Ireland's worst NCT centres for failing cars with nearly half of tests rejected
The Fonthill centre in Lucan, Dublin tops the list of recording the highest number of serious fails in the country this year. Since January, 5,200 vehicles were marked as a 'dangerous fail' here.
Close behind is Northpoint 2, also in Dublin, with 4,900 vehicles flagged as dangerously failing. Deansgrange in south Dublin rounds out the top three with 4,100 vehicles failing in the most serious category.
Cork isn't far behind. Little Island has seen 3,800 dangerous fails, while Greenhills in Dublin accounts for 3,400. Unsurprisingly, all five of these centres were also the busiest in Ireland, handling the highest volume of vehicles tested so far this year.
When it comes to the percentage of pass and fail rates, some centres failed nearly half of vehicles so far this year.
Naas in Kildare leads in this category, with a whopping 45.48% of vehicles failing their NCT test. Galway follows closely at 44.48%, Eniscorthy in Wexford at 44.70%, Fonthill at 43.41%, and Northpoint at 42.62%. While these figures might seem high, but also reflect just how seriously NCT centres take keeping vehicles safe on the road
On the flip side, some centres achieved significantly higher pass rates, which might give drivers a better chance of a smooth test day. Deansgrange passed 58.17% of vehicles, followed by Tullamore in Offaly at 57.62%, Cahir in Tipperary at 54.60%, Waterford at 54.52% and Kilkenny at 53.90%.
Overall, Ireland's NCT centres have tested 1,130,640 vehicles this year. Of those, 563,862 passed (49.87%), 481,239 received a major fail (42.56%), and 85,539 were marked as dangerous fails (7.57%).
It is an offence to drive a vehicle in a public place in Ireland without a valid NCT certificate. The initial fixed charge amount is €60, increasing to €90 if you do not pay within 28 days, and offenders will also get three penalty points.
Five penalty points, a more significant fine and even prison can be imposed if it goes to court because of non-payment.
If your car is four years or older, it must undergo an NCT test. Cars between four and 10 years old need testing every two years, those between 10 and 30 years old must be tested annually and vehicles between 30 and 39 years old require a test every two years if they're not used commercially.
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