More than 50 per cent of all cars put through the NCT fail the first test. That's the summary of data from the National Car Testing Service (NCTS) from January to July of this year, in which the figure was 50.4%.
Of those, 2,349 vehicles were classed as 'Fail Dangerous', which means they could not be legally driven away from the test centre.
However, most cars pass the NCT following rectification of the problems found and a retest. The NCTS quotes a retest pass rate of 90%. This adds a cost of €28 unless the retest is for a minor item that does not require use of specialist equipment. The price of the NCT currently stands at €55.
The new data is in line with trends observed in 2011, with the most commonly failed items including front suspension, headlight alignment, tyres and brake line condition.
Once a car is four years old it must undergo an NCT test every two years until it is 10 years old. After than an annual test is required. Vehicles registered before 1980 do not currently require NCT testing. The same goes for those used entirely on an island that is not connected to the mainland by road.
For more information about the NCT go to the official website, www.nct.ie.
View our top tips for preparing for the NCT here.
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