tester. I just don’t see the point of going for a retest after fixing the issues if they’re only going to find something new that wasn’t a problem before. It just feels pointless at this stage. I’m really starting to question their competence.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952805#Comment_123952805

They are entitled to fail you on issues that the car didn't initially fail on but it isn't common practice at all

My guess is that Monaghan test centre weren't happy with the standards of Kells and spotted additional issues that were previously missed

GSBellew

You failed on suspension parts, the suspension parts are subject to retest accordingly as you need to dismantle and reassemble parts which can be damaged so all the bushes are subject to the retest.

Fix the defects identified and you will pass

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952815#Comment_123952815

The suspension I can understand but the tyres and brake pipe are strange. Especially if OP changed the tyres

GSBellew

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952816#Comment_123952816

They do not recheck advisories so they remain regardless

aidas2008

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952815#Comment_123952815

Ball joint was just bolt that took less than 10 minutes to fix, no other suspension we messed with.

I changed tires 1 hour before NCT because old ones were on the way out and didn't want to risk it failing this time or have any advisories. The rest of suspension wasn't messed with since it passed last time.

GSBellew

The brake pipe, down to reassembling something incorrectly, its a fair fail

aidas2008

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952821#Comment_123952821

Haven't touched that at all or anywhere back there.

I’m really pissed about it. They fail me for something, and when I fix it and go for a retest, they fail me again for something else that wasn’t even an issue before. What’s the point? How can I trust their competence? This just isn’t right. How can I trust the people at these test centres?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952819#Comment_123952819

Of course they check the advisories. I've had advisories removed multiple times

GSBellew

Was it a retest or full test?

aidas2008

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952826#Comment_123952826

It was a retest.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952824#Comment_123952824

Just fix the parts and make your car roadworthy

aidas2008

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952828#Comment_123952828

It was roadworthy except that ball joint that I fixed according to previous fail sheet. How can I trust these people if they give me different results. Whats stopping them from failing me again on something else after I fix this as it happened now.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952830#Comment_123952830

Nothing is stopping them. But if you keep failing then your car obviously isn't roadworthy.

aidas2008

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952832#Comment_123952832

Isn’t the NCT supposed to catch all of these issues? Shouldn’t they point them out when I go for the test? I’ve been twice, and they should have identified everything that needed fixing to make the car roadworthy. They did point out the ball joint, which I fixed, and then suddenly they’re like, “Oh, we forgot to tell you about this too,” and I have to pay even more money? How does that make any sense?

whelan2

Were they new tryes you put on it or second hand?

aidas2008

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952836#Comment_123952836

New tires.

aidas2008

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952836#Comment_123952836

As for brake line I was told its just a bit twisted just untwist it lol

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952834#Comment_123952834

Yes you are right, they should have spotted everything on the first test. But unfortunately that did not happen

aidas2008

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952840#Comment_123952840

What about 2nd? Unfortunately we fixed the wrong ball joint, but they didn't say or find anything else, I even asked if something to look out for.

**** this, it's just unfair. Mechanic didnt point out any issues either. I will have car on lift later see whats the issue but complaint will be made regardless.

kyote00

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952841#Comment_123952841

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2024/0522/1450703-nct-operator-returned-to-profit-in-2023/

Rock Steady Edy

I would get the retest done at Monaghan and get the car passed first of all.

Then, I'd write a letter of complaint to the NCT providers describing the sequence of events, and request a refund of the third and fourth retest fees on the basis that everything to be fixed should have been picked up at Kells on the first test. I might also send them the receipts of the additional fixes that were found at Monaghan and request that these be refunded too. (I might expect them to refuse this part, but in some ways, these extra costs are a proxy for the NCT providers failures here.)

I think that's completely reasonable and it's then up to the NCT operators to use the evidence to ensure testing consistency across different locations.

Jaysci20

In retrospect, you probably should have just driven back to Kells as any time you saved by going to Monaghan will be outweighed now by fixing more issues and doing more retests/full tests.

Flinty997

What ever about the test being inconsistent your mechanic couldn't tell left right or loose from tight. So that first thing you should change. They also didn't spot all the things the NCT eventually spotted.

If there are faults with the car you want them spotted and you want them fixed. Passing the NCT is legal requirement. But common sense should tell you to fix the car above all else.

tphase

common sense would also be to fix any obvious issues before you go for the first test - eg worn tyres don't need a mechanic to spot or fix (and they are not tires on this side of the Atlantic 😁)

blackbox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123952960#Comment_123952960

Tyres were given an advisory because of age, not wear.

User1998

There is genuinely no point complaining or trying to get a refund. NCT will just state that the additional faults could have occurred during the time after the first test to the third retest etc