News from Volkswagen: Figures released by the Government’s vehicle testing agency, VOSA, in May 2014 revealed that more than half of all light commercial vehicles (LCVs) presented at testing centres across the UK are failing to gain an MOT test pass certificate. The high failure rate is leaving thousands of owners and operators with increased downtime, plus additional repair and re-test costs.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, which enjoys one of the best MOT test success rates in the industry with an average 98% pass rate across its Van Centre network, has analysed the findings of the VOSA report and established that over a quarter of all MOT test failures (32.8%) of LCVs in the UK are caused by simple-to-fix faults that would normally be picked up during routine maintenance.
When Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles examined the most common causes of all MOT test failures it found that, in most cases, simple things such as faulty bulbs, too little tyre tread, or even empty windscreen washer fluid bottles were to fault. A further quarter of failures are caused by brake and suspension wear (15.3% and 14.2%) that would have been detected during routine maintenance.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is fully committed to keeping drivers and their vehicles on the road, and enjoys one of the best MOT test success rates in the industry with a 98% pass rate.
Volkswagen’s dedicated Van Centres are passionate about the safety of the vehicles they work with, and carry out an express visual check on every LCV bought in for service. This allows the owner to learn of any potential problem area or failure risk long before the vehicle is presented for its MOT test, ensuring a worry-free experience on test day and offering peace of mind that their vehicle is as safe as possible.
Kevin Rendell, Head of Service and Parts at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said, ‘The news that 50% of all LCVs on the road are failing their MOT tests first time round is startling. These figures clearly show that a lack of regular routine maintenance of commercial vehicles is proving to be a false economy for some UK van users when it comes to MOT time.
‘UK van owners are risking increased running bills, extended vehicle downtime periods and, potentially, a decrease in the overall resale value of their vehicle by not looking after their van properly.’
Every vehicle serviced by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is checked thoroughly, with items including headlamps and indicators, brake lights, wheels and tyres, seats and seatbelts all assessed for operation and wear. This means that Van Centres enjoy an exceptionally high pass rate when owners return for an MOT. Volkswagen Van Centres also routinely offer a free fitting service on a number of items, including on bulbs and wiper blades**.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles offers a national pricing scheme to help LCV operators budget and plan in advance for maintenance costs.Volkswagen also has fixed national MOT test† prices set at £40 for Class 4 and £50 for Class 7. Businesses can purchase a service and MOT test package at one of its dedicated Van Centres for just £145.
