T25 door step v hammer at the MOT

[Maypie27]

Hi everyone,

I had my T25 MOT’d recently and the garage used the hammer to “test” the door step on the drivers side. Turns out they then failed it because of a major defect after making a hole around the mat hole. They also wrote

‘Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced drivers foot well rust hole has formed out of rubber floor mat hole (6.1.1 (c) (0))’

I have had the camper for over 10 years and this hasn’t even been an advisory. My usual garage have said that the step shouldn’t have been classed as structural and they should never have tested it, or failed it for this. That garage then carried out the welding work, replacing the whole step with the after market part from Just Kampers.

The MOT garage have also put that all 4 tyres are slightly cracking and perished as an advisory and one guy even told me I can prevent it from getting worse by “spraying them with WD40 as tyres are 80% oil anyway” !!!

I’m just wondering if anyone else has had any experience with this, as I am planning on following up my complaint with them, as I believe that it should never have been touched, let alone hit!

Apparently MOT’s “have an element of discretion”, so they told me. Basically they are trying to get out of this and because I wasn’t allowed to drive the camper because it had failed and the other garage wasn’t able to book me in for a few weeks to have the welding done, I have missed cut off to complain to the DVSA.

Any comments would be helpful thanks.

[R0B]

I'm pretty much certain cab steps are not a testable area on an MOT.
Just found this thread.(4) Cab steps for MOT - Club 80-90 Forums

[Maypie27]

Thanks for that. I’ve read through it all and it seems it shouldn’t have been tested with a hammer and then classed as a fail! Really annoying at its cost me £417 to be welded and parts for no reason. Going to take this further for sure! I’ll let you know how I get on.

[T3luestar]

Had mine in for test last week, MOT man said he didn't want to poke the cab step because it looked rotten!

[davidoft1]

Steps have recently been added to the mot , not
Everyone is aware of it but it’s a legitimate fail , cracking tyres is a common MOT advisory, I would be looking to replace them

[Maypie27]

The joke is the tyres are all fine as well, but he said to prevent them drying out and cracking more I should regularly spray them with WD40! The other guy there said “not everyone does that” in a ‘don’t do that’ kind of way. I don’t trust anything they say.

[multisi]

We dont have MOT tests here but when a vehicle is imported to the island it has to be fully tested in the same manner as a MOT test. My ex UK caravelle was solid apart from the steps so wouldnt pass until  fixed so i cut out the rusty area and used fiberglass and mesh, took it back the next day and the tester said that was strong enough and passed the vehicle to be registered.

[clift_d]

The online MOT manual has cab steps listed as an inspection item but it says that they’re a defect if they’re in a condition that is “likely to cause injury”. I’d be asking whether the presence of corrosion in a cab step is sufficient evidence that is likely to cause injury, and whether a hammer is the proper way to determine that.


6.2.8. Cab steps (if fitted)
You must only inspect steps that aid entry into the driver’s and/or the front passenger compartment.

(a) A cab step or step ring:

(i) insecure - Minor Defect
(ii) so insecure that it is likely to cause injury - Major Defect

(b) A cab step or step ring in such a condition that it is likely to cause injury - Major Defect


https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspect ... tion-6-2-8

[multisi]

It has to be tested in a robust manner.

[Maypie27]

Wish I could add photos. New to this, but don’t think I can.

The part they hit was right at the front of the step, so the door wouldn’t open far enough to even step on that area. I have the piece they cut out and even between your hands you cannot flex it at all.

I heard one of the guys on the phone to the boss saying “yeah well he hit it, but he shouldn’t have because of where it is”. He kept saying sorry and that he would be annoyed too.

[R0B]

[Maypie27]

So the photos are after the hammer was taken to it and after the welding work

[R0B]

Well, it was only going to get worse. So maybe it was worth doing it.

[Maypie27]

It was never even an advisory and hadn’t changed much in the 10 and a half years I’ve owned it that the trouble.

It looked similar to the other side before the hammer was involved!

[R0B]

As Davidtoft said, it has only recently become part of the MOT test, so it wouldn't have been an MOT fail in previous years, and wouldn't have been an advisory as it wasn't part of the MOT.