Number of MOT testers struck off increases by 82 per cent

178 testers were banned from testing in 2017/18 as quality of inspections declared not 'as good as it could be'

Number of MOT testers struck off increases by 82 per cent
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The number of MOT testers who have been struck off in the UK has dramatically increased with 82 per cent more testers banned in the 2017/18 financial year compared with 2015/16.

Experts say dodgy testers could be issuing fake MOTs to written-off cars that should be scrapped, which has been met with swift action from the DVSA.

The organisation said it would contact the owners of the vehicles affected by a recent testing scandal in Devon, which led to more than 300 fraudulent certificates being issued alone, and would also open a proceeds-of-crime investigation to determine if any money earned by the fraud from the dodgy MOT tests could be recouped.

Some 178 nominated MOT testers previously authorised by the DVSA were struck off in 2017/18, up from 98 in 2015/16.

Banned examiners rising too

41 per cent more authorised examiners, who oversee testing stations, had their status withdrawn over the same period.

Testers can be warned or banned for issuing fraudulent certificates, as well as improper or careless testing.

AA president Edmund King said: “While most MOT inspectors do a great job, the rise in inspectors being struck off is worrying.”

King highlighted the essential role the MOT test plays in vehicle safety, and said that cars should never pass an MOT because they have been “fraudulently ticked through as a favour for a friend”.

He added: “The wider concern is that written-off vehicles could have entered into the second-hand car market, when all they were really good for was scrap.”

DVSA spending more on enforcement

Jim Punter, editor of MOT Testing magazine, believes the number of improper testers caught by the DVSA is related to how much the agency spends on enforcement. He said: “The DVSA’s own analysis shows the average quality of MoT inspections isn’t as good as it could be.

“But the number of testers and testing stations taken out of the MOT scheme each year isn’t a reliable measure of the quality of MOT testing.

“It’s more to do with the amount of money DVSA spends rooting out bad testing, and encouraging honest testers and testing stations to do better.”

Neil Barlow, the DVSA’s head of vehicle engineering, said: “Using intelligence and enforcement, we are taking action against testers who put people’s lives at risk.”

Do you think the quality of enforcement is leading to more fraudulent testers being banned? Is this good for the industry? Let us know in the comments

Home Page Forums Number of MOT testers struck off increases by 82 per cent

Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)
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  • #175571 Reply
    Mark Hughes
    Keymaster

    The number of MOT testers who have been struck off in the UK has dramatically increased with 82 per cent more testers banned in the 2017/18 financial
    [See the full post at: Number of MOT testers struck off increases by 82 per cent]

    #175595 Reply
    Paul Bottomley
    Guest

    MOT testing status has been far to easy to gain , in the last 10 years . Its probably true that you could teach monkeys to check for minimum required standards . But they are also being paid peanuts to do so . As DVSA are prepaid to flood areas with Testing Stations, is only obvious that standards will be watered down .

    #175596 Reply
    mercedes
    Guest

    its down too also poor training supplied bye vosa our should i say zero even the training i was given 20 years ago was poor the full system needs up graded ie training / fixed prices / and make it harder too get a mot station the system is a tracking too many crooks that are just in it too make easy money we have a station near us thats been shut down 2/3 times but some one else just rents it in a different name and there up and running its the same guys thats at the back off it all the time

    #175597 Reply
    Robert
    Guest

    Not surprised at all we see it time and time again, we are a testing station when our customers come in With there used latest car that’s recently been mot’d we and they are shocked at the quality of the vehicle that has been tested. Headlamps not correctly aim tested. Steering ball joints, link rods, tyres, brakes, susp arms the lists goes on.
    These testers should be made an example of, the testing fee should all be the national rate NO discounts, some stations are charging as little as £19 if you are a station owner you know the true costs.

    #175598 Reply
    Dougal
    Guest

    While it is bad news that any testers deserve to be struck off the sudden rise is probably due to the recent changes which make it easier to identify the problem individuals.

    By my reckoning 178 represents about 1 tester in every 400.
    To put this into context the struck off rate for Doctors and Solicitors is about 1 in every 2000.
    Does anybody have similar figures for other Highly Qualified and Highly Paid Professionals?

    #175600 Reply
    Peter Miles
    Guest

    I’m not going to say it’s the only reason, because obviously it isn’t, but surely the incredibly low prices some places are charging for a test could have some bearing on standards? I’ve seen places only a few miles from me charging 15 pounds for a test. Think about that for about 3/4 to 1 hours work including rates, lighting & heating, insurance, calibration costs, equipment costs, the testers wages and hopefully a profit at the end of it. It makes no sense! The only way I can see that can be profitable (let alone moral!) is to either find faults which aren’t there but you can charge for “fixing” or only spend around ten minutes a test but do something else before you book the car out. Or most likely both!
    For myself I charge full price (54-85 for a group 4 test) and do the very best I can to be fair but at the same time not miss anything. And although I suppose in 25 years testing I must have missed things at least I do my very best. And I’m showing no signs of retiring to Bermuda either!

