NCT criminal!!!

[msmorrissey]

Had My NCT today, Car pass with colours !!! EXCEPT fail on the fact my rear number plate did not say Baile ath Cliath. Disgusted! Anyone else have anything like this Happen to them?

[CJ]

Not having the county specified on your plate is a pretty common failure IIRC. Its the small things that people forget when it comes to NCT time

CJ

[Speedyboy]

NCT was brought in to improve road safety, Having the county name in a language no one speaks isnt going to improve it, Fair enough if the whole plate was illegal but by failing people on small things like that their ruining their reputation.

There was an article in a newspaper a while ago that showed an internal memo where senior management were "concerned" that the faiure rates in certain branches were below target. How can they be fair with failure rate targets? Does that mean if every car that comes in on a particular day is prepared perfectly they have to invent things??

Overall i agree with the idea of a car test (it took a few of my colleagues death traps off the raod) But it has to be properly monitored and FAIR!

[adrian]

My wifes Megane Coupe was pulled up on no "An Clar" sticker on the number plates as well as a lense cover for the rear number plate light!!

[CJ]

NCT was brought in to improve road safety, Having the county name in a language no one speaks isnt going to improve it, Fair enough if the whole plate was illegal but by failing people on small things like that their ruining their reputation.

I agree here, its petty failing cars for something that will no impact on road safety, at the same time, standards need to be set for everyone. In Britain, the MOT is just as strict on number plate aesthetics.

CJ

[kevinod]

Got royally screwed by the f.....s myself. Just imported my FTO in August, and after getting all the bits and pieces sorted out on her brought her in for the NCT. Failed on the front droplinks and anti-rollbar bushes, fair enough. Got them sorted, went back. They had the car to put it up on the ramp for literally 2 minutes, cost me €27 or whatever the retests cost.

Then to top it off, handed me a cert for 3 months!! I questioned it and was told that because it was a 95, its last test should have been 2002, so they backdated it to then. The car wasn't even in the country until August 04!! Completely unjustifiable rubbish, and to rub salt in they told me if I had waited another few weeks i would have got it for the 2 years as it would have been within 3 months of the registration date.

I guess at least for the number plate failure they don't charge you for the retest so its probably the best way to fail if there's such a thing.

Kev.

[adrian]

On the rant subject....

I think their equipment setup is total crap too for cars that have suspension tuned harder then a family saloon.

My S2000 failed the NCT a year ago for front suspension....with 27k miles on the clock!! Said they were 40% out right and left.

I was lucky enough to have bought it from a lad in Honda Ireland and so he sorted me a deal out for a total front suspension refit. This work would have cost over 1300 normally. New springs, shocks etc. The lad who did the work said the suspensions that came outta it were perfect.

I took it back (having done only 200 miles on the new suspensions) and they passed...but were an incredible 18% difference right and left IIRC!! So, I got it out to Universal Hondas Service centre. They reckoned there was at most 5% difference right and left!
Now, THAT's annoying. Thing is I'll be worried next time around too as the suspensions were perfect.

Got chatting to one of the head parts managers in Honda Ireland one evening after that. He was telling me they have war with the CRV and HRV (and now S2000) passing on the NCT equipment for similar reasons.

Is there anything can be done in a case like this?

[Speedyboy]

Taken from
http://www.ncts.ie/faq.html#16

6. How can the public be sure that the test will be fair and that everyone will be treated the same?
The National Car Testing Service (NCTS) Limited is supervised and monitored by the AA (Automobile Association) and PWC (Price Waterhouse Coopers) on behalf of the Department of Transport. The network of NCT Centres are controlled by NCTS and operate independently of the motor trade or garage network, ensuring consistency of testing across the country. The NCTS testing system is computer-controlled and highly automated and provides maximum test security and accuracy.
Uniform standards are set for:

* What is tested.
* How the test is carried out.
* Reasons for failure.

But i cant seem to find the grievance procedure, I get the horrible suspicion that the whole NCT deal is similar to the NTR one on the M50 Basically a licence to print money at the expense of the ordinary motorist.

Wonder how often are their procedures audited by PWC or AA??

[rsg]

You could blow up the testing stations!

Seriously though, that really is taking it too far. On the other hand, it's basically the opposite in SA, where you could pay the guy a couple of hundred bucks and get it passed 1,2,3. Even legally it's very simple to pass provided the basic's are ok (tyres are fine, engine is working, and doors aren't falling off...). They don't care about your exhaust emissions and so on as far as I know as well.

The crap you find driving on the the road here really is quite funny and dangerous for some too. Many accidents where you're driving along and smack into someone driving drunk thats turned out in front of you with no lights (Not that they aren't on, he just didn't have any), happend to a freind of mine.

Still don't what a licence plate missing text has to do with safety...

[AL]

i also have a 1992 colt, was nct'd in sept '03, failed 3 times, first it failed on back brake/ uneven braking. everything else was OK.

unfortunately i didnt get back within the alloted time so had to retest complete car, the second time, passed on brakes and failed on rears suspension 49% imbalance, with a fail rate at 30%

i got two friends to check this and they found no problems and told me to retest as is, i did so and got a rear suspension at 5% imbalance , this was only 10 days later, i still failed , cos one of my wheels was 5mm less on profile, this id never noticed and neither did they until the third test,
they explained i must have changed a wheel, ( NO!!!!!)
i also showned them my rear suspension, they tried to cover their tracks by saying id changed that also ( NO!!!!)

i asked to see their head mechanic,lol.
he said he couldnt be sure if i altered it or not, a lot of shouting ensued, all by me.

i rang a solicitor the next day, surprise surprise i got a call from their head office a few days after, told me they would do a retest at no extra cost, when i wanted it done........................... i declined this and told them i was proceeding with a court action, then my solicitor sort a refund of all my test costs and was given a free retest.

this final tetest took about 2 mins, there was a long que, i was rushed to the front and they couldnt wait to see the back of me.

know your rights, go nuts once in a while and believe me you will get results

[kevinod]

...then my solicitor sort a refund of all my test costs and was given a free retest.

Nice one, great to hear someone not taking their cr*p... I decided it wasn't worth my while with the 3 months thing thinking it should pass no problem for the next test. My only worry is my brakes, I have since replaced the 2 front GR calipers with GPX calipers, hopefully I won't get an imbalance!

Kev.

[AL]

Yeh, ive also kept any paper work just in case this sort o thing ever happened again

they paid my cost, solicitor fees, final retest etc,which was good
but i didnt get compensation for time off work
they declined to take responsibility for badly trained operatives, and in my opinion very badly calibrated test machinery.