Earlier this year I posted up about my car buying woes. We bought a 2005 C-Max from a dealer and the engine went wrong after 2 months and a low number of miles driven. Well, it took more than 6 months to get any action, but eventually the dealer replaced the engine.

During this period, the MOT ran out.
Fast forward to today, just got the car back, took it for its MOT and it failed spectacularly (not engine related this time though). The car needs new wishbone bushes, new anti-roll bar links and new rear discs.
The MOT garage were VERY, VERY surprised to learn that none of their findings appeared on the previous MOT as advisories. I don’t know what to do now.

Jeebus, I hate cars

(campervans are ok though…)

You bought a 9 year old car and are surprised it needs work? hmmmm.

Where was the MOT done? Was it a £20 special or at Kwikfit or similar?

Might be worth a second opinion

I may be wrong, but none of those are particularly expensive are they, compared to say a new engine?

Sounds like you need to buy some bushes, links & disks. All consumable parts I would have thought.

How many miles had it done when you bought it ?

Fair wear and tear, it’s a big car and those things do go eventually. You should be able to get the lot for less than £200 fitted.

The car needs new wishbone bushes, That’s a bit of a job often easier to replace the wishbones, when paying for labour.

new anti-roll bar links and new rear discs. Easy Saturday morning job.

These are all wear and tear items, and you would be doing them on a 9 year old car.

Just accept it as some money you have to spend on cars… you’ve had an engine out of him, move on 😀

as above – its a 9 year old car.

ive also seen em deteriorate between MOTs without so much as an advisory.

equally ive had ball joints fail MOTs on split boot – the ball joint was barely holding in the socket…. tester just shrugged and said – “must have been jammed” when i mentioned it to him.

We needed to fit new wishbone bushes on our 2006 C-Max at 5 years old. Thats about how long they last.

As for the discs- you said that the car’s been sitting around for a while? Corrosion’s probably killed them- and it might not have been present at the previous MOT.

Drop links can be destroyed by potholes/road humps.

I’d draw a line under it and not give the car back to them again. Wouldn’t surprise me if they drove hard and bad if you did.

Move on.

Was the previous MOT by the garage that sold you the car? And what did the discs specifically fail for? If you’ve not driven it much due to it not having an engine, it’d be fairly hard to wear out rear discs…

There’s not really such a thing as a lemon, cars don’t have memories. You can get a car that’s been neglected/mistreated or had bad history hidden which will give you nightmares but these things aren’t specific to that- they’re all potentially legit and normal wear and tear. Especially if the car lives/lived somewhere speedbumpy

All easy fixes that can be done diy if your competent on the spanners.

Where you get your mot done can be a huge factor.

There was a lassie in at my mates garage last time i was in she had a free mot deal with arnold shark for 3 years when she bought the car a low milage 1 litre corsa. Course year number 1 – pads and disks worn a wheel bearing and a couple of tyres.

Bobs down to my buddys( whos a former mot tester)for a second opinion.

Matey says – there is nothing wrong with that car ill take i round to jocks for a test for 50 quid and if it fails ill pay your 50 quid.

Sure as shit it passes. He pointed her in vosas direction.

It takes a bit of planning but without a tame garage i suggest folk use local council test centre.

Fight them on the beaches.

Check the suspension bushes yourself. Jack it up and make safe then have a lever around with a crow bar. Firm resistance to movement is required. Sogginess or slop means it’s time to replace. I was surprised a five-year-old Peugeot failed so checked myself, deemed it fine and took it to another test station. It passed on that point and continued to pass for another 15 years.

As said above, I wouldn’t consider those faults to be a “spectacular failure”. About run of the mill for a modern fwd hatch.
Get it done, stop worrying and get on with your life.

Just had the wifes car MOT’d, last time the list of advisories was as long as your arm, trusty village MOT garage, none.

Think the old one was a it of a money making chancer! Your bushings will have to be pretty knackered for it to fail, how bad are the discs, maybe just need the lip taking off, see how much meat they have left on them or spend £25 on new ones

trail_rat – Member

Where you get your mot done can be a huge factor.

My dad insists on using a local garage he trusts, they rip him off every time. So I drop it off for him now wearing manky garage clothes and I do a wee bit of territorial pissing with the tester, it comes back clean every time.

Still wouldn’t take my own car there though- why give cheats money, even if they won’t cheat me they’re still scumbos. Never let go of a good garage!

bikemike1968 – Member

As said above, I wouldn’t consider those faults to be a “spectacular failure”. About run of the mill for a modern fwd hatch.
Get it done, stop worrying and get on with your life.

Agreed, I’ve had all that and more done on my 5 year old Focus. All wear and tear parts.