Just looking for a quick heads up. My car failed it's MOT last week-

Fail reason(s)
Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded and front to rear (1.1.11 (c))
Major defect

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded and front to rear (1.1.11 (c))
Major defect

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))
Major defect

Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))
Major defect

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii))
Dangerous defect

Minor defects
None

Advisories
undertrays fitted not allowing full inspection of some testable components

Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

and that's after zero advisories last year (4k miles ago) at the same garage

Now, obviously you're between a rock and a hard place now as you can't drive the car away so I had to get it fixed and the bill came out as below

Labour 360
MOT 39.95
Pad sensor 15.72
Front pads 28.88
Hose 26.65
Hose 26.65
Brake pipes 13.90
Antifreeze Red 5.99
Front discs 145

+VAT - £787.30

I know these cars cost money to maintain but just wondered if this seemed reasonable?

Cheers
Dan

Seems like a fair price for parts etc. Not an area you want to save money on for brakes. Did they have it back to you within a day or so?

Lots of that could have done yourself but always comes down to how competent you are. Biggest labour part their is the brake lines as they can be fiddly to do

Thanks, they had it for a week so I've been trundling around in a corsa
I live in an apartment so I've not got anywhere to get on the spanners - they did say it was the front to rear lines that would take the time. Anyway, thanks for putting my mind at rest, hopefully that's it for this year!

So they didn’t use any brake fluid during the job, but charged you for anti freeze? 🤔

Jim

As pointed out by jim4244 Antifreeze?, where did they use that?.
Sounds like they have a new MOT tester, as the brake lines should have been highlighted last year.

Saying that the overall cost is reasonable & a fiddly job

I wonder what testable components were concealed by undertrays.

Also seems highly unlikely that brake pipes would go from no advisory to a major defect in 4K miles

Rather smacks of a very keen examiner. I know the test is supposed to be objectives, this makes is very subjective in my eyes. Got - 2017 SDV8 Autobiography in Loire Blue
Had- 2008 TDV8 Vogue SE in Java black
Had - 2007 S/C in Stornoway Grey

Hard to tell whether you had a lax tester last year or an over zealous one this year.....

However, the prices seem reasonable to me.

Having changed the rear cross over and front to rear pipe on my own cars twice (once each), I'd say that's a fair price.

The materials cost next to nothing, but it takes time to remove all the undertrays and make the pipes, etc. Looks like they've charged you for 6 hours labour (assuming £60 / hr?). One adnatage, if they've changed them for Cunifer then you'll never have to get it done again

So I think you've been fairly treated given you've had virtually all the brake pipes replaced and the front discs / pads.

Jon 1992 RR Classic 3.9 efi Vogue
2014 Disco 4 HSE
===================
Both my fatties now gone...
Previous: 2011 L322 4.4 TDV8 Vogue SE /// 2002 L322 4.4 V8 HSE /// 2009 Discovery 3 2.7 TDV6 XS /// 2004 Defender 90 TD5 /// 1993 110 V8 Snatch Landrover /// 2005 Discovery 3 2.7 TDV6 SE (Aus) /// 1990 110 Isuzu 3.9 County (Aus) /// 1976 Series III Trayback (Aus)

I'd be happy with that. 2012 Orkney Grey Westminster 4.4TDV8 with Ivory interior.........nice!
Alfa Romeo Giulietta
Just one Montesa now, 349 White Wonder
Austin A40 Farina MK2
1975 Morris Marina 1.8TC
1973 Honda CB250 K4

alanm_3 wrote:

I wonder what testable components were concealed by undertrays.

Also seems highly unlikely that brake pipes would go from no advisory to a major defect in 4K miles

Rather smacks of a very keen examiner. I know the test is supposed to be objectives, this makes is very subjective in my eyes.

I had to have all my pipes replaced and it was over £1k

Unfortunately they replaced them with the same c**p that LR fitted so it will probably only last a couple of years. 2010 4.4 TDV8 Vogue SE

They should be good for at least 8 years, in my experience that's when the original steel pipes start to become a bit worse for wear.

Steel has the advantage of greater impact resistance, I reckon that's why LR use steel and not Cunifer which is softer and more prone to damage from off-roading.

I wouldn't stress too much that they've been replaced with steel.

Jon 1992 RR Classic 3.9 efi Vogue
2014 Disco 4 HSE
===================
Both my fatties now gone...
Previous: 2011 L322 4.4 TDV8 Vogue SE /// 2002 L322 4.4 V8 HSE /// 2009 Discovery 3 2.7 TDV6 XS /// 2004 Defender 90 TD5 /// 1993 110 V8 Snatch Landrover /// 2005 Discovery 3 2.7 TDV6 SE (Aus) /// 1990 110 Isuzu 3.9 County (Aus) /// 1976 Series III Trayback (Aus)

I always take all my cars to an MoT test station that does not do repairs. They are not incentivised to find work. Also as they just do MoT's they see a wider variety of vehicles. I once had a local garage fail my MGB for excessive play in seat runners. They were like that the day they left Abingdon! And on the other side of things because they do so many tests they know what faults develop on what vehicles and at what rate so have a better subjectivity. I even have had instances where they have pointed out not MoT related jobs where they have pointed out things for preventive maintenance.

I always take all my cars to an MoT test station that does not do repairs. They are not incentivised to find work. Also as they just do MoT's they see a wider variety of vehicles. I once had a local garage fail my MGB for excessive play in seat runners. They were like that the day they left Abingdon! And on the other side of things because they do so many tests they know what faults develop on what vehicles and at what rate so have a better subjectivity. I even have had instances where they have pointed out non MoT related jobs where they have pointed out things for preventive maintenance.

Apologies just meant to edit rather than post again!

paul70 wrote:

I always take all my cars to an MoT test station that does not do repairs. They are not incentivised to find work.

That's good advice

I still think that the factory fitted steel pipes only have a safe life span of around 8 to 10 years. The rear cross pipe turns to rust at this age and the front to rear pipe tends to corrode at every mounting bracket where moisture is held against it.

I was shocked how bad the F-R pipe was on my 2002 car when I replaced it - and it hadn't failed on that as the tester can't see behind the plastic covers. He actually failed it on the cross pipe and the short runs attached to the Flexi's on the rear lower arms.

I replaced the lot of course, but found the main front to rear pipe was in a shocking state and could be broken / folded with complete ease under very light finger pressure. The car was probably 12 years old at that point.

I've also had my 2011 car fail on rear brake pipes last year (I didn't do a pre-MOT) and again replaced the lot. This time the cross pipe was well past it, and once again the steel pipes of the flexi's on the lower rear arms were in a very bad way. The front to rear pipe wasn't too bad this time, but was starting to show reasonable levels of corrosion (again at the pipe clips).

I replaced the lot with Cunifer and gave the replacement Flexi's several coats of zinc rich paint and Smoothrite on the steel pipe sections. 1992 RR Classic 3.9 efi Vogue
2014 Disco 4 HSE
===================
Both my fatties now gone...
Previous: 2011 L322 4.4 TDV8 Vogue SE /// 2002 L322 4.4 V8 HSE /// 2009 Discovery 3 2.7 TDV6 XS /// 2004 Defender 90 TD5 /// 1993 110 V8 Snatch Landrover /// 2005 Discovery 3 2.7 TDV6 SE (Aus) /// 1990 110 Isuzu 3.9 County (Aus) /// 1976 Series III Trayback (Aus)