A motorist has raised questions about how a used car she bought passed the National Car Test (NCT) weeks before a problem with the rear wheel revealed it had been welded on and that there was significant rust on the rear axle.
In September 2021 Claire Buckley purchased a 2006 Toyota Yaris from a private buyer. The car had been certified by the NCT on September 2nd.
Within a couple of days, after a short drive to the local shop, Ms Buckley noticed the right-hand rear wheel was turned outwards.
“The second time it was driven to the shop the wheel gave way,” she said. “My dad came around and we jacked up the car, and we found that the wheel had been welded on, and that there was all this corrosion and rust in behind it.”
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Ms Buckley said her suspicions should have been aroused when the person selling the car said he put it through the NCT the second time in Deansgrange as it would have been a shame to scrap it. “Why would you scrap a car that only failed on minor things the first time?”
The seller did not answer his phone when Ms Buckley attempted to contact him.
The next step was to contact the NCT and try to find out how a car with such a significant issue with a significant component – the back axle – was passed as safe just days before. The NCT sent out an inspector on September 28th, backed up by an independent assessor from the AA.
Ms Buckley told The Irish Times: “I told them that they were welcome to take the car away and carry out a full test on it, but they were happy to come out and view it in my front driveway.”
[ How did a car that was too dangerous to drive pass the NCT?Opens in new window ]
Later, Ms Buckley received a letter from the NCT service, saying that: “As the inspection was conducted at your premises, there was no access to a hydraulic lift ... due to this, the inspection was limited as the auditors only had visibility of the rear of the vehicle.”
However, they identified the presence of a crack/split on the axle. “In the area where the rear axle had cracked, the auditors believe this crack/split caused the wheel to lean heavily to a camber-in position.”
The report concluded that an NCT inspector would have had “limited visibility of the area” where the corrosion was present. It was left in Ms Buckley’s hands to get the car repaired before bringing it for a full re-test. Instead, she had the Yaris scrapped, as she felt it was unsafe.
“It was just absolutely soul-destroying,” she said, adding that the Yaris had failed an NCT in Portlaoise, Co Laois, before being passed in Deansgrange.
Responding to questions from The Irish Times, a spokesperson for the Road Safety Authority, which oversees the running of the NCT, said: “The vehicle owner appealed the situation at the time to the NCT and the Independent Appeals Board (the AA) inspected the vehicle. Please note, that at the time, the vehicle owner did not make a complaint based on the wheel being ‘solidly welded to the hub’, so we feel that this claim lacks substance.
“The Independent Appeals Board noted that the vehicle had been failed by the NCT and that repairs were made to the vehicle which were necessary to meet the standards of the NCT; therefore, the vehicle subsequently passed the NCT appropriately.
“It was also noted by the Independent Appeals Board that there was extensive corrosion in the vehicle leading to a rear wheel collapse, which had manifested internally, and which would not have been detectable during an NCT inspection. So, in short, they found no basis for the appeal by the customer.”
However, Ms Buckley expressed concerns about the appeals board, after it subsequently emerged the AA’s auditor had previously been an employee of NCT operator Applus+, and subsequently returned to employment with that company.
[ NCT passes ‘unroadworthy’ car as fit for the roadOpens in new window ]
When The Irish Times approached the AA, a spokesperson said: “The motor industry in Ireland is small. In the AA, we have a strict policy in place that should an employee have any conflict of interest with a specific NCT test location such as previous employment or relationship, they cannot and will not ever be placed on a job to inspect that specific location.
“The AA ensures its independence by carrying out the independent inspection on the vehicle on behalf of the vehicle owner. The AA is contracted by the RSA and carries out the inspections according to the NCT Testers Manual. Our main objective is to make sure the vehicle in question is roadworthy and safe.”
Ms Buckley’s complaint follows the recent coverage of the case of Esther Woodley, who bought a used car with a newly issued NCT certificate. The car subsequently turned out to have been written off and then badly repaired. In this case, the NCT cert was revoked and Ms Woodley was left with an unroadworthy vehicle.
According to Patrick Kenny of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC): “The car industry is the single biggest driver of calls to our helpline and we prioritise cases that involve unroadworthy vehicles or multiple complaints about the same person.
“Consumers who buy from a private seller have fewer statutory rights but if something goes wrong after they buy, they have the option of taking a civil case through the courts. Enhanced information on car history will also make the market work better when consumers purchase from private sellers. We strongly advise consumers to get cars checked by a mechanic before buying and get a car history report from an online provider.”
Mr Kenny added the car-buying environment in Ireland is not on the consumer’s side. “Ireland compares poorly to other countries in providing access to information about the history and performance of used cars. That is why we are preparing a detailed report for government, which will include recommendations on how Irish consumers can be better informed and protected before buying used cars.
“The CCPC believes that consumers in Ireland need better information on the history of used cars. Ireland compares poorly with countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom as well as many European countries in providing online access for consumers to information about the history and performance of used cars.
“Buyers need to have essential information about a car before they buy it. They need information on mileage, safety recalls, and whether a car has been crashed and repaired or written off entirely.”
