First MoT test

[Luke717]

Next week it will be three years since I bought my 2020 Corolla Excel HB. A thoroughly delightful three years with this car which is why I'm keeping it when the 0% finance deal concludes next week, resisting all temptations to upgrade to the latest model - a subject for a separate post here.

So almost three years since buying the car new, the first MoT test happened yesterday. I've done just a bit under 32K miles over the past three years, the car has been well maintained throughout with servicing at the main dealer, and it's been looked after with regular washing and annual valeting/detailing. To my eyes, it still looks brand new! 😍

So you'd expect the car to sail through the MoT test, right? I still double-checked everything before the test date using the DVSA checklist, though. The last thing you'd want is a failed MoT test because of something so simple like a number-plate bulb not working. And the car would have sailed through if it hadn't been for the nearside rear tyre.

The tyre had a tear through the tread and down to the cord, according to the tester, which classified it as a defect and so the car failed the MoT test. It was on the outside edge, as it were, but almost impossible to see unless you took the wheel off or unless you inspected the tyre minutely for an MoT test. I suspect I know how it happened - I hit a pothole two days prior at quite a low speed (less than 20mph) but it was one hell of a whack that triggered the slip indicator yellow warning light on the dashboard momentarily. When I stopped the car and got out to check the tyre, nothing untoward was apparent. The tyre was inflated as normal, and there was nothing detectable in the car's behaviour that anything was amiss. The next day I checked the tyre again and checked the pressure which was as normal. There were no dashboard warnings.

It was quite a disappointment to have the first MoT test fail. Once I replaced the tyre and returned to the dealer a few hours later, of course the car immediately passed the test.

A positive outcome although a more expensive experience than expected!

[flash22]

i have seen a 3 year old car go in for its 1st MOT and fail with 2 sheets of failures

a tyre is just one of those things

[Mojo1010]

That is just unlucky otherwise no problem. About a month ago almost hit a large pothole myself travelling on a 40mph smooth single carriageway, manage to brake and swerve around it. My car has sailed the last 3 mot without a single advisory. 

[Luke717]

5 minutes ago, flash22 said:

a tyre is just one of those things

Just driving on any road these days is a bit of gamble!

[Luke717]

1 minute ago, Mojo1010 said:

That is just unlucky otherwise no problem

Yep, that's how I see it

[Steven83]

I took my auris in for a service last year with Toyota and they highlighted 2 pieces of metal in my tyres and said it would be a mot fail with the mot coming up. They said it had cut through the wires in the tyre and it wasn’t fixable.

 

I took the car to an independent tyre place and showed him. He laughed, pulled out both tiny pieces of metal and sent me on my way not charging me a penny.

 

Following week I had the mot done at Toyota, it passed with no mention or advisories on the tyres 🤷‍♂️

 

On a further note I just had my first MOT on my 3 year old Corolla, passed with no advisories.

[TonyHSD]

Lol, what an experience. Definitely some dealers are looking for extra work and more money making. It’s not just in the job descriptions of the sales persons but also in the service advisors even if you apply for a technician, mechanic you still have to up sell products and services.

Now about the tyres sizes on these cars , the 18” wheels-tyres combo are absolutely nonsense. Just think about it, The Yaris GR4 a proper sport car has much thicker tyres than a Corolla 1.8 hybrid?! 😂
This is crazy and honestly even dangerous.
If you look online adverts for used Corolla you will see a lots of damaged wheels or fully refurbished ones on relatively recent cars, that’s says it all. 

Toyota does this to please the customers preferences for large wheels and  low profile tyres, I get it , but come on, just look the roads condition.
Anyone with 18” 🛞 Corolla , turn your steering wheel fully to the L or R and if you get out of the car and check the wheels, they are almost touching the ground at the edge!? The smallest crack, stone, edge, pothole or anything hard and sharp will penetrate the tyres and cause damage to the wheels.
17” only just meet the acceptable minimum but 18” on 40 side wall are simply a joke. And nothing personal here or ranting about, just a highlight of the reality 😉👌

[AndrueC]

I had an advisory about the brakes being uneven which various people on here reckon was just due to corrosion.

[oldcodger]

@Luke717  actually you are not that unlucky, its quiet a common thing, so easy to miss or even happens on the trip to the test station,   happened to us on two tests over the years !

However we did not fail the test as we were there and being an old car we do have a full sized spare wheel, and as there was a few minutes left on the tester allocated time they allowed us to change the wheel and get a pass .    ( we now always put the  trolley jack in the boot,  just in case ! )

[Derek.w]

Few fail the first MOT but those that do its usually just a small problem like a bulb or wiper blade.

Some garages offer a free retest within 2 weeks but only for one item if you fixing it yourself.