    #175753 Reply
    Paul baldwin
    Guest

    I now live on the Isle of Man People who buy cars from England with a fresh MOT come to my garage for service and inspection. I’m shocked at the standard of the mot test it’s a joke.

    #175755 Reply
    Gareth Davies
    Guest

    I would like to see a return to compulsory training carried out by DVSA for testers and authorised examiners.
    There have been many changes to testing and all training has been by outside agencies. If standards are dropping then there must be an argument for better and more frequent training given by those responsible for changes in testing methods and criteria i.e. DVSA.
    I also agree with the need to have consistency with the price of the test. Heavily discounting the max price of an mot must reduce the quality of the test carried out, as garages try to recoup the extra revenue by unnecessary failures or poor advise to customers, or garages paying lower wages to testers due to the lack of revenue from low price mots. Undervaluing this test will result in poorer standards giving rise to increased levels of enforcement being necessary.

    #175754 Reply
    Alex
    Guest

    There should be a set price for an mot.how can decent MOT testing stations compete with all the dodgy ones charging £19.95 just to get customers in the door then taking £400/500 of them for MOT repairs that there cars don’t need.an MOT should be a standard price that everyone has to follow and by 2019 it should be £75

    #175912 Reply
    David
    Guest

    I’ve been in the mot scheme both as an AE and tester for 25 years, and I’ve heard all the arguments for and against the scheme. DVSA have a completely different way of thinking and sorting problems out, and I’m sure they are under resourced as are many others. I don’t see a short term fix and the longer it goes on the less people will be in it. There is no incentives or advantages to being in the mot trade, you can’t have a decent living out of it, and my experience has shown you’ll never compete against anyone in it for a short hard and fast hit. I don’t know what the solution is I’ve just lived the nightmare and stress like many others who complain and go nowhere in life with it.

    #175946 Reply
    lee grant
    Guest

    The issue with fixed price testing as some people want is that as soon as you fix the test at min say £45 you will have Tesco or coop opening big testing sites charging £45 as no one can undercut them but then offering you free fuel or store voucher with a test. The big firms have shown interest in getting into this market and they are waiting for fixed pricing, if you want the indy garage to go out of business fix your mot test and watch your customers go to the supermarket test station and get free nector points and cheap carrots when they get there crock of poo car mot’d

    #175947 Reply
    Andy
    Guest

    Have Been a Tester for some 40 plus years.
    Really think that if DVSA did there own training as before that the MOT Standards and quality of testing would Improve..
    Also think that the Proper and Honest Testing Stations would agree to a reasonable fee from DVSA and all opt for all testers to attend a course. As familiarity breeds contempt !!! Also the recommended Fee Be Compulsory as we all pay testers, rates, power,insurance,ETC…
    Andy

    #175949 Reply
    david batten
    Guest

    I was an mot tester for 30 years . I am now self employed as lack of wages forced me to leave.
    its true that the garages that charge below the max are doing a bad job. not only should it be a fixed price but be increased. I see cars all the time with illegal number plates and excessive exhaust
    noise.
    if an the cost does not increase soon there wont be anybody to carry out the jobs as there are better paid jobs like taxi drivers that earn good money for nothing hard .

    #176068 Reply
    David
    Guest

    DVSA last time it was mentioned about mot pricing believed that the price of the test had nothing to do with the standards of it?

    As an employee now I pay out around £50 per week to my local Snap On tool rep and that does not include other specialist tools that are sometimes required, like the Ford VCM II I have just invested in at £2500. How can so many people moan about £54 a year for a legal inspection when just about everything else offered for sale now is £100 or more. I have just had the cat to the vets and cost me £335, which took no time at all and I have nothing to see for it. I think the only time people will respect the mot is when enforcement is directed at the public in a direct sense more constantly rather than random checks using pool cars aimed at the test scheme.

    #176061 Reply
    Keith
    Guest

    I think most of us are singing from the same hymn sheet here.There should definately be a fixed MOT fee and more in depth training, pity the powers that be don’t see it.

    #176448 Reply
    Darren Bowler
    Guest

    It’s all down to poor quality training some independent training companies out there are carrying out a 29 hour training course in vehicle testing in a day

Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)

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