Heatshield removed during mot.

[DanielleB]

Hello,

Having just had a health check on my toyota auris 12 reg. I have been told it needs a new heat shield because its an mot failure not having one..

Now my query here is that my local garage removed my heat shield instead of reattaching it during its mot. As it was rattling... As they never offered to reattach or even give me it back, I assumed it wasn't needed...

But how could they pass the MOT and remove my heatshield of its an MOT failure??

Thank you

Danielle

[FROSTYBALLS]

Not clear really. Was it your local garage who removed the heat shield and then failed the car on it's MOT, or was it another garage who MOT'd and failed it after the heat shield had earlier been removed??

First generation Auris (2007-2012) or second generation (2012-2019)?

[Rosgoe]

Are you sure they said it was a failure point and not just an advisory they probably removed it if it was completely detached so that it would not fall off while driving, as far as I am aware the mot should not involve any dismantling.

[Mick13]

It was an mot failure on my old Nissan last year, mine was reattached using big washers as the holes had rusted away, or could have bought the material off an auction site and reshaped it to fit, either way i was told i must have one for mot.

[1.8 hybrid]

the mot is checking the condition of the car at the moment its being tested

as soon as it leaves anything could happen and this will be the get out clause a garage could use

i.e. the heat shield was there when it was tested , it must of fallen off after the test

try proving this hadn't happened

i would go and purchase a new shield with securing clips and have it fitted as soon as you can

and be content it passed its test i probably wouldn't go there next time though

[flash22]

What was the time period between the health check and the MOT ? If it was loose it may have come off, the one around the fuel tank is prone to coming off especially going through deep puddles

If something isn't there it can't be tested

[HS78]

36 minutes ago, flash22 said:

If something isn't there it can't be tested

I would disagree with this statement - 

This is from the MOT manual Section 6.1.3

Fire risk due to fuel tank shield or exhaust shield missing where fitted as original equipment
Dangerous

If the tester believes that a heat shield was fitted previously but has been removed then this can be a assessed as a serious defect due to the potential of a fire risk. 

There are many items on a car that are tested and visually inspected. For example if a car has one or more wheel bolts missing, brake fluid reservoir cap missing etc. 

The main point is - if it was fitted from the factory then it should be fitted for the duration of the vehicles use. 

[gezhenry]

I think the mot rules re:heatshields have got a bit more strict recently and maybe there isn't the same adherence everywhere, it sounds like the mot tester was a bit lenient with you, however if not reattaching the heat shield they should at least have returned it to you.

Those 'health checks' are really good, was it from a Toyota dealer, I've had a few, but bare in mind they're going to be notoriously ruthless in trying to find prospective work, not everyone mite know there's one missing.

I'd go back to the mot station and see if they've still got the heatshield, or when taking back there for the next mot id mention it if a fail next time.

I think some heat shields are more important than others, but again bare in mind if you do need to buy another one they're unfort unlikely to be cheap.

[DanielleB]

Hello all, thank you for your responses.. I didn't get notifications so didn't notice until now. 

The car went in for its MOT and I mentioned the heatshield was rattling and asked them to check this. 

They never mentioned any work needing doing and carried out the mot, and passed it.

I got the paperwork back with the car and in the MOT notes it stated they removed the heatshield. No offer to reattach or return in, so I'm assuming they just nabbed it.. Being a bit crap with cars I just assumed it was a minor item if they can just remove it and do nothing about replacing it during an MOT. 

Apparently not!! 

It was definitely taken off by that garage at that time. It was back in August so can't really go back to them about it now, but I won't be going there again.

[flash22]

What heat shield was it tho ? There are 4+ under the car

 

With Mot's its down to the tester and common sense, testers can't be expected to know very detail of every car, if you tested a car to the book it would take 2 hours to go around a car

[TonyHSD]

🚗

[TonyHSD]

5 hours ago, DanielleB said:

Hello all, thank you for your responses.. I didn't get notifications so didn't notice until now. 

The car went in for its MOT and I mentioned the heatshield was rattling and asked them to check this. 

They never mentioned any work needing doing and carried out the mot, and passed it.

I got the paperwork back with the car and in the MOT notes it stated they removed the heatshield. No offer to reattach or return in, so I'm assuming they just nabbed it.. Being a bit crap with cars I just assumed it was a minor item if they can just remove it and do nothing about replacing it during an MOT. 

Apparently not!! 

It was definitely taken off by that garage at that time. It was back in August so can't really go back to them about it now, but I won't be going there again.

If garage removed the heat shield and the car passes MOT with them,  then the next MOT done in another garage had failed, it’s clearly an issue caused by the first garage. , which wrongly removed a part of the car that they decided it’s not necessary which is wrong. Double check with Toyota garage and if they confirm the same as the second garage then the garages who removed the part should buy and fit a replacement heat shield at their own expense in this case and if it’s me I will fight for it as it’s basically your right to request. It’s basically the same as if they disconnected the hand brake on one of the rear wheel believe in that  one wheel is enough to hold the car when parking brake is applied.