An NCT certificate is not a substitute for vetting a second hand car

You can see the test stats for 2023 here


The pass rates ranged from 48% to 64% with a lot clustering around the average of 60% which is probably what you would expect.

It's likely that the variability is more due the variability of the cars being tested than the variability of the standards in the test centres.

I saw the programme, and having had 20 years of NCTs I'm stunned that this can even happen. I've had a car that was marked as unroadworthy because of damage to a tyre sidewall (notwithstanding the fact that there's a spare tyre in the boot that can immediately replace the problem tyre), I know someone else who had a similar experience with brakes that suddenly failed at the NCT centre, and my father had a car that failed the NCT for rust issues to the body that he couldn't get a single mechanic to even quote for and had to scrap the car. In at least a couple of cases NCT turned up an issue that was undiagnosed previously that went on to show a more serious issue. I've literally never been to a test centre that didn't do a proper visual check (aside from one small country centre that took a very cursory glance at some lights).

It suggests that "trade" or other individuals are able to extract favours from within the system and that's horrifying. It means the integrity of the entire system is under question.

odyssey06 said:

It's important that RTE hold public bodies to account - at least with private sector you have some agency and can use a different provider etc
No option to do that with the NCT etc

Click to expand...

Ironic you say this for an situation where the private sector dealer seems to have had a very high involvement in creating the situation and has effectively been able to dodge all responsibility.

Like many things in Ireland the motortrade with NCT, Simi etc seems to operate with impunity from consumer protection. I include the NCT in that, which has been dysfunctional for most of its existence.

The MOT in the UK is more along the lines of what you're suggesting and it has it's own problems.

Pcp and lease schemes seem a lot more attractive if they mean you avoid a lot of these issues with the motor trade.