[Luke717]

Thanks for all your comments. Varied opinions although I detect a strong view that dealers have little care for their customers and are all about money-grabbing. It's not how I see it although I recognise validity in others' actual experiences.

In the case of my damaged tyre, I inspected it at the tyre dealer when they took it off the car. Then I could see the damage was quite severe. I imagine if the cut had gone through the cords, the tyre would have deflated. Worse would be if that happened after the damage when I was driving, say if I hit another pothole at speed. The tyre fitter was unequivocal in his view - very clearly a defect in MoT terms and so would fail the test.

As for the merits of low-profile tyres - or perhaps the de-merits as @TonyHSD sees it - and 18-inch wheels, these are the advantages that I see:

1. Improved handling: Low-profile tyres are wider and have less sidewall flex which can improve the vehicle's handling and stability (many brands offer such tyres with reinforced sidewalls). This can make the car feel more responsive and give you a better sense of control.
2. Aesthetic appeal: Many people prefer the look of low-profile tyres on larger wheels. They can give a vehicle a sportier, and perhaps more aggressive, appearance.
3. Better braking: The wider contact patch of low-profile tyres can improve braking performance. This is because there's more tyre surface in contact with the road, which can help the vehicle stop more quickly.
4. Improved fuel efficiency: Some low-profile tyres are designed to reduce rolling resistance, which can improve fuel efficiency.
5. Better grip: Low-profile tyres often have a larger contact area with the road, which can provide better grip and traction, especially in dry conditions.

I've had low-profile tyres on all the cars I've owned over the past 20 years and I have no complaints. Currently, I have Michelin Cross Climate 2 all-season tyres that replaced the factory-fitted low-profile Falkens last winter (and those Falkens had covered nearly 25K miles, not bad at all).

That said, there are some disadvantages:

1. They can provide a harsher ride, as there's less cushioning between the wheel and the road.
2. They can also be more prone to damage from potholes and other road imperfections.
3. And they can be more expensive to replace than standard-profile tyres.

I don't drive my Corolla as though it's a hot hatch - my average overall MPG is 63 with individual journeys frequently over 90 MPG and running in EV mode more than 65% of the time. The driver score according to the MyT app is above 90% more often than not.

 Clearly, though, not everyone will agree with my conclusion and that's okay too. Your mileage will vary, as the saying goes 😉

As far as the MoT test failure goes, well, what more can I say? It passed when the new tyre was tested. When next year's test gets close, perhaps I won't drive at all in the days prior!

[Mojo1010]

Will add to that, personally don't like low profile tyres as prefer comfort over looks. Higher profile can have wide tyres also, don't drive my car hard so the flex isn't an issue. 

 

[AndrueC]

My previous car was a Jazz and it had not-quite low profile tyres at 185/55. At the time they were difficult to even find and quite expensive.

[TonyHSD]

These cars will not have issues for going through MOT test except the tyre cuts and corrosion on brakes, scored discs or imbalances as notes and advisories. The estate ones might have also advisory for the back box silencer bracket too.
Again, just looking at auto trader used cars for sales most of the Toyota hybrids has rusty brakes., some even are so bad that might easily be a be a failure. Yaris cross very similar situation. The larger the openings between the spokes of the !Removed! wheels the more exposed to the environment are the brakes, add the regenerative braking effect, add the fact  the used car dealers wash and park these cars for weeks or months  and anyone buying a used Toyota hybrid should be very careful and ready  to negotiate or risking a good £600 + brake job shortly after the purchase. Even that was the case with my own car, I had some money off and I did put a new brakes all around. 👌 Forgot to mentor the 12v batteries that these cars are known for having an issues when not used often.
These comments as pre mot and post mot ownership or purchase suggestions but you don’t need to take my word for it. 👍

[Cyker]

7 hours ago, AndrueC said:

My previous car was a Jazz and it had not-quite low profile tyres at 185/55. At the time they were difficult to even find and quite expensive.

I do wonder if there's a table of the most popular tyres sizes and also the cheapest sizes...

Would really help when picking alternative sizes!

I used to find anything 65-60 ratio the cheapest, but with so many SUVs and the obsession with low-profile tyres there are ones with lower ratios that are even cheaper!

[Mojo1010]

205/55/16 are one of the most common and so also one of the cheapest. This is perfect for my mk4 when it's time to change. For 17" it's 225/45/17, this ain't gonna work for your excel Yaris am afraid. 

[Cyker]

My 185/65r15's are even cheaper  

I think the cheapest tyres I ever got were the 175/65r14's on my Mk1 Yaris, but not sure how they compare, as the lower-width tyres have gone up a lot more than the bigger tyres - My 15's were half the cost of my friend's 17" Auris tyres originally but they've gone up so much they're only maybe 10-20% cheaper now!