New TÜV

[Kenhayes247]

So, just put my Z3 in for its German TÜV (MOT in the UK). I always take the car to a main DEKRA testing station rather than a local garage that has the DEKRA testers doing the rounds.
It’s never busy even if you do not have an appointment and the testers I find really helpful. Anyway, it passed 100% so the car has another full ticket for the next 2 years. Not sure why the UK can’t stretch an MOT to 2 yearly intervals. Cars are manufactured so much better now.

 

[Duncodin]

So, just put my Z3 in for its German TÜV (MOT in the UK). I always take the car to a main DEKRA testing station rather than a local garage that has the DEKRA testers doing the rounds.
It’s never busy even if you do not have an appointment and the testers I find really helpful. Anyway, it passed 100% so the car has another full ticket for the next 2 years. Not sure why the UK can’t stretch an MOT to 2 yearly intervals. Cars are manufactured so much better now.

In Germany, at least when I lived there, most testing is done at testing centres who are not connected to any workshop. They're also pretty strict. Can't just stick any old size tyres and wheels on. If you roll up for a test with tyres that are not in your logbook thing then you'll be walking home.

In the UK we can do anything we want to our cars - including making them unroadworthy - so they need checking by somebody who isn't an idiot more often.

Also, most testing is done by a workshop who have an employee who is authorised/qualified to test. But because of that there's an incentive for the workshop to be, lets say, a little more helpful in making sure our cars are roadworthy. Signs by the roadside offering very low cost MOT tests are there for a reason.

So maybe the government like to keep the the workshops busy.. er.. being helpful.

Having said all that my own local MOT place is totally busy all the time so I sometimes thinks he turns a blind eye to minor things and puts them down as an advisory because he just don't want the work - but not all will be like that I'm sure.

 

[Kenhayes247]

I am happy to say that times have moved on. Testing can be done at local garages not just testing centres. That said, the testing is still done by an independent examiner from DEKRA. The Germans are quite clinical in thier approach but i have witnessed the odd one or two pass a car for MOT (TUV) if the garage took on the work to repair it - definitely not the case at a main testing station.

The test is only as good as the day its conducted anywhere in the world and we can all make our cars unroadworthy 5 minutes after the test but then it becomes a problem for the police.

It would be highly amusing if the UK MOT rule book included a line "Idiots need thier cars checked more often" but iam sure and i will google it when the 1 year testing was introduced and why.

With electric cars having fewer moving parts, oil, coolant etc and the build quality and manufacturing processes having improved on all petrol,diesel and hybrid etc i am not sold on annual car testing when a 40 year old car is exempt and comes down to owner responsibility only. The mid 80s had some great cars but also had some of the worst manufacturing processeses, materials and workmanship.

I wonder what the stats would show for cars tested at 1 or 2 years for roadworthiness, shame is not that simple a question

 

[the Nefyn cat]

Have a look at youtube "just rolled in" stuff to see why people need to have their cars checked on a regular basis. There are too many drivers around who think an MOT is also a service, and just stare at you blankly if you suggest otherwise. Even the basic things are just too much for them.