Prius Genii 50K Service

[cootuk]

Just had the 50k intermediate service and MOT done by my local Toyota main dealer.

Tyres 4mm all round

Front pads 40% worn, Front discs 30% worn, rear pads 10% worn, rear discs 10% worn

(not sure if these have been replaced before as this is our first service)

I notice they did charge a couple of quid for windscreen wash fluid even though the bottle was brimmed the day before! Maybe that's their profit margin?

I also notice they did the MOT certificate from today, rather than a weeks time when the current one expires.

A bit more attention to details like this should really have been made.

I see they now offer a superspeedy service where two technicians do the stuff in half the usual time for the same price. Plus there's the drop and wait service if you book in early.

Even without these the car was done by noon.

I think I will try the drop and wait service next year.

No bottle of champagne or valet though :-(

[Parts-King]

I also notice they did the MOT certificate from today, rather than a weeks time when the current one expires.

A bit more attention to details like this should really have been made.

To be fair to your dealer, that SHOULD happen automatically. When the MOT tester hooks your car up to the VOSA machine, it knows when your MOT expires and should date it accordingly. The MOT tester has no control over that input

On another MOT note, say your car has 1 months MOT left on it and you take it in for an MOT test, if it fails, then the fail is current from todays date, so if you drive it away you are driving WITHOUT an MOT on the car. I was unaware of that, it was explained that way to me a short while back, I'm 99% certain I have that correct

Kingo

[cootuk]

I wonder whether any garage would ever be fined for aiding and abetting if they allowed a customer to drive off with an MOT failure if that really is true? Where do you draw the line between a slight defect and a dangerous one?

No MOT could also invalidate your insurence too?

[Parts-King]

Regardless of whether it's an MOT failure, customers very often drive away with defective cars, we can only advise them not to. What we have to do is get them to sign a disclaimer. You would be suprised at the number of people who have bald tyres/ dangerous cars etc but want to drive away. We cannot be held responsible for peoples foolishness. We have no explicit rights to hold on to a customers car, unless they refuse to pay for work done which is a different matter

Where do you draw the line between a slight defect and a dangerous one?

That is a million dollar question, slight defects would be blown bulbs, washers not working, poor Wiper Blades etc etc, dangerous would be anything likely to cause immediate danger or injury to the driver or other road user, bald tyres and defective brakes would be in that group but the list is not exhaustive, it could be anything!

Kingo

[cootuk]

"You would be suprised at the number of people who have bald tyres/ dangerous cars etc but want to drive away."

That would be the taxi drivers round here...allegedly

[timberwolf]

It has always surprised me how many people either don't bother to look at their tyres or are quite prepared to run their tyres until they are at (or possibly) below the legal minimum.

[johalareewi]

It has always surprised me how many people either don't bother to look at their tyres or are quite prepared to run their tyres until they are at (or possibly) below the legal minimum.

With fuel prices going up and up there is less money available for the other important car related expenditure (tax, insurance, MOT, tyres, exhausts, etc.). The thing with fuel is you have to have it or the car doesn't go. With everything else it's optional.

[Jan&tone]

It has always surprised me how many people either don't bother to look at their tyres or are quite prepared to run their tyres until they are at (or possibly) below the legal minimum.

With fuel prices going up and up there is less money available for the other important car related expenditure (tax, insurance, MOT, tyres, exhausts, etc.). The thing with fuel is you have to have it or the car doesn't go. With everything else it's optional.

I take your point Johal, but safety is never optional - good tyres are essential, the law says that tax/insurance/mot are essential, exhausts? well isn't that why we drive a hybrid?

We are lead to believe that there are hundreds of people driving around without tax and insurance, which is why the rest of us pay so much (so they say). However as you rightly say, petrol is essential, ok, so why not put a figure extra on the petrol tax to cover the rad tax. Insurance companies should give credit card size cover notes which would have to be put into the petrol pump before petrol is dispensed.... ie no insurance no petrol, if you buy petrol you pay road tax.... simples!! (I think???)

[Parts-King]

It has always surprised me how many people either don't bother to look at their tyres or are quite prepared to run their tyres until they are at (or possibly) below the legal minimum.

It happens on a daily basis in the garage, you should see the faces pulled when tyres are worn down to 2 MM and we suggest replacements, you would think people would want to be safe on the road? nope not at all, not if it means spending money :!Removed!:

[johalareewi]

However as you rightly say, petrol is essential, ok, so why not put a figure extra on the petrol tax to cover the road tax. Insurance companies should give credit card size cover notes which would have to be put into the petrol pump before petrol is dispensed.... ie no insurance no petrol, if you buy petrol you pay road tax.... simples!! (I think???)

The insurance card scheme has one big flaw. You could use someonelse's card.

You would also have to cater for overseas visitors (no card).

In theory, you could load the insurance premiums onto the pump price too so you are automatically taxed and insured when you fill up with fuel. Would hate to think of what the price for a litre would be and it may encourage a new generation of booze cruisers nipping over to France and stocking up on petrol and diesel. However, this would not work for plug-in and alternative fuel vehicles where you would just refuel at home.

[Jan&tone]

However as you rightly say, petrol is essential, ok, so why not put a figure extra on the petrol tax to cover the road tax. Insurance companies should give credit card size cover notes which would have to be put into the petrol pump before petrol is dispensed.... ie no insurance no petrol, if you buy petrol you pay road tax.... simples!! (I think???)

The insurance card scheme has one big flaw. You could use someonelse's card.

You would also have to cater for overseas visitors (no card).

In theory, you could load the insurance premiums onto the pump price too so you are automatically taxed and insured when you fill up with fuel. Would hate to think of what the price for a litre would be and it may encourage a new generation of booze cruisers nipping over to France and stocking up on petrol and diesel. However, this would not work for plug-in and alternative fuel vehicles where you would just refuel at home.

oh well, just a thought

[johalareewi]

It happens on a daily basis in the garage, you should see the faces pulled when tyres are worn down to 2 MM and we suggest replacements, you would think people would want to be safe on the road? nope not at all, not if it means spending money :!Removed!:

Guess it is a case of it hasn't blown up yet so there is still some life left in it.

I think most people today just drive until something stops working and they have to have it fixed.

Cars are a consumer item, not a complex piece of machinery that needs ongoing preventative maintenance.